Every year, Hollywood’s most stylish take to the red carpet for the Met Gala, ready to bring their most daring fashion looks for the world to fawn over.
And while all eyes are typically on the ensembles that they wear to swan up the Metropolitan Museum of Art steps, there’s never a short supply of impressive and trend-setting hair, makeup and nail moments.
For this year’s Met Gala, the theme that celebrities had to adhere to was In America: An Anthology of Fashion as an ode to fashion in the United States during the 19th and 20th Centuries. To make it simpler to understand, the theme was shortened down to ‘Gilded Glamour’, which is focused roughly between the years 1870 to 1900—think The Gilded Age and Bridgerton.
And while this year’s lineup made sure they were dressed to impress—I mean, how could we forget co-chair Blake Lively’s outfit change?—the A-list guests certainly stuck to the theme when it came to beauty looks as well.
From finger waves and La Belle Époque updos to bleached brows and blood-red, vampire-style lips, we’ve rounded up the best beauty moments and trends from the 2022 Met Gala below.
A Touch Of Sparkle
At this year’s red carpet, while there were an abundance of theme-appropriate hairstyles, there were others with a hint of 2022 throw in. In the case of Vanessa Hudgens and Venus Williams, they both adorned their hair with small diamond-like stones. For Hudgens, she wore a long-sleeved, floor-length gown with Gilded-style shoulders and paired the outfit with a braided, twisted updo that saw a diamond-like chain weaved within. While for Williams, she wore her hair in long braids with the shiny stones woven throughout, all thanks to hairstylist Nikki Nelms.
Blood Red Vampire Lips
While it’s odd to see Maude Apatow, star of Euphoria, not painted in the show’s iconic makeup, the 24-year-old took to the Met Gala sporting a gorgeous set of vintage barrel curls, courtesy of hairstylist Peter Lux. But, while her tresses were showstopping, it was her old Hollywood pout that stole the show. Apatow’s makeup artist Kelsey Deenihan opted for Armani Beauty’s Lip Maestro Liquid Lipstick in a crimson, blood-red shade 201 as a nod to the Gilded Age. As for the look overall, it feels like an ode to Interview With A Vampire.
Barmaid Updos
With some calling it an ’emo peacock’, Billie Eilish took to this year’s Met Gala as one of the most appropriately dressed for the theme. Wearing a softer updo à la the Victorian era, it’s rather similar to that of old-timey barmaids and was in perfect contrast with her pastel Gucci gown. Joining her in a similar, Southern Belle updo was Kacey Musgraves who sported a perfect pair of ‘bottleneck bangs‘. Her hairstylist Giovanni Delgado even explained the look as “a late 1800s reference through a 1960s lens”.
Waist-length Waves
As one of the night’s first (and most impressive) beauty reveals, Kaia Gerber took to the famous stairs with massive, waist-length waves falling to her sides, and naturally, we’re wanting to recreate it. Thankfully, Gerber wasn’t the only one who opted for a billowing, never ending mane of waves. Joining her was Sophie Turner, who sported burgundy, almost wine-coloured tresses with, you guessed it, waves (slightly looser than Gerber’s). Paired with a bright red lip and a soft pink eye, Turner was reminiscent of Morticia Adams, in the best way possible of course.
Bleached Brows
For Met Gala Monday, the brow trend of the night was, well, all things bleached. First spotted on Kendall Jenner, hers were juxtaposed perfectly above a set of smoked out, winged eyes and neutral makeup. Joining her was Game Of Thrones alum Maisie Williams, who has been sporting the trend for quite some time already. Just like Jenner, the rest of her beauty look was made up of a heavy, smoked eye and warm lip.
Slicked Strands
While waist-length waves and updos were a plenty on the Met Gala red carpet, an array of celebrities also made a case for slicked down strands. Laura Harrier was one of the first to sport the trend, wearing her hair slicked down and flicked out with finger waves around her temples. She explained that her look also contained references of Black women during the Gilded Age.
“Of course we were there and of course we were being glamorous and beautiful, but it’s really not documented,” she told InStyle U.S.. “I kind of was thinking of someone who was maybe born around then like Josephine Baker… and created something completely different out of it, which celebrated freedom and beauty.”
Joining her was Tessa Thompson who wore her hair slicked with a side part in a low updo. As for her face framing strands, she laid them flat in small curls which emulated the theme perfectly.
Tiara-Topped Tresses
Finally, the abundance of tiaras couldn’t be ignored at this year’s Met Gala. While, yes, tiaras are an accessory, they are worn in the hair which essentially makes them a beauty addition. One of the most memorable tiaras from the night sat atop Blake Lively’s tresses. Sporting an opulent Atelier Versace gown, she completed the look with a pair of opera gloves and a princess-like tiara.
According to E! News, Lively’s look was an ode to the architecture of New York City, with references to the Empire State Building, the Statue of Libery and “a constellation from Grand Central Station”. Another famous face who sported the trend at the event was Emma Chamberlain, who donned gilded eye shadow, a soft pink lip, high blush placement, and of course, a glittering tiara.
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