The Grammy Awards red carpet has a long history of self-expression, and it was no different on Sunday night when the stars stepped out in looks distinctively their own for music’s biggest night.
Lizzo — who took home Record of the Year for “About Damn Time” — went for a monochromatic beauty look to match her ensemble: a voluminous orange-red dégradé Dolce & Gabbana cape adorned with silk flowers.
“A blushing beauty,” remarked makeup artist Alexx Mayo, who used Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk Matte Beauty Blush Wand in “Dream Pop” for cherry-flushed cheeks. The color was blended up to the eyes, which were finished off with long, striking lashes from Velour Beauty. Lips were lined with Tilbury’s dark-rose “Walk of No Shame” and tawny-brown “Pillow Talk Intense,” showcasing coral-gold lipstick “Sexy Sienna.” And the entirety was complemented by a creamy tangerine nail color, OPI’s “Silicon Valley Girl,” adorned with 3D flowers as envisioned by nail artist Eri Ishizu.
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Cardi B was another head-turner in her sculptural electric blue gown by Gaurav Gupta. She, too, took inspiration from the design; after contouring the socket and outer corners, her eyes were lined and winged with a cool-toned, dark blue shadow with a metallic finish, “Blitz Blue” from Pat McGrath’s Mothership I: Subliminal palette. Makeup artist Erika La’ Pearl also used the PermaGel Ultra Glide Eye Pencil in “Xtreme Black” for intensity. And for Cardi’s two-toned pout, she applied the line’s “Brownouveaux” lip pencil with SatinAllure Lipstick in “Nude Venus.”
Last to make a showstopping — and theatrical — entrance were Sam Smith and Kim Petras, winners of Best Pop Duo or Group Performance for “Unholy.” They arrived with a posse in tow, including drag queens Violet Chachki and Gottmik — all in hot red. Petras (who made history as the first trans woman to snag the category) was in character, embodying a dragon trapped inside a cage in a vintage Victor Costa minidress and veil.
The focus was on her lips, with makeup artist Gilbert Soliz turning to MAC’s vivid “Cherry” lip pencil and transfer-proof Locked Kiss Ink Lipcolour in “Ruby True.” For the eyes, Soliz used “Nude Model” shadow from the Art Library palette to sculpt and finished off with a swipe of “Gesso,” a matte vanilla white.
For Smith, it was all about skin.
“Sam really doesn’t like or need to wear a massive amount of coverage, but for red carpet days, especially a big night like the Grammys, it’s important for me to prep the skin as much as possible so the makeup can stay minimal, fresh and healthy,” Sienree Du told WWD.
The groomer and hair stylist utilized Element Eight products: the O2 Peptide and O2 Hyaluronic Acid face creams to firm and hydrate “at the cellular level.” The hair was kept “messy and undone” using Kevin Murphy products for a wet-gelled look that was unveiled on stage, to “contrast with the perfectly made custom Valentino they were wearing,” Du continued of Smith, who uses they/them pronouns.
Pierpaolo Piccioli was behind the cape, which Smith accessorized with shiny gloves, a top hat and red lace covering his gaze.