Selena Gomez’s ‘diabolical’ makeup at Rare Impact Fund benefit raises eyebrows
Selena Gomez turned heads at the 2025 Rare Impact Fund benefit as founder and host of the high-profile event raising awareness for youth mental health. Her fashion choices at the ceremony were widely praised, yet her makeup look prompted a wave of online commentary that ranged from admiration to puzzled criticism. The event, designed to spotlight her brand Rare Beauty and its charitable arm, provided both glamour and a moment of beauty risk for the singer-actor.
For the evening, Gomez chose a striking outfit and completed her look with hair styled in a sleek bob and a beauty aesthetic that deliberately referenced early 2000s glam. According to Vogue, her manicure fused two trending techniques, “blush jelly chrome nails” and her makeup paired taupe lips, smoky grey eyeshadow and abundant blush. That detail alone underscored she was embracing maximalist beauty rather than minimal. Yet on social media fans couldn’t help but scrutinise the lip liner and shade choice. One viewer noted that while the makeup looked fine from a distance it “up close? WOW.”
The lip combination drew the bulk of negative attention. Comments ranged from disappointment to downright shock, with some fans calling the liner application “diabolical” and questioning how a celebrity who owns a beauty brand allowed such a prominent look to fall short. Meanwhile the rest of her styling. the dress, nails, and hair received praise. Many beauty-watchers noted that the nails and hair were impeccably done, and that the lip look might have simply been an adventurous experiment.
From a branding perspective the contrast is interesting. Gomez’s Rare Beauty brand emphasises authenticity and approachability in makeup, yet the red-carpet moment leaned into high-glam territory that arguably strayed from the brand’s core message. The divergence created a talking point and a broader discussion: when beauty brands’ owners wear their own products at big events, the scrutiny is amplified. Whether the look will be judged as bold or mis-judged will depend on how fans remember the event in months ahead.
Online chatter continued long after the event ended. People posted side-by-side stills of Gomez’s makeup, nail and hair ensembles and voiced divided opinions. Some praised the risk-taking, arguing she took a bold step away from her usual glam to something more statement-making. Others felt the execution let the rest of the look down. The lasting image may well be the lip colour and liner mismatch rather than the nails or dress despite all the positives.
The moment serves as a reminder that even established stars and brands are vulnerable to the glare of social media when visible mis-steps occur. For Selena Gomez it may simply be a one-off experiment, but for Rare Beauty and its identity, it highlights how red-carpet beauty is no longer just about looking flawless, it’s about how audiences interpret risk, authenticity and brand congruency all in one glance.