What's the Most Iconic Met Gala Beauty Look of All Time?

We all have our favorite Met Gala beauty looks . But we wanted to let those who are in the room—the beauty professionals—weigh in on what makes a truly magical Met Gala beauty look. “It feels like the Olympics of hair, makeup, and styling,” says makeup artist Ash K Holm, who did Jennifer Lopez's sexy cat eye for “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty.

” Below, eleven celebrity makeup and hairstylists share their absolute favorite beauty look—while we wait to see what comes next week. Feline Liner on Jennifer Lopez “My all-time favorite Met Gala beauty look was last year’s makeup for Jennifer Lopez. She wore a stunning, fitted gown by Ralph Lauren in light pink and black.



With her hair pulled back, we needed her face to truly stand out. The makeup featured a sultry feline cat eye paired with Jennifer’s signature glow. Understanding Jennifer’s preference for options, I prepared multiple mood boards for all three potential dresses.

Once we finalized the dress, we were able to narrow down the makeup look. Preparing for this event involves countless hours of meticulous planning and execution by the entire team.” —Ash K Holm Moving Art on Cara Delevingne “I commissioned the artist Machine Dazzle to create this exceptional, fully-custom headpiece to match Cara’s outfit and the “Notes on Camp” theme.

We went back and forth for months ahead of the Gala, sharing inspiration and direction. I didn’t see the final piece until a few nights before the Met, when I went to his studio to try it on and discuss final prep. (Those wind-up teeth were fully functional, btw!) I love that we created our own piece of art for that night.

” —Mara Roszak A Hair Whip on Tessa Thompson “My favorite Met Gala moment was turning Tessa Thompson’s hair into a hair whip for the 2019 “Notes on Camp” red carpet. The Met Gala is a favorite event in our collaboration, and I love bouncing off ideas with her and the team leading up to the event. Another favorite look of mine with Tessa was for “In America”—I created a braided cowboy hat, which was a last-minute idea we had dreamt up.

My hair team and I sat up all night, braiding away and constructing the hat. I followed her in her car to the red carpet and finished up moments before she walked onto the carpet.” —Lacy Redway Rockabilly Barbie on Kristin Stewart “I wanted to pay homage to America's glamour and the working girl of the 1940s and ‘50s with a ‘’Refined rockabilly style.

’ This look is what Kristen is all about. This sex, this glamour, this magic color..

. It's her.” —Adir Abergel Creative Collaboration with Gemma Chan “What made this so fun was the creative collaboration between Gemma and I up til the gala.

Anna May Wong and old John Galliano at Dior Haute Couture runway images from the '90s were our mood board inspiration.” —Daniel Martin Incredible Sparkles on Lily James “Lily James wore a Versace dress to the 2022 Met—it was very aquatic and mermaid like. It took hours of trial and error to match the lilac and silver sparkle on the dress with the right cream shadow, so many different products were layered until it reached a 3-D sparkly eye.

I wanted Lily’s skin to be super pale and give the impression of an ‘otherworldly’ figure so there was the body makeup element also as quite a bit of skin was on show.” —Valeria Ferreira Hollywood Glamour on Halle Bailey “My personal favorite look I created was on Halle Bailey for last year's Met Gala, themed “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty.” She wore Gucci, which fit like a glove, and looked so angelic and timeless.

I love the makeup look I created on her. I used opalescent shimmers and glitters to complement the sequins in her dress. Also, her red bob was the star of the show.

The color was a nod to The Little Mermaid . Her hairstylist Tinisha Meeks is really a magician!” — Christiana Cassell Classic Ri on Rihanna “This look just embodies Rihanna, a classic beauty with a modern edge that only she can pull off. It captured one of her most iconic and go-to glam looks—flawless skin, a perfectly sculpted red lip, and thick lashes (but this time, with a twist!).

We used our favorite Fenty Beauty products: Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation, Fenty Beauty Stunna Lip Paint Longwear Fluid Lip Color in Uncensored, and Hella Thicc Mascara.” — Priscilla Ono A Historic Reference on Zendaya “Sometimes, committing to the theme really pays off, like this Joan of Arc look on Zendaya. The hair tells the story in both a historic and very fashionable way.

” —Andrew Fitzsimons Vintage Camp on Violet Chachki “I love love love vintage hairstyles, especially when they have a contemporary edge added to them, so when I saw this vintage burlesque look on Violet Chachki on the ‘Camp’ Met carpet, I instantly saw a fresh take on a classic!” —Andrew Fitzsimons 1920s Glam with Daisy Edgar-Jones “Amongst my favorite Met Gala beauty looks was Daisy Edgar-Jones at the 2022 Met Gala. Daisy attended with Oscar de la Renta and wore a glamorous flapper-inspired ensemble with makeup to match. For big moments like the Met Gala, I always suggest doing a makeup test before the big day, and we tried out a few different looks before settling on the metallic emerald eye she ultimately wore.

The eyeshadow looked like a jewel in person and was equally mesmerizing on the carpet, so I am thrilled with the direction we took and look back at it fondly.”—Vincent Oquendo Oft-Replicated on Rihanna “Forever obsessed with this hair and look from the 2014 Met Gala, wearing Stella McCartney. It was effortless, clean, and timeless—a true reflection of the kind of beauty that inspires me as a hairstylist.

To this day, it’s an honor to see this look continue to be referenced and replicated.” - Yusef Zenderella on Zendaya “My favorite Met Gala look of all time belongs to Zendaya. In 2019, she morphed into this vision of grand whimsy as “Zendarella” (Cinderella).

I could list a million reasons why it lives rent-free in my head but, I’ll name a few: Her gown was nothing shy of tech-fashion. It was delicately illuminated with the workings of creative genius Law Roach’s wand. Very much like the storybook fairytale.

Second, her glam was classic beauty. Not fussy..

.well executed with the perfect shades of blonde for her yummy skin. Her delicate baby hair and headband were a sweet touch.

Finally, I'm forever obsessed with the glass slipper.” —Nai'vasha.