Beyoncé sure knows how to get the people going. Starting with an Instagram post featuring Jay-Z from our own Condé Nast lobby on Saturday, Queen Bee began an epic Grammys weekend in New York City that involved several major black gowns, some stunning Insta photo shoots, and one very stunned fan. With such a build up, it had everyone anticipating what awesome-ness she would show up wearing to the main event.

And everyone was kept in anticipation until halfway through the awards show, which is when Beyoncé sneakily slipped into her front-row seat along with daughter Blue Ivy. She kept with the theme of the weekend, wearing yet another black gown, this with a high turtleneck, exposed shoulders, and slits up either leg. She completed the velvet ensemble with a large black fascinator, black sunglasses, and a pair of diamond earrings that were so long, they touched her collarbones.

Christopher Polk

But of course, we were paying the most attention to her beauty look. The singer's hair, which was curled in Veronica Lake-style waves the day before, was braided into cornrows and tied back into a low ponytail. And while her eyes were shaded by her sunglasses, her lips were painted a bold shade of violet, that makeup artist Sir John custom mixed for the singer. "I used Yves Saint Laurent Beauté Tatouage Couture in Fuchsia Intime and Carmine Encounter, applying it straight onto her lips from the tube," Sir John told Allure. "I start with the deeper of the two shades, then add one layer of the lighter one on top, so it's just two coats. The formula is nice because it doesn't stain right away, so you have some play time."

And while her lipstick was from a prestige makeup brand, the rest of it was a mix of L'Oréal Paris and Glossier. Under those sunglasses was a serious cat eye. "I used liquid liner on the top lids and brown liquid liner on the bottom," said Sir John. "I always use brown at the bottom because it doesn't look too heavy on camera." On the center of her lids he used a yet-to-be-released rose-gold shadow by Glossier. "They sent me prototypes, but it's not out quite yet," he said. Head to Glossier's website and you will receive a prompt to sign up to learn about the product. "Sharp eye you have there," it says on the site, followed by, "Yes, new Glossier is coming (you may have spotted it at the Grammys)." Looks like we'll all have to stay tuned to find out more.

Sir John also focused a lot of attention on Beyoncé's skin, starting with a layer of Glossier Skin Tint and touching up any areas that needed more coverage with the L'Oréal Paris concealer palette. On her cheeks, he used the Glossier Cloud Blush in Beam, a pretty peach color, and for her highlighter he dipped into L'Oréal's new Lumi Glow collection, starting with a layer of the True Match Lumi Glotion and finishing with the True Match Lumi Shimmerista Highlighting Powder in Sunlight, a shimmery gold loose pigment. "I always, always layer my highlighter," he explained, before heading off to get some rest after an exhausting — and glamorous weekend.

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