The Met Gala is a highlight each year, as our favourite celebrities and tastemakers take to the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York on the first Monday in May. The COVID-19 pandemic interfered with the usual proceedings in 2020 and the Gala was cancelled.
In 2021, the event has been pushed back and will take place on Monday, September 13. In preparation for this, we decided to look back to some of the best beauty looks ever to grace the Met Gala. While fashion is undoubtedly the star of the show, the hair and makeup choices are just as important.
One’s hair and makeup can make or break an outfit and these below looks truly knock it out of the park. That’s not to say that the beauty has to be wacky at the Met Gala. In fact, some of our favourite hair and makeup choices are simple and understated, but it’s the combination of the two that make all the difference.
Here are our favourite beauty looks from the Met Gala.
Rihanna
Rihanna was one of the co-hosts for the 2015 Met Gala, where she wore the showstopping yellow Guo Pei robe that trailed behind her on the red carpet. The Fenty Beauty founder paired it with an ornate headpiece, copper coloured hair and rosy makeup, complete with a beauty spot under her eye. Stunning!
Princess Diana
If you’re looking for ’90s beauty inspiration, look no further than Princess Diana’s appearance at the Met Gala in 1996. Diana wore subtle makeup with a brown, glossy lipstick — so on trend! She styled her paired back makeup with a navy dress from John Galliano’s debut collection at Christian Dior and her signature short chop.
Priyanka Chopra
For the 2018 Met Gala theme ‘Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & the Catholic Imagination’, Priyanka Chopra wore a stunning velvet gown by Ralph Lauren, which took over 250 hours to create. The bejewelled headpiece took centre stage while Chopra’s deep red lips and sparkly eyes were the icing on the cake. The perfect makeup for such a commanding gown.
Lupita Nyong’o
Lupita Nyong’o didn’t play around with her look at the Met Gala in 2019. With a theme like ‘Celebrating Camp: Notes on Fashion’, Nyong’o had fun with her Versace dress, glittery makeup and Marie Antoinette-style hair. We particularly love the pink sparkly eyeshadow that reaches up to her brows and the inclusion of hair picks, inspired by Lauren Kelley’s photograph called Pickin’.
Christy Turlington
In 1992, the Met Gala theme was ‘Fashion and History: A Dialogue’, which inspired model Christy Turlington to channel Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Turlington paired her bouffant with rosy cheeks and brown lips, allowing her long black dress and pearl necklace to do the talking. We love a cosplay moment!
Zendaya
We’re just going to come out and say it: Zendaya never misses. In years of red carpet appearances, Zendaya always gets it right, which was the case at the 2017 Met Gala. While her Dolce & Gabbana gown was a standout of the night, it couldn’t have made the same statement without her hair and makeup. Zendaya paired her colourful frock with megawatt glowy skin, coral lips and a textured afro. The definition of *chef’s kiss*.
Lily Collins
Emily in Paris star Lily Collins took inspiration from Priscilla Presley on her wedding day to Elvis in 1967 at the Met Gala in 2019. Wearing a retro-looking white gown, Collins rocked a bouffant with long locks that also featured a white headband and small white flowers strewn through her hair. Makeup wise, Collings opted for a lavender eyeshadow and long, spidery lashes. We love the ’60s inspired drama!
Lady Gaga
In the same year that Lily Collins and Lupita Nyong’o donned their banging beauty looks, Lady Gaga also went all out with her Met Gala makeup. Gaga wore a fuchsia pink cape gown by Brandon Maxwell, which she eventually took off to reveal a number of different outfits.
Beauty-wise, Gaga wore bright pink lipstick and eyecatching gold lashes, which pulled attention firmly to her face. She finished off the look with a platinum blonde bob that included dainty bows made from hair. Weird, wacky and we love!
