“Imaan Hammam was my dream girl when I started doing makeup,” says Aya Tariq. “She’s obviously stunning and so nice, but we’re also both Moroccan.” That dream became a reality last year when the makeup artist did the supermodel’s glam for Doja Cat’s “Gorgeous” music video. Fast forward a year and Aya found herself at The Mark Hotel, armed with the task of preparing Imaan for the 2026 Met Gala. “Imaan and I are both Libras—I don’t know if that matters,” she joked on the phone this morning. “But everything just fell into place so naturally—this was the smoothest job I’ve honestly ever done.” Below, how it went down.
Where did you get ready with Imaan?
The Mark Hotel. Let me tell you: I’m so sore today. The Mark shuts down the elevators every year. I swear it’s like giving birth. You’re so excited you’re there, but you forget about the pain of climbing up and down the stairs.
What inspired the overall glam look?
When Imaan showed me her custom Saint Laurent dress, I immediately told her it reminds me of Morocco because it’s red—and she agreed. Then we talked about Marrakesh as inspiration because it’s full of red buildings. And we talked about clay because a lot of Moroccan makeup comes in these clay pots that you wet and then put on your lips and cheeks. That led me to thinking about artist Artemisia Gentileschi’s Self-Portrait as the Allegory of Painting where her cheeks look so warm and red—Imaan’s skin tone is perfect for red blush, so in the end I went with *Hypnotic Copper* from Estee Lauder.
Aya's moodboard!
Which part took the most time?
With me, it’s always the eyes. Eyes are so important in our culture. Even when women are covered up back home, you can still see their eyes. As Imaan and I had talked about Morocco, water, beaches, and sunsets kept coming to mind. I felt like it would be really cool if we did an eye look that played with light, like how light plays with water and you get a little bit of color from the sunset. That translated into touches of champagne gold and copper on her lids. I used the Estée Lauder eye quad in Getaway. I relied on two gel eye pencils in Onyx and *Antique Burgundy*—I always love going in with a brown first and then black.
from Aya's moodboard
What was the lip combo?
The lip was simpler: Estée Lauder’s Futurist HydraPlump lip balm in Rosewood Rescue and Double Wear lip liners in Taupe and Chestnut.
Were you wearing any makeup?
I always wear makeup to work on my clients because it gets me in the mindset of the job. I call it a “soft beat,” where I look like I have makeup on but it's not super aggressive. I love a good curled lash—Tweezerman’s curler will forever be my favorite—and a good mascara. I’ve been loving Milk’s mascara. I also wore Saie’s Dew Bronze in Salt and Westman Atelier’s blush in Mimi. I used the Skin Mimetic concealer from Make Beauty as my foundation, and for actual concealer, I grabbed one I just bought from Hourglass. It’s so good because I don’t have to use powder on top of it.
What shoes were you wearing?
A pair of old leather, pointy Proenza Schouler boots.
What did the room sound like?
Imaan made a dedicated Met playlist with songs from Amber Mark, Juls, and Sirene.
What was the first product you touched when she sat in your chair?
Estée Lauder’s Micro Essence. I pressed it into her face and her skin; it makes you look like you actually drink a gallon of water.
And when it came to makeup?
Double Wear foundation from Estée Lauder. It’s matte, so it’s great for photos.
Your best tip for prepping skin before makeup?
I always examine the skin. If they look dull or like they need hydration, I would reach for The Ordinary’s glycolic acid, put it on a cotton pad, and sweep it on. It exfoliates but also really holds on to moisture. Then if their skin feels oily, I’d use a gel moisturizer, but if they’re on the dry side, I would do a layer of Dieux’s Instant Angel.
What was the most glamorous item on your table?
My brushes. Rephr did such a good job incorporating makeup artists when they first launched, but I especially love that they have these tiny brushes that I can use for eye work. I have a pouch full of them. The fact that I get to be so geeky with them feels luxurious.
How many brushes did you end up using?
Ten. I obviously used my Rephr brushes, but I did use Makeup by Mario’s F4 Dual-Ended brush, too.
The least glamorous step in the whole process?
Feeling dehydrated at the end of the night, not because there’s no water around but I’m just so in the zone.
Did anything about the look change at the last minute?
In addition to our Moroccan inspiration, we also had a beautiful reference photo of Kate Moss, I think, from 1993. She has a really sculpted look but then there’s a little bit of shimmer all over her face. At the end, I told Imaan it would be so fun if we did that because I was still thinking about how light reflects on water. I took some loose pigments and blew them onto her face. It looked so magical, but it was funny because poor Hos Hounkpatin, her hair stylist, was running to cover her hair so it didn’t have glitter in it.
Aya's moodboard
How many photos did you take during the process?
At least 50.
What went into Imaan’s touch-up kit for the night?
Her lip combo and a little powder puff. That’s all she needed.
Did you see Imaan again after the gala?
She came back for a little touch up for the YSL after party. I always like redoing the lips because they look much more fresh.
The worst part of the night?
All of the Ubers kept cancelling because most of the Upper East Side was a disaster. Every driver asked me to walk [a long avenue away], but I had two heavy bags with me.
What was the first thing you did when you got home?
I said hi to my dog Rosie, who freaked out when she saw me. Then I went into my daughter Izzy’s bedroom and gave her a kiss on the forehead and went to bed.
—as told to Daise Bedolla
Photos via Aya Tariq