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Pamela Anderson, 56, broke her no makeup rule for the MET Gala - and the blush balm she wore is my absolute go-to

Pamela Anderson looked ethereal for this year's MET Gala… 

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Leanne Bayley
Director of Lifestyle & Commerce
Updated: 7 May 2024
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Iconic makeup artist Pat McGrath revealed she was the woman behind Pamela Anderson's makeup for the 2024 MET Gala, and to be honest, we should have known as soon as we saw that glow.

The mua wrote on Instagram: "ICONIC ELEGANCE. Stunned by Pamela Anderson dazzling in a complete Pat McGrath Labs look featuring Divine Cream Blush: Legendary Glow Color Balm 'Divine Rose Glow' and Skin Fetish Highlighter + balm Duo Nude."

The comments section had people rushing to praise Pamela's minimal makeup look, commenting that she looks "natural", "fresh", and "stunning", and I immediately felt compelled to write this article because I too thought she looked incredible (she also looks amazing without makeup as well). 

What's more, I needed to rave about the blush Pat used on her because it really is THAT good and it's a regular fixture in my makeup bag.

pamela anderson met gala 2024© Getty Images
Pamela Anderson attended her first ever MET Gala

For those of you who don't know, Pamela wearing makeup at the MET Gala was kind of a big deal. The 56-year-old told Elle magazine that she stopped wearing makeup after her longtime makeup artist and friend, Alexis Vogel, died from breast cancer in 2019.

At the time, she said: "She was the best. And since then, I just felt, without Alexis, it's just better for me not to wear makeup." 

After being photographed on lots of red carpets without makeup - and generating a tonne of headlines - Pamela revealed in a November 2023 interview with People that she was stunned by how much attention she would get for going makeup-free in public.

Pamela looks radiant at 56© Instagram
Pamela looks radiant at 56 without makeup

"I call if Life-ing, not ageing," Pamela said. "Chasing youth is futile. All we can do is embrace who we are at the moment we are in, and be okay with where our feet stand right now."

She added that she isn't too bothered about looking her age. "I can just be me. It's very freeing to be comfortable in your own skin."

Let's revisit the blush that was used. Trust me, this is next level good. And I'm not even a big fan of a cream blush. Here I am wearing it in this photo... 

Leanne Bayley wearing Charlotte Tilbury Candy Chic Lipstick© Leanne Bayley
As you can tell, I love pink!

First of all, it's important to stress that Pat McGrath is hailed as the mother of make up, and is one of the world's most loved and celebrated British artists to ever grace the faces of catwalks and magazines. 

View post on Instagram
 

The glow-boosting cream blush stick gives you a real fresh-from-the-spa glow with complexion-reviving translucent colour.

It's packed with a blend of moisture-enhancing shea butter, squalane and passion fruit seed oil alongside a trio of hydrating actives. 

It's not greasy, it's easy to apply and even easier to bleng and it basically glides on the skin and gives you a glossy finish. You can even swipe it across the lips as well as the cheeks. 

It's not cheap but a little goes a long way. 

GET THE PAMELA ANDERSON MAKEUP LOOK

Pamela kept to the strict dress code for the MET Gala. The theme was 'The Garden of Time' and she opted for an ethereal look wearing a custom fawn crinkled chiffon gown with micro pleating designed for her especially by Oscar de la Renta. 

She completed her outfit with a necklace made from 227 carats of lab-grown Pandora diamonds. 


Pamela Anderson attending the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Benefit Celebrating the Opening of Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion, in Manhattan, New York© Madison Voelkel/BFA.com/Shutterstock
Pamela Anderson attending the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Benefit Celebrating the Opening of Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion, in Manhattan, New York

Reflecting on her Met Gala debut, Pamela told the Times that it "means a lot" to her that she was invited.

"I feel like everything has led me to this pinnacle moment where I get to be at the Met, being respected and accepted by Anna Wintour. I can imagine that in the past I was not someone she would ever take a second look at. I wasn't in fashion, ever. I wasn't cool. And I know those things may seem really superficial to some people, but it means a lot to me."

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