Wait, How Did Lil Nas X Get All That Body Paint Off in Time For the Met Gala Afterparty?

Getty / ANGELA WEISS

Glitter has a tendency to leave its mark. Despite our best efforts, it still appears weeks later, hiding in the most unpredictable places. So when Lil Nas X showed up at the 2023 Met Gala afterparty completely void of all the glittery body paint he was wearing moments before at the fashion event, we felt we were witnessing some sort of miracle. The question is – how did he actually manage to get everything off? (And so quickly, too.)

The rapper and songwriter arrived at the Met Gala on May 1 fully encrusted in silver body makeup, decorated head to toe in rhinestones, pearls, and sparkly crystals all done by Pat McGrath. The paint covered his arms, legs, and torso, with Nas X wearing only small silver bottoms and an embellished face mask. Yet at the afterparty later in the night, all the silver paint had seemingly disappeared without a trace.

In the hours between the Met Gala and the afterparty, we imagine he must have endured a decent amount of scrubbing and scraping. Lijha Stewart, the director of artistry for Make Up For Ever, previously told POPSUGAR that body makeup can be removed by oiling the skin and enlisting the help of a trusty body wash and loofah. But no matter his exact method, it’s beyond impressive that not a single sparkle was left in the wake of Nas X’s showstopping look. Especially considering that he attended the afterparty shirtless beneath a sleeveless fur vest.

Other stars who have incorporated body makeup into their Met Gala looks include Cara Delevingne, who painted her entire chest gold at the 2022 Met Gala, and Doja Cat, who this year wore facial prosthetics in order to morph herself into a glamorous version of Karl Lagerfeld’s cat, Choupette.

Read on to see Lil Nas X casually ditch the body paint like he never had it on in the first place.