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Ah the Met Gala. That first Monday in May reserved for all the brightest stars to show up and show out at the most important fashion event of the year. The theme being “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination,” I expected opulence at its finest. A lot of people fell short (mostly the guys), which is expected at an event like this. But those whose showed out, SHOWED TF OUT. With literal centuries of inspiration to draw from, there was no doubt in my mind that Met Gala vets would show up in their Papal best. Heavenly Bodies was a perfect opportunity for drama and excess and even a little bit of sin. Most people, however, pulled up to the biggest theme party in the world looking like they were going to a parent teacher conference or, Lord help me, prom.

I’m tired.

As a whole, the theme was relatively well followed by the women who attended. Ariana Grande looked like an actual renaissance painting. Zendaya literally showed up as Joan of Arc. Cara Delevingne was dressed as a confession booth (A+ for inspiration). Solange wore a du-rag emblazoned with the words “My God Wears a Du Rag” AND carried a bottle of agua de Florida (be still my Cuban heart). Lana Del Rey looked like a living saint in Gucci. And Rihanna, well….sis wins every year. It doesn’t make up for the fact that some of these women (I’m looking at you, influencers) didn’t even try. All it takes is a quick google search in one of your three iPhones to find inspiration for probably the easiest Met Gala theme of the past five years. With all that money and access so the best of the best in the industry, someone really had the gall to show up in a powder blue, Grecian style chiffon gown like she was going to her high school homecoming. It’s a slap in the face to Anna Wintour and the Gala’s legacy. And if I were Miss Wintour (hey girl!), I’d disinvite every person who didn’t even attempt to follow a theme as obvious and easy to draw from as this one.

Seriously though, where were the chalices?! The martyr bodies DRIPPING in gemstones?! THE STIGMATA?!?! Catholicism inspired half the art that takes up the Met museum itself!! I’m tired of these influencers showing up to these events, and treating them like a sort of Instagram photo-op. The Met Gala is meant to showcase fashion in its purest form: as art. But half the youngins that show up don’t even take the time to learn the theme. You can still be pretty and in theme, girlies. Look at Priyanka Chopra if you don’t know how. To me, all that shows is how uncultured and downright boring some of these influencers are. To all the guys and gals who were invited to this event and decided to play it safe and pretty, Anna Wintour herself saw you as worthy enough to take up one of the highly coveted spots, be respectful of that. This was a chance to get a little sinful, a little more dramatic than normal. An off-the-shoulder sweater and wide leg pants does not, I repeat does not, meet those criteria.

Written by Alexa Santory

Chadwick Boseman in Versace

Kate Bosworth in Oscar de la Renta

Zoë Kravitz in Saint Laurent

Solange in Iris van Herpen

Priyanka Chopra in custom Ralph Lauren Collection

Zendaya in custom Versance

Gigi Hadid in custom Versace

“My name is Gabriela Anderson (@gabrielaanderson_). I am a 19-year-old, Puerto Rican young woman from a little city called Hartford, CT. I was raised as an only child. However, I have an older brother. I was raised in a very cultured household. I could only speak Spanish in the house and was allowed to speak English at school or of course with my friends. My parents raised me in a household in which I was told that my education always, always came first. So, when I started modeling at the age of 13 years old, my dad never allowed me to move to LA or NYC because he wanted me to make sure I finished my education. I had talent agencies in both LA and NYC wanting to work with me. However, it was a dream that involved many risks that my family economically could not face. Fast forward four years, I wanted to further my education and decided to attend a liberal arts college in Massachusetts, Wheaton College. I am currently a sophomore, and majoring in Hispanic Studies and minoring in International Relations or Economics (still deciding lol). I am still modeling and I visit NYC every now and then. When I do go to NYC, I do my best to do a lot of photoshoots; I want to take advantage of all the photographers who are there. I also hang out with my friends and the special people in my life, I love them very much.

My skincare routine is very simple since being away at college. I have insanely oily skin, and it is very hard to control the shine in the summer. Before college, I would make sure that I would carry a pack of blotting sheets. Not only does it remove the oil on my T-zone (where it's most common) but it helps me avoid future breakouts! I highly recommend carrying a pack in your purse, backpack, wallet, honestly wherever. Now that it's getting colder, my skin is enjoying it very much. In the daytime, I wash my face with the Neutrogena Face Cream Cleanser/Mask with Benzoyl Peroxide. This cream helps control the oils on my face. I then moisturize my face with Aveeno Facial Lotion. It’s so light and doesn't clog my pores like many moisturizers do. I care for my face more during the night time. I wash my face with the Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser. I do my best to squeeze a facial mask (Shea Moisture Black Charcoal with Tea Tree Oil) at least two times a week. Afterwards, I use the Lush Facial Spray Toner called Tea Tree. Tea tree oil helps with controlling the oil on my face and eliminating the breakouts that had arisen already. Finally, I use my Curology Lotion and apply it where ever my face has broken out. This lotion from Curology CHANGED my life completely, and 10/10 recommend it to anyone who is having issues with their face and feel hopeless. I've been there loves, this lotion will change your life.

My daily makeup look is very minimal. Since I’m a college student, I don't have much energy or time to have a full face of makeup on my face all day. Once I wash my face and apply my moisturizer, comb my eyebrows. I am a strong believer that once I have my eyebrows filled in; you can go about your day. I use the Elf Eyebrow gel and powder compact, in the shade Medium. If I didn't get much sleep the night before (which is very often lol) I apply a little of Laura Mercier BB cream with SPF 20. I just recently learned how important it is to wear sunscreen every day. That is it for the weekdays. My routine completely changes during the weekends. I tend to party with my friends and listen to great music. I enjoy dolling up during the night time, especially since I can go as dark as I want to. I usually go in with the Maybelline Foundation FIT me in 270. This is the only foundation that doesn't clog my pores and makes sure my face is matte all night (oily skin problems). I like to wear glitter on my eyelids lol, so I use the Wet and Wild Gold Glitter eyeshadow and apply a heavy amount on my lids. The fall out is insane, so be prepared to have glitter all over your face. I also like to use my Fenty Beauty Lipgloss; it's honestly the BEST lipgloss I have ever owned. She's such a queen.

For my hair routine, it is a tough task to deal with curly hair in college. To all my curly hair sisters, I praise y’all. It’s very difficult to maintain your hair and deep condition your hair without seeming like you're showering three times. My routine begins in the shower; I wash my hair every three days with Shea Moisture Superfruit Weightless Shampoo. Since my hair is very light, it helps with improving the thickness in my hair. I carry on with the Shea Moisture Coconut Oil conditioner. This product so bomb, it changed the texture of my hair and is so thick and moisturizing that I was able to finger detangle. Finger detangling is so essential for curly hair because it avoids split ends and you don't shed as much hair as you were if you used a comb. Afterwards, I use the Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Deep Conditioner. This is only of my Holy grail products, it makes my hair so shiny and never disappoints me.  For any days that I am too lazy to refresh my curls, or my curls are just not working for me that day, I turn to updos. I usually twist both sides of my hair and create a bun in the back of my head. Other days, I use my comb and slick back both sides of my hair. Both styles require a gel; I use my Curls Goddess Curls Gel and lots of bobby pins.  

It is very hard to describe my style. I dress according to the weather and how I’m feeling that day. I usually like dressing very “basic” during the weekdays, some days I do try to look pretty and wear a unique shirts I found at Marshall's, but most of the time, you can catch me in a white sweater with ripped jeans and a green jacket. Sometimes I pair my outfits with gold chains and gold hoop earrings. Other days, I can be seen with Adidas joggers and black shirt with my white Adidas sneakers. Some days I can be seen as a normal girl, a girly girl (wearing a shirt or dress) and other days I’m wearing my New York Yankees Hat with joggers and a tank top. I enjoy mixing and matching with comfy and casual clothing to create a nice outfit. On weekends, bodysuits are my go-to outfit tops. They are so quick and make any outfit look hot. I 10/10 recommend using bodysuits. I would say that gold hoop earrings are a necessity. I’m a gold gal, so all my small chokers and rings are all in gold. My fashion inspirations are Rihanna and Zendaya. They are both girls that do not care how they look and rock their outfits with confidence.

My first item that means the world to me is my gold chain. This chain is passed down in my family for every young woman, and my mother gifted it to me when I was in the 10th grade. Ever since I received it, I always wear it. Till this day, it is a staple in my outfits and you can almost always see me wearing it. My second staple item would have to be my Adidas superstars. These sneakers match with any outfit and are just the comfiest shoes Adidas has created. If you can’t tell already, I’m an Adidas fan and only Adidas (NO Nike lol). My third item would be my iPhone lol. Such a millennial response but it is the best. I have the iPhone 8 Plus, and the camera quality is amazing. In addition to the camera quality, I can do all my work on the small phone, print out documents and send out emails anywhere. My fourth item is my gold hoop earrings. Hoop earrings are a huge staple in my outfits and just had so much sass to any outfit. You can buy yourself cheap ones; mine are from Forever 21, and they have yet to rust after five months. Simply don't shower with them because that's how they rust. Finally, I would have to say that my last item that I always have with me is my black book bag/purse. It’s the comfiest way to carry my wallet and personal items I need when I go out. I think it's so essential when traveling to NYC, it helps me pack very light."