How the Super-Glam Lauren Santo Domingo Prepped For the 2024 Met Gala

May 7, 2024

Lauren Santo Domingo, Vogue magazine alum and founder of Moda Operandi, goes hard when it comes to the annual Met Gala. “I went to many of them when I was working as a junior editor at Vogue,” she says, adding she began attending in her own right as a guest in 2004 (the theme: “Dangerous Liaisons”). Since then, she’s walked the Met carpet many times—including last year, when she and Lil Nas X’s serendipitously-timed arrivals turned into… the most incredible meme the Met Gala has ever seen.

“The whole night, Lil Nas X and I were inexplicably drawn to each other,” she shares about the very moment. We arrived at the same time, and he was so shy, so it was shocking when he went out there and spread his cheeks. A picture says a thousand words: it perfectly illustrates the old and new guard of the Met Gala. I’m attending as a longstanding guest and Lil Nas X represents newness and excitement. All that to say, who hasn’t dreamed of becoming a meme?"

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Tonight, the pressure’s on. Will she be able to top last year’s arrival meme? Maybe yes, maybe no. Regardless—LSD is a pro when it comes to getting ready for a gala, and here’s how she did it tonight.

Skin

“I see Manhattan dermatologist Lara Devgan for ‘micro global’ facial optimization. When I’m done with her, there are so many syringes on the tray that it resembles a needle exchange in the tenderloin. I see Adriana Jorge for a deep buccal facial massage. She treats my TMJ and gives my cheekbones life, all in one go. I go to Fabricio Ormonde for facial skin treatments—I’m probably the only non-celeb on his roster.”

Hair

“This is the longest my hair has been in my entire life, and I (think) I owe it all to Nutrafol. My hair was so dry and damaged, so Jacob Rozenberg and I have been working to get it healthy and for cuts, he has just been touching up the ends. Because of this journey I’m on, I’ve had no choice but to lean in and embrace ‘bronde.’ The only disadvantage is now I’m more approachable and relatable than I care to be: I keep getting stopped and asked for directions.

For the night, Brayden Nelson is doing my hair. I think I’m going with second-day hair. Other women hate me for this, but my hair looks too good with a fresh blowout. I want to sleep in it and show up with it a bit messy, not overly voluminous and debutante.”

Wellness

“I’m a strong believer in anything manual and avoiding machines. For that reason, I swear by Brazilian lymphatic massage. When it comes to fitness, I’m an all-or-nothing person—I go through kicks of it. Just like learning a language, fitness is incredibly ungrateful: the second you stop, it all goes away. Yet, I continue to quit. Since I measure my years in Met Galas, the last time I was in shape was for “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” when I wore Alaia. I’ve lost my French since then too.

When I’m on a kick, I do a mix of pilates and strength training: my trainers are Elizabeth Rodbell for pilates and Jeremiah Weatherspoon for strength. If I have time, I’m excited to try out the brand new EMS studio, Body Alchemist NYC, whose founder, Sabine Padar, I met at a Moda event.”

Makeup

“Normally when I get hair and makeup done, I tell them I just want to look pretty and normal. This year, I’m contemplating a stronger eye which is something I rarely do. Someone once told me that a smokey eye makes my eyes look small, and that haunts me everytime I sit in a makeup chair.

I’ve worked with Min Min Ma on makeup for at least ten years. I met her on a Moda Operandi shoot and never looked back. I’ve been using Revitalash on my brows and lashes, and have to say, I’ve seen a noticeable difference. Just like everyone else who survived the 90s, I over-plucked my brows. I see Jimena Brows for touch-ups.”