When it comes to Met Gala beauty, just like the fashion, there are usually two camps: theatrical experimentation that raises eyebrows, or a lowkey look that skips the theatrics yet makes you zoom in. Isha Ambani’s 2026 Met Gala glam falls firmly into the latter. No heavy-handed trends—just really, really good makeup. Think soft sculpting that enhances bone structure, shimmering eyes that do just enough, and an effortless pink-nude lip that ties it all together.
In preparation for the big night, Ambani’s go-to makeup artist Tanvi Chemburkar arrived in New York armed with a giant suitcase full of makeup. Mere moments before the red carpet, the expert gives The Nod a full breakdown of the look—and, surprisingly, there are a bunch of accessible products in the mix.
To prep the skin, Chemburkar started with an even layer of the Charlotte Tilbury Wonderglow primer, setting the stage to create a naturally luminous finish. For the base, she reached for the Haus Labs Triclone Skin Tech foundation, building it up to a medium, skin-like coverage.
Concealer was where it got bespoke: the makeup artist used the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Blur concealer in 8 Medium, alongside a custom blend of Nars Radiant Creamy concealer in Biscuit (MD1) and Ginger (M2), tailored precisely to suit Ambani’s skin tone. For contour, Chemburkar leaned into gentle sculpting, forgoing overt definition or harsh lines. To add dimension to the face, she reached for contour by Makeup By Mario, paired with Kosas Revealer concealer (3.8N) mixed with the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Blur concealer in 7 Medium, creating a delicate balance between radiance and structure.
On the cheeks, the Haus Labs Colour Fuse Glassy Blush Balm stick in Glassy Cayenne added a flush of deep rose, layered with Dior’s Backstage Glow Maximizer blush palette in 003 Peachy Pearl Glow for highlight. To add a bit of warmth to the face, she added a sweep of Chanel Les Beiges bronzing cream.
The eyes—the focal point of the look—were smoked in warm neutrals with the subtlest lift. Chemburkar started with the Armani Eye Tint liquid shadow in 22M Cashew, layering with Charlotte Tilbury’s Eyes To Mesmerise cream eyeshadow in Golden Eclipse for a lowkey gleam. Instead of a stark black kajal, she opted for MAC Costa Riche—a deep coffee brown—to define the waterline. Next, she built the lids with the Natasha Denona Glam Face palette, while the Makeup By Mario Master Metallics eyeshadow palette delivered high-impact chrome-like shine. For further definition, she used Maybelline’s Colossal Kajal along with Kay Beauty’s Gel Eye pencils—gold in the inner corners for brightness, and bronze under the eyes for a hint of smokiness.
Given Ambani is blessed with naturally full brows, the brows were left mostly untouched. Chemburkar added just a smidge of PAC eyebrow definer and set them with Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze gel.
The lips were softly contoured with the Glossier Lip Line in Buff (a toasted almond shade) topped with Westman Atelier’s Lip Suede Matte lipstick in Piqué, a taupe-leaning nude, and finished with a swipe of NYX gloss for that subtle light-catching sheen.
To lock everything in, Chemburkar used Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder (2 Medium) along with a touch of bronzer powder to tie everything together. Final flourish: a sweep of highlighter across the collarbones and shoulders. That’s all.
