A look back at the best beauty moments on the Met Gala red carpet in the last 10 years.
The Met Gala 2026 is just hours away. Tonight, global A-listers will step onto the red carpet as industry patrons and photographers fight for just a glimpse of the spectacular fashions.
Behind the glitz and glamour, the charity event supports costume conservation at The Costume Institute in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The gala centers around a theme that all the designers and guests adhere to. Since every year rings in a larger-than-life concept, the Met Gala never fails to disappoint. This year, “Costume Art” will be the muse for the night, paying homage to the relationship between boy, costume and art.
With extravagant fashion comes beauty of equal standing. In years past, the Met Gala has welcomed all sorts of glam, from maximalist appliques to minimal washes of color — each beauty look designed to complement the attendee’s wardrobe. Needless to say, there has been no shortage of standout beauty moments, with extravagant hairdos, glossy glam and over-the-top statements marking the event.
As we impatiently await this year’s red carpet, No Manners revisits the Met Gala’s top beauty looks from the last decade.
Liu Wen, 2016, “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology”
In 2016, Chinese model Liu Wen sported silky waist-length hair to celebrate the intersection of fashion and technology. The hair not only ridged her glam and the Iris Van Herpen outfit she chose for the red carpet, but it also reflected one of the hottest trends back in the day: pin-straight hair.
Rihanna, 2017, “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between”
If you doubt Rihanna’s status as a trendsetter, look no further than her glam at the 2017 Met Gala. The makeup, featuring heavily rosy cheeks and under-eyes, could’ve easily been an early interpretation of the blush blindness, pink undereye and ‘80s-inspired trends taking over beauty in recent years.
Zendaya, 2018, “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination”
Never one to shy away from impactful transformations, Zendaya debuted an auburn bob on the 2018 Met Gala red carpet. Her hair, graciously styled in subtle waves, framed a natural-leaning makeup that perfectly complemented her Jeanne d’Arc tribute. It also anticipated (and served as inspiration for) the reemergence of red-leaning hair dyes taking flight in the 2020s.
Lily Collins, 2019, “Camp: Notes on Fashion”
Emily in Paris star Lily Collins created a look inspired by Priscilla Presley’s wedding bouffant for the 2019 Met Gala. Her hairdo was smartly complemented with a chunky headband and tiny white flower adornments, while the makeup leaned on pastel colors. Collins took the beauty to the next level with bright lilac eyeshadow and long spider lashes, turning heads at her arrival at the Met.
See, when you understand the assignment?
CL, 2021, “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion”
South Korean artist CL became the first South Korean (female) celebrity to attend the Met Gala in 2021. For the momentous occasion, the rapper made sure to incorporate her culture from head to toe, opting for a look that reinterpreted the hanbok (traditional Korean dress). Beauty-wise, the former 2ne1 star sported her signature winged liner and finished things off with an ornate updo inspired by goreum (Korean dress tie) knot. She served culture, she served beauty and she slayed that Met Gala debut.
Yara Shahidi, 2021, “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion”
U.S. actress Yara Shahidi looked whimsical at the Met Gala 2021: “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.” Paying homage to Josephine Baker with a veiled look, the star elevated her outfit with rose-bitten cheeks and eyeshadow. The highlight was a singular hair ringlet adorning her forehead.
Kaia Gerber, 2022, “Gilded Glamour and White Tie”
In 2022, U.S. model Kaia Gerber sported a mahogany mane fitted for the Gilded Age. Adorned with ornate barrette clips, her curls cascaded down her body for a theatrical, yet glamorous look that kept people talking for days.
Jackson Wang 2023, “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty”
To pay homage to Karl Lagerfeld (who informed the Met Gala theme in 2023), Chinese artist Jackson Wang emulated the man of the hour without compromising his own special groove. Wang went full Lagerfeld-core — dark cat-eye glasses and gloves included — in the fashion department. Meanwhile, the beauty revolved around an eye-catching Gemini hairstyle, which split his hair into silver and brown sections.
Salma Hayek, 2023, “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty”
Mexican actress Salma Hayek was a vision of crimson at the Met Gala 2023. Coordinating with her red dress, three large rosettes decorated a bubble braid. Extravagant hair remains a favorite at the event, so her tasteful hairdo quickly made headlines worldwide.
Alia Bhatt, 2024, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion”
In 2024, British-Indian actress Alia Bhatt turned heads with a hand-embroidered saree from Indian designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee. Paired with the garment’s nature concept, peach and gold pigments enhanced Bhatt’s features for the most romantic makeup look of the night.
Anok Yai, 2024, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion”
Dressed by the Austrian luxury jeweler Swarovski, Egyptian-American model Anok Yai looked ethereal at the 2024 Met Gala. Matching the 98,000 crystals in her dress, Yai’s glam consisted of a frosty smoky eye and luminizer that bestowed her skin with an icy glow. The look went straight to the Met Gala hall of fame.
Felix Lee, 2024, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion”
K-pop star Felix Lee rocked his signature platinum blonde hair on the 2024 red carpet. Attending alongside his fellow bandmates, the Australian rapper put a fantasy twist on the night’s theme with a half-up and half-down hairstyle that earned praise and comparisons to fantasy characters online. Soft peach makeup that channeled the year’s obsession with peachy colors — Fuzz Peach was the Pantone Color of the Year 2024 — served as the perfect complement to Felix’s all-white Tommy Hilfiger ensemble.
Elle Fanning, 2024, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion”
Elle Fanning nodded at one of the most beloved characters (Sleeping Beauty) in her filmography at the Met Gala 2024. Accordingly, Fanning sported luminous beauty befitting a fairy-tale princess: rosy makeup with glistening eyeshadow and subtle hair waves styled in a chic bob.
Freen Sarocha, 2025, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style”
Freen Sarocha made history in 2025 as the first Thai actress to attend the Met Gala. For this landmark moment, the star embraced trending makeup techniques among Asian A-listers: high-shine lips, makeup that accentuated the under-eye pocket (aegyo sal makeup) and bright, healthy complexion. Though the look was relatively simple compared to the dramatic glam that characterizes the event, Freen’s natural and demure beauty proved that you can never go wrong with the classics.
Author’s note: This article was originally published on May 5, 2025.
