The Eyeshadows You’re About To See Everywhere Had A Secret Met Gala Debut

By now, it’s fairly well known that editors and makeup artists sometimes receive beauty products to test out before they launch. (How else would we pull off so many day-of NYLON Tried Its?) But while playing with lab samples at home is one thing, trotting them out at the Fashion-People Oscars is quite another — but that’s exactly what happened with Hourglass Cosmetics’ new Curator eyeshadow palettes.

On the first Monday in May, months before the quads’ July 9 release, MUA Vera Steimberg used the finely milled powders to create Zoe Saldaña’s 2025 Met Gala eye look. The all-over wash of matte, tonal neutrals with a modish partial cut crease is a testament to the formula’s blendable, buildable texture, while the crease-free red-carpet pics themselves are proof of its longevity (just think about the hours that elapsed between getting ready, sitting in traffic, waiting at the foot of the stairs, etc.).

Saldaña isn’t the only famous face connected to the drop — Eve Hewson, seen above, stars in the official campaign wearing an expertly shaped metallic smokey eye. “As an actress, every role I take on requires me to embody a new persona,” she said in a press release. “In much the same way, each Hourglass Curator eyeshadow palette tells a distinct story. The collection allows me to explore and express different facets of myself, and that freedom to transform is creatively fulfilling and empowering.”

The recyclable gold tin compacts retail for $68 at hourglasscosmetics.com and the Hourglass global flagship store in New York City. See all six shade combinations below.