The dress was not the only massively important detail on the minds of New York’s most glamorous women last night, as they prepped and preened for fashion’s Oscars—the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Gala. The Model as Muse is this year’s theme, and with every major mannequin in memory—from Twiggy to Cindy, Oluchi, Agyness, Kate, Gisele, Karlie, Raquel (turned platnium blonde), you get the idea—gliding up the Met’s marble stairs, the pressure was on. This was not the year to attempt a smoky eye par vous-même.

The city’s best makeup and hair brigades—these are the Musts in the well-turned-out New Yorker’s Rolodex—were on high alert.

Lisa Airan, never a hair or eyelash out of place, had her go-to team of makeup artist Troy Surratt and hairstylist Nathaniel Hawkins (323/556-3455 for both) come round her sunny, Gramercy Park apartment. Alexa Rudolfo (915/203-6169)— master of both hair and makeup, and a longtime favorite of the social set—deftly triple-tasked, with perfectly synched stops at the homes of Margherita Missoni, Ivanka Trump, and Wendi Murdoch. Allison Sarofim and models Lisa Cant and Ekat all made Parlor pitstops at hairstylist Ashley Javier’s glamorously private, invitation-only rooftop atelier. Purveyor of polish, stylist Kevin Lee, and his team of manicurists and brow groomers had their hands full at the Kenneth salon in the Waldorf (212/752-1800), putting the finishing touches on regulars Marina Rust and Lauren duPont, and literally keeping the salon open for Tory Burch, who was arriving directly from Washington, D.C., with minutes to spare. One of Daria Werbowy’s perks as a face of Lancôme is having access to superstar Aaron De Mey, the company’s artistic director for makeup, who popped by her apartment downtown. Tarek Abbas (212/984-4823) worked with fellow covergirl Arlenis Sosa, while the rest of the company’s troupe of pros was dispatched to Vanessa Traina (Daniel Martin, 212/352-0777), Alek Wek (Oslyn Holder, 862/368-2521), and Du Juan (Andrew Sotomayor, 516/319-4491).

While both of Frédéric Fekkai’s chicly efficient Manhattan salons—uptown in Bendel’s (212/753-9500) and downtown on West Broadway (212/888-2600)—were filled to the gills, Jessica Biel, Marisa Tomei, Jessica Alba, Kate Bosworth, Blake Lively, and model Anna J. cleverly had their stylists of choice come to them: Adir Abergel for Jessica Biel and Marisa; Renato Campora for Jessica Alba, Kate, and Blake; Andre Rodman for Anna. Biel, Revlon’s newly minted spokesmodel, also received a VIP visit from the company’s makeup master, Gucci Westman. OC61 salon’s Louise O’Connor (212/935-6261) sprang into action, coiffing up a storm for the fiery-haired Coco Rocha.

Tim Rogers, star-stylist-in-residence at Sharon Dorram and Sally Hershberger’s new venture uptown (212/535-3519), zipped over to Samantha Boardman. Everyone’s favorite Italian, Oscar Blandi (212/988-9404), was on the move, too, jetting between Rosario Dawson and Brooke Shields’ apartments. Celebrity cutter Marc Townsend traveled much further, though—all the way from Hershberger’s West Hollywood salon (310/854-4922)—to make sure Ashley Olsen and January Jones were both camera-ready. 

And the Vogue beauty department? Catherine Piercy and Christina Han both put their hair in the capable hands of Bumble and bumble’s Marguerite Jukes (212/521-6500). As for me, I joined the faithful at John Barrett’s ever-stylish (and always accommodating-in-a-pinch) full-service beauty mecca atop Bergdorf Goodman (212/872-2700) for a blowout with Jay Ree and makeup with Irina Krupnik. No one does lashes like Irina.

—Sarah Brown