Jessica Alba Celebrates Day of the Dead With Classic Glam and a Massive Headpiece

Find out how she got ready for LA's biggest star-studded Día de Muertos event.

For Mexicans, Día de Muertos, or Day of the Dead, has a special place in our hearts. It's a dedicated moment to celebrate the lives of the people we love who have passed away. What's so beautiful about this holiday is that it reframes death. Instead of it being seen as something that causes pain, it's a celebration of life, legacy, and love.

This is why photographer Carlos Eric Lopez throws an annual star-studded Hollywood event to commemorate the celebratory day. "I have a really diverse group of friends here in LA that spans East LA artists and Hollywood 'high society,' and being able to seat this seemingly disparate group of people together at one table as a 'chosen family' is what the evening is all about," he tells InStyle.

This year, celebrities like Diego Boneta, Vanessa Bryant, Miguel, and Jessica Alba were amongst the attendees. They donned colorful headpieces, outfits by Latinx designers such as Kris Goyrí and Pompi Garcia, and makeup that paid homage to the Day of the Dead.

"I’m wearing a simple black dress, I really wanted to let my headpiece shine," Alba tells InStyle. "I made it myself by hand — I purchased dried flowers, paper flowers, rhinestones and monarch butterflies. I got two headbands and zip tied them together and then glued all of the accessories on."

:

For her glam, Alba kept it simple with Honest Beauty makeup to keep the focus on her headpiece. For her complexion, she used the brand's Fresh Flex Concealer (in shades Tawny and Fawn) and then applied the Creme Cheek Lip Color in the Plum Berry shade on her cheeks and lips for a uniform finish. To make her pout pop a bit more, she topped off her lip look with the Gloss-C Lip Gloss in Amethyst, a stunning deep purple. She gave depth to her eyes by mixing two metallic shades of Honest Beauty's Eye Catcher Lid Tint — Joy Ride and Late Night. On her top lid, she did a cat-eye look with her Liquid Eyeliner and then added a bit of warmth with the Vibeliner Pencil Eyeliner in its bronze Harmony shade. To wrap up the look, she used the Extreme Volume Mascara + Bold Lash Primer to plump up her lashes and filled in her brows with the brand's Eyebrow Pencil in Ash Blonde.

For many, Catrina-inspired makeup comes to mind when thinking of Day of the Dead — a look Alba describes as empowering. "It’s such a beautiful way to embrace the tradition and I love to see all of the incredible looks created as everyone puts their own spin on it," she adds. Bryant was one of those who leaned into the look with a goth-glam twist and an outfit to match.

Throughout the night, Lopez's guests enjoyed a slew of live performances of traditional Mexican song and dance from talent such as Trio Del Alma, Folklor American, and Mariachi Los Reyes, while Latin-Grammy nominated singer and guitarist, Stephanie Amaro, serenaded the crowd over dinner on the lawn. To further the ambiance and Mexican spirit, the evening was hosted at Casa De Plata, a space designed by architect Ricardo Legorreta, and 12-foot paper mâché "catrinas" designed by Ricardo Soltero were displayed across the yard.

Through and through, the evening was an authentic Day of the Dead celebration — both for those who have celebrated it for years to those who are newer to the tradition. "My first Día de Muertos celebration was last year in honor of my Grandpa," shares Alba. "He was one of the first people to pass in my life that I had a super close relationship with."

"To me, Día de Muertos is a time of gathering and celebration of loved ones lost," she furthers. "It’s empowering to take something like death, which is often looked at in Western culture as something really sad, and honor it the way Mexican culture intended, as celebration of life. It’s a beautiful reminder and allows people to honor their loved ones and Mexican culture overall. It’s so special that as long as one lives, there's a never ending celebration of those that have passed."

For more InStyle news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on InStyle.