See ya next year, Met Gala! The first Monday in May is officially over, but guess what? We're definitely not done thinking about the most striking, standout hair, makeup, and nail looks from the 2025 event. Though the Met Gala is just one night of the year, it sets trends that can last for months or even the whole year. The Met Gala 2025 was so impressive that many of the best beauty looks of the night are going straight from the steps of the Met to our spring and summer moodboards, and they'll probably end up on yours too.
To celebrate the Costume Institute's theme, "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style", the dress code for the Met Gala 2025 was “Tailored for You,” meaning at-home viewers saw lots of suiting details on stars like Zendaya, Doechii, and Sabrina Carpenter. The clothes were amazing, but we had to give the glam its much-deserved moment in the spotlight!
We spotted some major beauty trends at the Met Gala 2025 — glossy lips on Zendaya and Megan Thee Stallion; green eyeshadow on Cardi B and Tems; flippy bobs on Simone Biles and Angel Reese; tons of French manicures; and high blush placement on forever beauty icons Kylie Jenner and Keke Palmer.
Ahead, see how the “Tailored for You" dress code came to life on the patterned blue carpet and take note of which beauty trends dominated the Met Gala 2025 and how stars wore them.
Trend 1: Glossy Lips
Zendaya stunned us all (as always) in a white Louis Vuitton suit inspired by Bianca Jagger, with a sleek bun tucked under her hat. Makeup artist Ernesto Casillas used a combination of Charlotte Tilbury's Lip Cheat Contour Duo in Tan and Big Lip Plumpgasm lip gloss in Nudegasm Diamonds for her lined lip.
The Grammy-winning star and Gala committee member shut down the carpet in her Louis Vuitton suit and Afro. The beauty was all in the details, including a shiny, glossy lip and a small Louis Vuitton logo on her cheek.
Megan's sculptural red ponytail, styled by Kellon Deryck, was inspired by the legendary Josephine Baker. We loved the tiny gemstones lined up from her hairline all the way to the top of the ponytail.
Makeup artist Diana Shin used Charlotte Tilbury products on the rapper, including Matte Beauty Blush Wand in Dream Pop on her cheeks, Exagger-Eyes Volume Mascara, and Big Lip Plumpgasm gloss in Nudegasm Diamonds on her lips, a shade we also spied on Zendaya.
Trend 2: Colorful Eyeshadow
Cardi B always does something unexpected and fun on the red carpet, and the 2025 Met Gala was no exception. Her green eyeshadow perfectly matched her suit and felt so fresh and saturated, as it was applied all over her eyelid, outward, and underneath her lashes. She wore her hair in a side-parted, fluffy style with tons of texture.
Musician Tems was also aboard the green eyeshadow trend train, though she chose a lighter, softer green shade than Cardi. The shadow was applied all over her lid for just a hint of green color, paired with rose-colored blush and brown lipstick.
Her nails picked up the green motif with delicate nail art that matched her bow tie, and she wore her hair pulled back and tied with a bow in the same blue shade as her gown.
The Olympian brought lots of bright color to the red carpet in her lilac lace and butter yellow Valentino gown and matching pale purple eyeshadow. Sha'Carri Richardson's signature nails were ready to party too, with each nail covered in colorful decals in sweet shapes.
The Midwest Princess and makeup legend Pat McGrath brought a bit of glam rock and disco to the red carpet. “For Chappell, we were channeling the glamour and freedom of the disco era—think Sylvester, Superfly, superfine tailoring, and unapologetic shine," McGrath said.
To create a similar metallic eye at home, try Pat McGrath Labs's Mothership XII: Petalmorphosis palette. Add superstar shine and color to cheeks with Skin Fetish: Divine Blush in shade Cherish.
Doja Cat always shines on the Met Gala red carpet and isn't scared to do something daring. She teamed up with Pat McGrath for the 2025 Gala, packing her look with nods to the ‘40s and ’50s. “For Doja’s look, we wanted to channel the surreal elegance of a hand-drawn sketch — something both animated and architectural," McGrath said. The makeup artist created Doja's pastel lids with the Mothership XII: Petalmorphosis palette and created her bombshell red lip with Dramatique Mega Lip Pencil in Garnet Glow.
Trend 3: Flippy Bobs
WNBA star Angel Reese shined in a sleek flipped-out bob and dramatic, dark, glossy red lips. She kept her nails soft and neutral with a milky shade.
We're obsessed with Simone Biles's bob! The GOAT wore her hair in a flipped-out long bob with a swoopy curl brushed across her forehead. Her signature megawatt smile was the perfect finishing touch for her Met Gala moment.
Trend 4: French manicures
The Little Mermaid star put a tuxedo spin on the French manicure with her black and white set by nail artist Temeka Jackson. Her rounded almond nails, by Tameka Jackson did using DND Gel, featured half-and-half tips, dots, and gems, just like her black and white blazer minidress.
The musician was dripped out in Chanel, per usual, and her nails looked the part too. Manicurist Zola Ganzorigt whipped up a set of long nails with skinny, V-shaped white tips and Chanel camellia flower decals. Two of her nails were even "pierced" with pearl chains.
Ganzorigt also crafted a soft gold chrome French manicure for Sydney Sweeney, setting a base with OPI nail polishes in Bubble Bath and Bare My Soul. On her tips, Ganzorigt used magnetic powder and Bubble Bath mixed together, then topped it with chrome powder in the shade Gold Digger.
Trend 5: Flushed blush
It's just not the Met Gala without Rihanna, and she made her appearance just before the Gala began with a plus-one: baby number three! Makeup artist Priscilla Ono used Fenty Beauty on the icon, including Fenty Cheeks Suede Powder Blush in the vibrant shade Lolly Poppy on Rihanna's cheeks and a combo of Trace'd Out Pencil Lip Liner in Extra Thigh and Gloss Bomb Shimmer Stix in Fu$$y on her lips. Hairstylist Yusef braided Rihanna's hair and tucked it under her oversized, broad-brimmed hat.
Model Anok Yai looked so cool at the Met Gala in a high-necked tuxedo gown, gloves, and a cropped hairstyle with a curl across her forehead. She wore a sparkly pink blush atop her cheekbones and a shiny golden shadow under her brow, and added grillz to her ensemble, framed by glossy lips.
Sculpted skin and high blush placement was the theme for Kylie Jenner's Met Gala look, using Kylie Cosmetics, of course. Makeup artist Ariel used Power Plush Longwear Concealer and Pressed Bronzing Powder in the shade Toasty to contour her features, then blended Lip and Cheek Glow Balm in Pink Me Up and Mellow Berry atop her cheekbones by her temples for a bit of lift.
Keke Palmer also rocked the high blush look with color applied to the top of her cheek and near her eyes. She wore tiny cornrow braids paired with a gorgeous, oversized feather headpiece, with the rest of her hair styled straight over her shoulders.
Justice Smith paired his Valentino suit with finger waves. His hair was parted to the side, slicked down, and shaped into S-shaped waves. The star also packed on the high blush for his look, which acted almost as contour framing his face for a hyper-glam dandy take.
Stranger Things star Sadie Sink brought the popular soap nails trend to the Met Gala carpet alongside her soft, curled updo and peach-toned makeup, which featured a softer blush to match her fair complexion. The minimalist nails let her lace Prada gown shine. Nail artist Emi Kudo removed all polish, then applied a cuticle oil to Sink's bare nails. Kudo then finished with Onyx Professionals Lotion & Serum Duo in Rose Petals to hydrate Sink's hands.
Trend 6: Blonde hair
Last year, Tyla stunned us in her sand Balmain gown, and this year she stunned us with honey blonde hair. Hairstylist Yusef found inspiration in Josephine Baker, Lena Horne, and Joyce Bryant, setting Tyla's hair on rollers to create vintage curls and keeping the style in place all night with OGX Flexible Hold Hairspray.
Another shade of blonde. BLACKPINK's Rosé chose a simple, pared-down style for the Met Gala, wearing her platinum blonde hair in damp-looking soft mermaid waves. Her makeup — of course, courtesy of YSL Beauty since she is an ambassador — was smooth and sweet, with blurred pink lips and cat-eye liner. Rosé's baby pink blush was also applied higher on her face, adding a pop of color against the light blonde hair. (Fun fact: her eyeshadow is a peek of what's to come from YSL Beauty and served as the debut of the soon-to-be-launched shade #720 of YSL Beauty’s Couture Mini Clutch eyeshadow palette launching in June.)
The supermodel looked like a golden goddess in 1940s-style victory rolls by hairstylist Dimitris Giannetos and rosy makeup by Patrick Ta. Have a dressy event coming up? Gigi's glam would be so perfect for it. Giannetos set her hair in rollers, then let them cool and brushed through them, shaping them into the Old Hollywood waves.
Trend 7: Single Braids
Ayo Edebiri has quickly become one of our ultimate style icons, so we were eagerly waiting to see what she'd do for the Met Gala. She didn't disappoint! The actor wore her hair pulled back with a small braided detail on one side. As for her makeup, Edebiri chose winged eyeliner and long lashes.
Coco Jones also chose a single braid for the night, but it was a very different approach. She wore her hair in an extra-extra-extra-long braid that trailed down her shoulder all the way past her knees. The braid and her embellished ivory suit are the kind of major Met Gala look we'll be thinking about for a while.
Trend 8: Vampy Lips
The “Espresso” singer swapped her usual pink lipstick for a — you guessed it! — brown espresso color instead. Well, her shade was closer to a vampy maroon, matching her pantsless Louis Vuitton look, but let's say espresso for the plot. Her makeup artist, Carolina Gonzalez, mixed the Argile, Alabaster, and Maple shades and topped it with the yet-to-be-released White Lip Oil Stick from Prada Beauty She also prepped her skin for the night with the classic Pond's Cold Cream Cleanser and used $22 Velour-Xtensions™ Self-Stick Lashes. If her blonde looks darker than last year's light blonde, that's because she and colorist Laurie Heaps went for a more “lived-in vibe" with Redken color.
Music icon Lauryn Hill attended the Met in the season's biggest color, butter yellow, but her suit wasn't the only standout. We loved her Afro, dark lipstick, and dramatic, defined eye.
Jenna Ortega brought a bit of Wednesday to the Met Gala with her sleek waves, moody gray eyeshadow, and a deep wine lip. Goth can totally be glamorous. Hairstylist Cesar Deleon Ramirez set her hair in pin curls, then sculpted each curl into an “S” shape with Rizos Curls Strong Hold Gel.
Trend 9: Pixie Mania
Ayra Starr's tousled pixie, fluttering lashes, and long, ombré blue and gray manicure were all equally gorgeous. We honestly can't decide which element of her Met Gala look was our favorite!
Platinum blonde pixie. That's it, that's the headline! Emma Chamberlain was rocking a bleach blonde cropped cut with a messy, tousled texture courtesy of hairstylist Sami Knight. Knight used Function of Beauty Zero Gravity Styling Mousse to create the piecey texture. "Its cloud-like foam texture allows for flexible hold without ever feeling stiff or crunchy. The edgy hair really set the look off!” On her eyes, makeup artist Lilly Keys used Westman Atelier's Eye Pods Eye Shadow in Les Nuits for a sultry look that shone under her slim glasses. For the base, she prepped with Herbivore's PINK CLOUD Rosewater + Tremella Creamy Jelly Cleanser, NOVA 15% Vitamin C + Turmeric Brightening Serum and the yet-to-be-released Tremella Silky Hydration Gel Cream.
