In one week, the 2026 Met Gala—held annually at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art—will have the world’s most recognizable celebrities in attendance. Most celebrities have been preparing for this year’s gala since last year’s: investing in priceless couture gowns and jewelry worth millions. But, what are they doing to prep days before they even hit the red carpet?
By this time, it’s all about the final week of preparations before braving the noise. While the Mark hotel is the unofficial HQ for a sneak peek at their looks before being whisked away in a black truck, there’s one other spot celebrities frequent right before the big night out: The Ritz Carlton.
It’s hard not to hear about the Ritz (and not just because Plies dedicated an entire song to it). While their ritzy suites, celebrity-approved service, and delicious food (I ordered a big fat wagyu burger to my room) is impossible to compete with, their famous La Prairie Spa is like icing on a buttery lemon pound cake. So, naturally, I took on the role of celebrity for one night and sought out the most coveted—and expensive—skincare treatment for the Met Gala, the “Glass Skin” facial.
“The Glass Skin Facial is a multi-step treatment designed to enhance the skin’s texture and luminosity,” La Prairie’s lead esthetician at The Ritz-Carlton Central Park Naima Refkan tells ESSENCE. Leading up to the Met, my skin has been dry, dull, and acne-prone since I’m still recovering from the brutal New York winter. So, after having a small breakfast in their club lounge, I got changed, sipped a mimosa, took a few wellness shots, and laid down on the spa bed to have my skin turned into glass.
First, the facialist took a close look at my skin (which was begging for extractions!) to customize the facial to my personal condition, texture, and concerns. She started with a gentle double cleanse using La Prairie’s Supreme Balm Cleanser ($190 dollars), followed by the least expensive product in the line-up, a $115 dollar Foam Cleanser to give my skin a clear foundation.
My skin has been sensitive lately, so I was a bit nervous for the next step: their Cellular 3-Minute Peel, which costs just over $100 dollars… per minute, that is. But, to my surprise, it was extremely gentle even after extractions and made my skin feel resurfaced and polished. Then, it was time to firm up my face. For that, a lymphatic drainage massage and $225 dollar nutrient-infusing firming mask did the trick.
Luckily for me, they also just launched a new skincare line named after an extremely rare and expensive delicacy harvested from albino sturgeons (how fancy!): the White Caviar line. First was the White Caviar Light Infusion Essence ($370 dollars) to replump and correct my skin’s dullness, layered with over $1,400 worth of brightening products: the almost $800 dollar Pearl Infusion Serum and nearly $700 Light Concentrate Serum. It’s a price only a Met Gala celebrity could pay for, but “the lasting effects help them glow under the bright lights, making it a top choice for such occasions,” Refkan says.
After having my skin infused with oxygen and LED therapy, the final step was one last White Caviar product, the $720 dollar Light Infusion Cream to lock in hydration and enhance my skin’s luminosity. By the end of my facial, my skin had soaked up thousands of dollars worth of products.
The whopping total? $3,380 dollars! More than my rent.
Thankfully, the facial itself was less than a fraction of that price. For 60 minutes, their Brightening Glass Skin Facial starts at $350 dollars which increases by $75 dollars as you add upgrades, like LED light therapy or a Smart Peel, which are frequented among celebrities. “The Glass Skin Facial has become popular during the Met Gala due to its ability to deliver immediate and radiant results, making it ideal for this high-profile event,” Refkan says.
While the Ritz is tight-lipped about their exact clients this time around, it’s no secret La Prairie Spa is a destination for celebrities this Met Gala season. But, if you’re judging from home, like most of us are, you can mimic the results with a few budget-friendly products. For example, using a creamy drugstore cleansing balm and a gentle facial cleanser for a double-cleanse. A K-beauty hydrating mask once a week and picking up a few lymphatic drainage techniques can help you achieve a glass skin finish without opening your wallet too wide.
While there’s affordable ways to achieve glass finishes, “celebrities aim to showcase flawless skin on the red carpet,” Refkan says. And, for a gala as big as the Met, glass skin glazed with a bump of White Caviar doesn’t hurt.
