Exclusive: Ashley Graham On Finding Confidence, Minimal Beauty And Her Met Gala Make-Up Prep

When Ashley Graham isn’t walking some of the most acclaimed runways, sharing relatable snaps on Instagram or challenging the beauty status quo, she’s serving endless style and make-up inspiration on the red carpet.

And for the latest Met Gala, which celebrated the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s spring exhibition with the theme Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion on Monday evening, Graham gave us a masterclass in nostalgic make-up and dewy skin.

There was the ethereal glowing complexion, the glossy 1990s lips and a nod to her chainmail dress in the form of a striking cat eye. 'I drew inspiration from the wet look that her chainmail dress gives off and opted for a glowing, dewy glam,' Ivan Nunez, the make-up artist behind the look and Revlon brand ambassador, tells ELLE UK.

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'I used Revlon's ColorStay Crème Eye Shadow in Cognac & Vanilla to create a base shade, then used ColorStay Multiplayer Liquid-Glide Eye Pencil in Checkmate to create a subtle cat eye,' she adds. The final make-up touch was all about a glossy lip. 'To complete her look, I mixed Super Lustrous The Gloss in Sandstorm & Snow Pink to make the perfect nude,' she says.

'To play up the Sleeping Beauties: Fashion Awakening theme I wanted her look to be glowy, healthy and fresh,' says Nunez. 'I started with the Illuminance Serum Tint in Hazel 405 all over to create a fresh base, then applied Illuminance Gel Serum Blush in Beaming Coral then Powder Blush in Naughty Nude on top for a flush, sunkissed look. I set the look with a face mist for an all-over glow.'

Revlon ColorStay Crème Eye Shadow

£7 at Sephora

Revlon Super Lustrous The Gloss

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Revlon Face Glow Illuminator

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Here, ELLE UK speaks exclusively to Revlon's brand ambassador, Ashley Graham, about the inspiration behind her Met Gala beauty look, her unwavering approach to beauty and navigating date night make-up as a mum...

On her Met Gala beauty inspiration...

'It’s always such an honour being invited to the Met Gala, and I always look forward to celebrating fashion’s biggest night! The theme this year is Sleeping Beauties: Fashion Awakening so my make-up artist Ivan and I discussed a fresh and dewy makeup look with a glowy finish that perfectly compliments my dress. I love the whole look we created, but the Revlon ColorStay Multiplayer Liquid-Glide Eye Pencil in Checkmate that we used to create a subtle cat eye was one of my favourite finishing touches!'

On navigating make-up as a mum...

'Over the years, when it’s just me doing my own glam for date night or an event with the kids, I’ve definitely adopted a more low-maintenance, minimal beauty routine. I have three young kids and I’m always on-the-go, so I love to go for products that I can rely on and can last all day and just work.'

On her approach to beauty...

'My approach to beauty has always been the same: as long as I feel beautiful and confident in my look and I’m kind to myself and know that true beauty is interior and not exterior, that’s a win.'

On her essential Met Gala beauty prep...

'Prioritising skincare and my skin health is important for any red carpet event, especially the Met Gala! Hydration is a must, so products that have a lot of vitamin C and hyaluronic acid are great to keep my skin glow-y and moisturised. I opt for make-up that also has skincare benefits for the red carpet. REVLON’s Illuminance Serum Tint has the perfect balance; a formula that has skincare ingredients so it leaves the most flawless finish while also taking care of my skin.'

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