On the first Monday of May, the Metropolitan Museum of Art once again became the most glamorous stage on earth. In our previous article we already explored the looks that followed the “Fashion as Art” theme and unpacked the art references behind them. But it wasn’t just the fashion that proved to be artful. The beauty carpet favored everything from crystalline hair sculptures and gold-foiled crowns to porcelain skin flushed like faded petals and graphic curls pressed onto foreheads like perfect punctuation marks. All of them had something to say. Here are the 28 beauty moments from the 2026 Met Gala worth looking at — closely.
Photo: Courtesy of Amelia Gray, Getty
1. Hunter Schafer
Hunter Schafer‘s beauty look was one of those rare Met Gala moments that made you stop, catch your breath, and feel something deep and light all at once. Soft, dusty, yet impossibly fresh, and deliberate in every delicate detail. Skin is porcelain and matte, almost translucent. The cheeks carry a soft, almost powdery rose flush — not fresh or dewy, but faded, like pressed petals. The eyes are barely touched: a whisper of muted pink-mauve on the lids, lashes gently defined, the gaze dreamy and unfocused in the most beautiful way. The lip is a soft, blurred rose, naturally flushed and slightly imprecise at the edges. Her hair falls in long, romantic waves, adorned with a sculptural silver rosette accessory that mirrors the fabric roses running along her dress.
2. Emma Chamberlain
Emma Chamberlain looked like she had walked directly out of an Impressionist canvas. Her eyes are the undeniable centerpiece: the bleached brows dissolve into the skin, letting a deeply pigmented rosy-mauve shadow, nodding to 1920s-inspired glamour, lead. But the detail that elevates everything is the yellow color — a concentrated burst of golden-yellow shadow pressed precisely into the inner corners directly echoes the yellow brushstroke florals of her gown and the canary diamond earrings dangling at her ears. Color theory as beauty strategy, executed perfectly. The platinum pixie, wispy and textured, frames everything with a cool punk energy.
Photo: Getty, Courtesy of Lilly Keys
3. Joey King
Joey King’s cascading red curls felt like a pre-Raphaelite painting reference, abundant and deliberately romantic. The monochromatic makeup with generous pink blush swept across the face for a flushed, almost girlish quality that made the whole look feel lifted straight from a 19th century canvas.
4. Ashley Graham
Ashley Graham’s silver-dipped nails and fingers at the 2026 Met Gala were a nod to artists who paint with their hands. That was a collaboration between manicurist Dawn Sterling and makeup artist Kabuk: Sterling laid the foundation with a chrome metallic on each nail. Kabuki then took over the fingers themselves, working upward with silver paint to build a gradient that reads like spray paint on skin.
Photo: John Shearer/Getty, Carly Sharp
5. Jenny Cho
Messy updos with soft tendrils that escape around the face always look utterly romantic and sexy, and Jenny Cho‘s hairstyle is no exception. Her eyes are defined with a precise but soft liner flick at the outer corners, lashes full but natural. A warm terracotta-brown sits in the crease, adding depth without drama. The lips are a muted, frozen cherry color. Cheeks carry a sun-kissed flush, placed high and blended into nothing. Such a good and universal inspiration for a wedding party.
6. Alex Consani
Alex Consani at the 2026 Met Gala embodied the ghostly blonde with barely-there beauty vibe — otherworldly and utterly mesmerizing. The bleached brows are the main thing here, erasing the face’s most defining feature to create that signature alien-cool effect that has been quietly dominating avant-garde beauty. The warm, peachy blush looks awesome and pair great with the dried-rose nude lip, desaturated and matte.
Photo: Courtesy of Jenny Cho, Courtesy of YSL Beauty
7. Amelia Gray
Amelia Gray‘s beauty look owned the night. Jet-black waves, glossy pout, skin gleaming like wet silk, and a trendy icy eyeshadow cuts against all that darkness like a cold flash of light. Chrome stiletto nails add a futuristic edge to the gothic mood. Bronzed, body-oiled skin completes the picture.
8. Gracie Abrams
Makeup artist Emily Cheng had a clear vision for Gracie Abrams: a porcelain complexion with flushed cheeks that looked like they were blooming from within the skin. The rest is deliberately quiet: slicked-back pixie, barely-there lashes, skin kept alabaster and clean. And then that brick-red lip stops you completely.
Photo: Courtesy of Amelia Gray, Getty
9. Gigi Hadid
Gigi Hadid presented the old-school glamour repackaged for right now. The waves are generous and lived-in, falling past the shoulder with that signature golden-meets-ash tonal depth that feels expensive without trying. The blushed, dewy skin reads almost bare and lends a vulnerable, fresh-faced quality, letting the hair carry the full weight of the look.
10. Karlie Kloss
Karlie Kloss‘s beauty look combines restraint and romance, bringing a garden party vibe to the red carpet. A perfectly slicked chignon hugs the nape while a lavender orchid accessory placed at the ear does all the talking. The skin is luminous but unfussy, with a soft, rosy flush dusted high on the cheeks and a muted berry lip that feels both editorial and wearable.
Photo: Courtesy of Patrick Ta, Aysia Marotta
11. Laura Harrier
Laura Harrier leaned fully into the toasty brown makeup trend, with a sultry and glamorous undertone. The eyes are smoked with a rich, warm brown, lashes full and fanned, gaze heavy and intentional. A glossy mauve-brown lip completes the monochromatic warmth. Skin is bronzed and luminous, sculpted just enough to feel deliberate. Black waves caught mid-movement add drama without effort.
12. Hailey Bieber
Leave it to Hailey Bieber to make the most minimal look feel like the most considered one in the room. Hair slicked back with a clean center part, skin luminous and foundation-free looking, brows brushed up and barely touched. A blurred nude lip, the faintest lash definition, and a molten metallic at the inner corners of her eye are the only concessions to makeup.
Photo: Courtesy of Laura Harrier, Getty
13. Rihanna
The centerpiece of Rihanna‘s beauty look was extraordinary golden spirals woven directly into her slicked curls, blurring the line between jewelry and hairstyle. Face gems scattered at the temples and below the lip added to the imperial feeling, while the eye makeup — warm gold, softly lined — stayed just restrained enough to let the hardware dominate.
14. Anok Yai
Leave it to makeup artist Sheika Daley to turn grief into beauty. Anok Yai arrived with golden tears trailing down her sculpted cheekbones, a breathtaking detail that transformed her face into a living artwork recalling the Weeping Madonna. The sculpted finger waves peeking from beneath the hood added a final touch of vintage tension.
Photo: Rihanna/Getty, Courtesy of Sheika Daley
15. Zoë Kravitz
Drama of Zoë Kravitz‘s black guipure-lace dress, featuring a basque waist, was supported by a thin black liner that wraps around the inner corners of her eyes. Beyond that, this is a subtle but transformative technique that makes the gaze appear deeper and more defined. Lashes are full and fanned, skin bronzed and luminous with sculpted warmth at the cheekbones. And then the lip: deliberately blurred at the edges, softened and smudged into the skin — Nina Park’s signature. The hair tells its own story — a romantic half-up, half-down style with braided detail woven through, striking the perfect balance between polished and undone and framing the face softly.
16. Grace Ling
Fashion designer Grace Ling made her Met Gala debut wearing her own creation. This 3D-printed aluminum breastplate looked like it had been forged by weather itself and as if thorns and flowers had simply blown into her face mid-storm, landing with impeccable, almost violent chicness. The beauty matched the brief entirely. Her glass claw nails look simultaneously like melting ice, alien talons, and haute couture jewelry.
Photo: Theo Wargo/Getty, Courtesy of Michelle Tran
17. Lila Moss
This was Lila Moss‘s second Met Gala. Her stunning custom beaded Conner Ives gown was completed in the most ethereal way: a romantic swept-up, half-up style, elevated by antique rhinestone accents that catch the light at the back. The makeup was softly sculpted glamour at its most considered: bronzed cheekbones, skin shining from inside, a rosy lip. No single element dominates; everything simply works together.
18. Daisy Edgar-Jones
Daisy Edgar-Jones always exudes confidence at its most magnetic. Her wispy curtain bangs, glossy chestnut waves falling loose and unbrushed — this is the kind of beauty that looks completely unconstructed but takes real skill to achieve. The makeup is almost invisible: skin dewy and barely-there, lashes lightly defined, and a soft rosy-nude lip that reads like naturally flushed skin.
Photo: Courtesy of Ricky Fraser, Courtesy of Bryce Scarlett
19-20. Doechii
We can’t help but take a close look at Doechii‘s beauty details from head to toe, and we mean that literally. Start with the eyes: a plum and mint green eyeshadow combination that feels awesome, a pairing that, interestingly, falls directly in line with Pinterest’s 2026 wedding trends in terms of color ideas.
Then there’s the work by nail artist Rachel Sun, who shared on Instagram that the nail look was inspired by naturally forming crystal clusters. Art imitating nature at its most precise. Doechii’s toes were designed in the exact same style, because why stop at the hands? The Grammy-winning artist walked the red carpet barefoot, putting every inch of that artistry on full display.
Photo: Julian Hamilton/Getty, Courtesy of Rachel Sun
21. Ciara
For the 2026 Met Gala, the Grammy winner Ciara drew inspiration from Queen Nefertiti, channeling the ancient Egyptian icon’s legendary tall crown. The magic lies in the technique: hairstylist Cesar Ramirez foiled Ciara’s actual hair with real gold foil, sculpting it into a towering, spiked crown that rises dramatically from the head. Hair as sculpture, hair as heritage, hair as crown. It’s a proof that the most powerful adornment you can wear is sometimes the one that was already there.
22. Camila Morone
Dark, loosely tousled waves falling just past the shoulder — the kind that look like they were styled hours ago and have since found their own rhythm. Camila Morone’s skin is clean and barely-there, with the faintest warmth at the cheeks and a soft, natural lip. The neutral shadow tones, delicate liner, and feathery lashes enhance her natural eye shape while maintaining openness and softness. No liner, no heavy eye — just groomed brows and a face that trusts itself completely.
Photo: Courtesy of Ciara, Michael Bruckner/Getty
23. Chase Sui Wonders
The genius of this look by celebrity hairstylist Blake Erik is in its conversation between hair and dress. Chase Sui Wonders‘s sleek, sculptural updo and double side bangs mirror the beautiful bow structure of her lavender gown.
24. Sabrina Carpenter
Sabrina Carpenter arrived looking like she had stepped directly out of a 1940s-50s studio portrait. The hair is set in soft, perfect retro roller curls framing the face. The dripping-diamonds headpiece is the crown jewel of the entire look, somewhere between a flapper headdress and a silver screen prop. It elevates the already-nostalgic hair into something genuinely theatrical. The makeup leans fully into the era: skin is warm and softly bronzed, cheeks flushed with a peachy warmth. The eyes are defined with a precise liner flick, and the lashes are full and fanned. And the lip is the anchor of the entire face, deeply pigmented and deliberately vintage in feel.
Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty, Mike Coppola/Getty
25. Huma Abedin
Sometimes the most powerful beauty statement at the Met is the one that doesn’t shout. Huma Abedin arrived with glossy dark waves swept to one side in a soft, old-Hollywood fashion, skin warm and naturally luminous. The makeup is refined and precise — defined eyes, a subtle flush, a nude-pink lip. Against an all-white gown, it’s a study in timeless elegance.
26. Lisa
Lisa‘s crystal-scattered Robert Wun outfit demanded a beauty look that could match its universe, and it delivered entirely. Her hairstyle adorned with delicate snowflake-like crystal pins, with two long, sleek panels of hair left to cascade straight down over the shoulders like frozen waterfalls. The contrast between the structured crown and the liquid-straight lengths falling below is visually arresting — part ballerina, part ice goddess. There are tiny crystal embellishments at the inner corners and temples, continuing the frost motif across the face. Icy blue and silver eyeshadow sweeps across the lids with an almost holographic quality, scattered glitter catching light from every angle. The deep blue gemstone-inspired nail design ties the entire look together in one deliberate color thread.
Photo: Getty, Courtesy of Lisa
27. Chase Infiniti
When your hair is this extraordinary, the smartest beauty decision is to let it lead, and that’s exactly what happens here. Chase Infiniti‘s voluminous, joyful, free-formed natural curl halo explodes outward in every direction. The makeup wisely steps back and supports rather than competes. Skin is warm and naturally glowing, with a soft rosy-copper wash of eyeshadow adding just enough warmth to make the hazel eyes smolder gently. A glossy, barely-there nude-pink lip keeps the face fresh and open.
28. Jennie
Jennie’s sleek, architectural updo is swept back with lacquered perfection. But the detail that stops you is the single curl. Her skin is porcelain-luminous with freckles left visible. A whisper of soft pink at the inner corners of the eyes adds the faintest flush of color without disturbing the overall serenity of the face. The liner flick is precise and fine, curving upward just so.
Photo: Courtesy of Thom Browne, John Shearer/Getty
