Skincare is the Met Gala's beauty secret

Every first Monday in May, the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art are transformed into an elite runway where fashion, celebrities, and theatricality coexist in meticulously choreographed euphoria. But behind the explosion of couture feathers, sculpted corsets, and surreal silhouettes lies a silent ritual that precedes the arrival of the flashes: skincare. It's not the Schiaparelli gown or the flawlessly applied makeup that truly makes the difference, but that special, almost ethereal glow that transforms a well-known face into an icon. And no, it doesn’t happen backstage. It starts much earlier — among purifying steam, high-frequency technologies, and thousand-dollar serums — inside the increasingly coveted “facial suites.”

The Face Before the Dress: skincare at the Met Gala

The Met Gala appearance begins well before stepping onto the museum steps. While the fashion industry focuses on outfits and accessories, celebrities and insiders are betting on make-up. But what's the secret to a fabulous look? Not — or not only — the right lipstick or contouring, but, as we've learned from Instagram and TikTok beauty content in recent years, healthy, hydrated, plumped, firm, radiant, and even-toned skin. And that’s where the facial suites come in: true temporary beauty oases set up in the days leading up to the event, often in luxury hotels like The Mark or The Plaza. As the most-watched social event of the year approaches, brands like Dior, Chanel, and La Mer sponsor bespoke spaces and enlist world-renowned facialists to offer exclusive treatments to stars, stylists, and make-up artists. In fact, it’s not just Zendaya, Gigi Hadid, or red carpet regulars booking appointments anymore — demand is also growing among make-up artists, hairstylists, and other crew members exhausted by the demands of their work.

Facialists: The New Architects of Beauty

The facialist’s role at the Met Gala is not just technical; it’s almost architectural: shaping, sculpting, illuminating. It’s not just about hydration or muscle relaxation, but transforming facial features to appear younger, firmer, more elastic — ready to shine under the cameras and flashes. Unsurprisingly, in the lead-up to major events like the Met Gala, hundreds of celebrities turn to experts like Joanna Czech, Shani Darden, or Iván Pol to literally build the perfect base for stunning makeup and looks. For last year’s edition, Shani Darden — known for her A-list clients like Jessica Alba and Shay Mitchell — set up an entire pop-up spa on the Upper East Side, offering treatments tailored as precisely as haute couture. Her menu included LED therapy, microcurrents, and custom masks, with protocols fine-tuned weeks in advance to ensure lasting results and zero side effects. The most requested treatment? The “Prestige Glow,” as reported by NewBeauty, which combines gentle enzyme peels, lymphatic drainage massages, and oxygen boosters, leaving skin radiant without stressing it. Perfect for enduring intense makeup and hours under the spotlight. The overarching philosophy? Help the skin do its job without overwhelming it — no drastic interventions, just top-tier technology and active ingredients.

Facial Suites: New Sanctuaries of Preparation

We’ve understood that facialists are treated like skin stylists: flying private from Los Angeles to New York, signing NDAs with clients and brands, and being tagged in social media thank-yous as part of the glam team. But what really happens inside these face suites, which now resemble elite lounges more than traditional spa cabins? Facial massages, oxygen therapy, lymphatic drainage, LED light, microcurrent, and detoxifying, sculpting, and illuminating treatments — all packed into 90-minute sessions that can cost over $2,000. Many of these are by invitation only, in spaces designed to reflect brand value as much as to deliver real results. For those unwilling to leave anything to chance, in-home services and full-time beauty concierges are also available. The Corinthia Hotel in New York, for example, dedicated the entire pre-Gala week to a custom wellness program including skincare rituals, infrared saunas, and detox menus, all designed for full-body, face-and-soul illumination. They transformed select spa areas into personalized retreats for VIPs, with multisensory experiences featuring essential oils, ambient music, and rituals inspired by Ayurvedic medicine. It’s not uncommon for facial suites to become true backstage hubs. In these temporary beauty outposts, actresses, top models, and creative directors come and go on rotation until early Monday afternoon, when the red carpet officially opens.

The Super Bowl of Skincare

For facialists, the Met Gala is what the Super Bowl is to a quarterback: the pinnacle of visibility, a high-stakes game played under the brightest lights. While skincare isn’t the centerpiece of the event, for those who work in it, it represents a golden opportunity. As Sarah Akram, who runs the Dior facial suite at The Mark (where a room costs around $2,500 per night), told Bof, “The suite is about visibility” — and in an increasingly saturated luxury beauty market, even a well-placed treatment can cement reputations, launch products, and turn celebrities into ambassadors. Not coincidentally, agencies like The Wall Group send client rosters to brand publicists to broker potential sponsorships, connecting sponsors with clients for treatments that can be worth tens of thousands of dollars in free products, ad deals, and tagged posts. But the real currency remains word-of-mouth. “Forty years ago, that’s what made you popular or not” one interviewed facialist said. And today, despite the hashtag era, that hasn’t changed: an influential friend, a creative director dropping your name, a celebrity calling you directly. The golden window for action? Monday morning, just hours before the public appearance. That’s when techniques like microcurrent and lymphatic drainage come into play, delivering instant lifts and breathtaking radiance. A beauty spell that lasts just long enough for a fairytale — but one that can change a career.