Charli XCX just wrapped four sold-out nights at Barclays, but you’d never know it based on how flawless she looked walking into tonight’s Met Gala. Her glam, all done with Valentino Beauty by makeup artist Yasmin Istanbouli, brought her iconic brat energy to the red carpet in a custom Ann Demeulemeester ensemble. Charli’s makeup look featured her signature nude lip, but she ditched her classic black eyeliner for a smoky bronze shadow—aa the perfect way to ring in her brat 2.0 era.
This year’s Met Gala theme, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” focuses on dandyism and menswear, and the official dress code is “Tailored for You.” It’s about being unapologetic in fashion and beauty and expressing your own personal style, which are undeniably synonymous with Charli’s brat aesthetic.
Cosmo chatted with Istanbouli to get all the details on Charli’s 2025 Met Gala look, including the inspiration behind her glam, the planning that went into it, and a breakdown of the exact Valentino Beauty makeup products she used on Charli (including one surprise drugstore skin prep product). Keep scrolling for a full rundown on Charli’s look, straight from her makeup artist:
What’s the inspo behind Charli’s look? How did you interpret the theme?
We interpreted the theme to make it as original and as “Charli” as possible. The makeup looks pulled at the Met are mostly very glam and major and I love that, but for Charli’s look we wanted to embrace the “rebelliousness” of self-expression and dandyism, so we stripped it back and went for a more raw look.
How would you describe the look in just three words?
Raw, gothic, and romantic.
Tell me about the makeup planning process. How did you guys work together to come up with the look? How long did it all take to figure out?
We planned the makeup look around her outfit, of course. Her stylist Chris Horan showed me the sketches, and I immediately envisioned a raw, gothic, romantic look. We discussed the idea of having her look less “glam” and more raw (but still in a glam way, of course) and Charli was on board! It was a fairly quick process since we all had the same vision.
Charli has a signature beauty look (bold brows, nude lip, soft winged eye…). Do you guys try to keep elements of that when creating her Met Gala look?
We definitely kept elements of her signature look but with a more romantic gothic twist by using more fleshy tones and adding gloss to the lids. I didn’t go for a winged liner because we wanted her to look more raw and stripped back, so we kept it very ethereal but dark as well.
Out of all the products you’re using tonight, which three are the most key?
A good base is VITAL for this look since it is mostly skin-focused. We started off with a super gentle cleanser for her face, using the Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser. Then another key product is the V-Lighter in Rosa Cool from Valentino, mixed in with their concealer to give glowing skin. And finally, the Valentino Puffer Gloss in shade Warm It Up is for perfect nude glossy lips.
Shop Charli’s look below:
Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser
Now 13% Off
Valentino Beauty V-Lighter Primer & Highlighter
Valentino Beauty Very Valentino Concealer
Valentino Beauty Puffer Complex Lip Plumper Gloss
Do you see any big summer makeup trends being inspired by Charli’s look? Will this be the blueprint for Brat 2.0?
Charli’s glam has always been very true to herself since the beginning of Brat. We always make sure to embrace her natural beauty and accentuate her features—her brows, lips, and skin. She loves a gray shadow too. Who knows?
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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