Leave it to Lil Nas X to get jaws dropping at the 2023 Met Gala. The musician made his big entrance wearing a truly opulent look that absolutely dripped in luxury, considering it was comprised entirely of glitter and pearls.
The rapper was absolutely sparkling while covered head-to-toe in what appears to be shimmering silver body paint accented with gemstones and a plethora of pearls. He appeared to be shirtless and wearing a thong bottom, with the rest of his body, including his fingers and even his lips, coated in crystals.
There’s a lot to talk about here, so let’s start with the mask. Nas’s face was completely bedecked in rhinestones; the sparkly stones started at his forehead, dripped down his nose and across his cheekbones, and even coated his lips. Atop the rhinestones were pearls in various sizes scattered across his face, plus a set of what appeared to be beaded whiskers — perhaps an allusion to Karl Lagerfeld’s beloved cat Choupette? The musician also wore a bold circling of dark black eyeliner to make his brown eyes shine from behind that glittering mask.
The opulent face details continued down Nas’s neck and chest with a pretty lace-inspired pattern, then faded into the silver glitter body paint. Each of his fingers was painted the same shade, ending in long extensions that were equally covered in pearls and gemstones. From behind, you could see a glimpse at the pearl-bedecked thong and more gems scattered across his body. (How does he sit down?!)
Stylist Coree Moreno used Matrix products to shape Nas’s hydrated short curls. “For this look Lil Nas X went bold with a feline inspired metallic crystal look from head to toe,” Moreno explained. “With his whole body covered in silver, we needed his hair to shine like the ensemble but remain natural to provide contrast. We opted for luscious and ultra-hydrated curls to frame the headpiece.” Moreno used Setter Mousse and Controller Gel to add volume, shine and hold, then finished with Food for Soft Multi-Use Hair Oil Serum for a ”yummy hydrated look.”
Get the Look:
The artist behind Nas’s look was Dame Pat McGrath, who previously created a similar fully bedazzled look for Doja Cat at Paris Fashion Week.