The Costume Art theme turned celebrity glam into fine art. Here are the hair and makeup moments that defined the night.
Words | Rohini Wahul
Met Gala 2026 hair and makeup did not just finish the look. They were the look. On 4th May at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Costume Art theme pushed stars to treat their faces and hair as living canvases. The result was the most daring, most creative beauty night the red carpet has seen in years.
Watercolour Eyes Stole the Makeup Moment
Emma Chamberlain set the beauty tone early. Makeup artist Lilly Keys, working with Makeup by Mario, crafted a “surreal, slightly Gothic” finish: skin kept glass-like, with mauve, deep plum and iridescent yellow layered across the lids so the colour appeared to shift with the light. “Nothing sits on top, everything melts in, prismatic, fluid, a little haunted,” said Keys. Lena Mahfouf and Jordan Roth followed the same watercolour eye direction, making painterly, translucent shadow the makeup trend of the night.
Gold Skin and Sculpted Tears: Anok Yai
Model Anok Yai delivered the single most arresting beauty look of the evening. Entirely coated in gold shimmer with three-dimensional painted tears running down her face, she became a weeping golden statue. It was not just beauty in any conventional sense. It was fine art worn on a human face.
Bleached Brows: The Anti-Makeup Statement
Kylie Jenner‘s makeup artist Ariel Tejada created the most talked about brow moment of the season: barely visible bleached brows paired with a blurred nude lip and soft smoky eye. Jennie followed the same stripped back direction. Expect bleached brow requests in your salon to surge all summer.
Beyonce’s Honey Blonde Curls: The Biggest Hair Moment
Returning to the Met Gala after ten years, Beyonce arrived with wild honey blonde coils cascading down her back. Global stylist Neal Farinah built the look using Cecred’s Thermal Shield Mist, Volumizing Mousse, Strong Hold Gel and Flexible Hold Spray. “These ethereal waves are a celebration of texture,” said Farinah. Blue Ivy and Chase Infiniti wore matching curls alongside her. Hot honey blonde is already the most requested hair colour of summer 2026 and Beyonce just confirmed why.
Old Hollywood vs Sculptural Updo
Sabrina Carpenter, La La Anthony and Hunter Schafer went full Old Hollywood with soft wide-barrel curls. Cara Delevingne chose the opposite: a precise, sleek nape chignon that showed off her custom Ralph Lauren gown without a single strand out of place. Two very different approaches. Both completely on point.
Watercolour eyes, bleached brows, hot honey blonde curls and sleek sculptural updos. These are the five looks your clients are saving to their phones right now. Met Gala 2026 just handed the hair and beauty industry its summer brief.
