The Best Beauty Moments You Might Have Missed from the 2026 Met Gala
On fashion
Reported by Harper's Bazaar.
The Met Gala red carpet is fashion's most theatrical stage, but the real artistry often lives above the neckline. From sculptural updos to skin-first minimalism, the 2026 Gala delivered a masterclass in range — proof that beauty is just as deliberate, just as conceptual, as the clothes. According to Harper's Bazaar, the night's most memorable moments weren't accidents.
The maximalists had their moment. Gwendoline Christie paired platinum blonde hair with a billowing headdress and a deep-wine lip, both styled by Adir Abergel for Virtue and Shark Beauty. Lisa of Blackpink wore a sculptural white headpiece as the backdrop for sparkly blue-and-silver shadow and feathery lashes that mirrored her sapphire jewelry. Janelle Monáe brought the butterfly garden in temple-length hair by Nikki Nelms — a bob that technically isn't a bob — with monochromatic nude makeup by Keita Moore for Benefit Cosmetics. And Doja Cat made a case for 2016's return: winged liner, heavy contour, nude lips by Ivan Núñez for MAC, paired with loose waves against rigid YSL.
The Other Side of the Carpet
Then came the restraint — and it hit just as hard. Gigi Hadid and makeup artist Patrick Ta cosigned the no-mascara trend: full brows, rosy cheeks, bare lashes, Maybelline New York — full stop. Julianne Moore proved a single red lip is still an entire argument, her skin prepped with RéVive Skincare for an effortlessly clean base. Kylie Jenner, of all people, went bleached brows and near-naked skin by ArielTejada, letting her Schiaparelli couture do the talking. Anne Hathaway brought precision: a perfect pink lip and smoky eye by Hung Vanngo using his own brand, paired with an updo by Orlando Pita that felt inevitable.
The night's most interesting moves lived somewhere in between. Zoë Kravitz wore a delicate updo by Nikki Nelms using ghd's new Speed tool — wispy tendrils, a blurred lip by Nina Park with L'Oréal Paris, skin prepped with SK-II. Naomi Osaka's refined French-twist and face-framing waves by JennyCho for UNOVE were set against blood-red coffin nails by Juan Alvear for DND Gel — the contrast doing exactly what good styling does. Venus Williams, one of the night's co-chairs, wore braided rosettes with crystal centers courtesy of Karina Milan for Charlotte Tilbury. Gabrielle Union channeled '60s supermodel Naomi Sims through Larry Sims' voluminous hair, then modernized it with a glossy nude lip by Sam Fine using Armani Beauty and KISS lashes.
The 2026 Met Gala reminded us that beauty isn't the afterthought to the look — it is the look, and the women who understand that show up every single time.
Read the original at Harper's Bazaar.
