How Normanis’ ‘Victorian Doll’ Beauty Marks Were A Nod to the Gilded Age

The 2022 Met Gala red carpet was ablaze with beauty, glamour and nods to the Gilded Age, a time known for its opulence and grandeur, and celebrity makeup artist Priscilla Ono was able to channel the that era on Normani who somehow made her chic Christian Siriano velvet crop top and bustle-like skirt feel both modern and historical all at once.

To achieve this Victorian meets modern approach, Ono started with a healthy dose of luxe skin care and a sweat-proof base to keep her dry under all that velvet. “For this look she wanted her skin to look really fresh because even though we went with drama with the eyes, blush, and the beauty marks—we still wanted her skin to look like skin,” said Ono, who partnered with Secret Deodorant for the night’s star-studded event.

Instagram / @priscillaono

“The skin is everything, especially when you’re not applying so much foundation. So, I made sure that I cleansed her face really well. I used La Mer The Cleansing Micellar Water ($95) and then I moisturized using the The Hydrating Sheet Mask ($260), which are really nice because it actually has the same Miracle Broth that makes all of their skin care really yummy and moisturizing. I feel like everyone’s a little dry right now just because of the changing weather, so we had to like really to moisturize her. And then I also used Crème de la Mer ($190) and The Regenerating Serum ($385).”

Instagram / @priscillaono

For Normani’s body, Ono kept things clean and fresh. “As a makeup artist, our job is all of the skin that shows from head to toe. I was afraid of using oil or body makeup getting on her dress, so I had to be really mindful. Normani was wearing all black, so I was a little afraid to even put deodorant on, but to keep her dry and cool under all of the lights I used Secret’s weightless Antiperspirant Dry Spray ($8) which gives more than 40 hours of protection and is invisible.”

To nail her “Victorian Doll” look, Ono focused on a stunning bright, metallic green eye, nude lip and beauty marks that serve as a nod to that era. “The look for me was all about creating a Victorian doll type of look that really gave that gilded glamour. And I wanted the lashes to be really flirty and elongated especially on the top and bottom and I used House of Lashes strips to create that look. I added extra mascara on her bottom lashes and I’m all about colors, so I added that pigmented metallic green. Also, back in that era women would wear beauty marks and use little felt circles that they would stick on their faces with saliva. For this, we went old school and placed them on with eyeliner like my mom used to do.”

To get that “your lips but better” nude like Normani’s, Ono says to start with a pencil that is two shades darker than your own skin tone and focus on the cupid’s bow to add volume. “I followed her exact lip shape but at the top created a cupid’s bow for a rounded effect. This was another nod to the Gilded Age where they did a cute little bow for the center of the lip.”

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