The most iconic Met Gala beauty looks of all time (since 1985)

1Madonna, 2026TheStewartofNY//Getty Images

For the 2026 Met Gala, which was themed “Costume Art”, Madonna attended in disguise. Yep, she looked so unrecognisable that she had me squinting, tilting my head and doing a double take all at once. The hair is the headline. Not chopped, not cropped, not even trimmed within an inch of restraint – no, this is a super long, inky black wig that cascades down her body like nobody’s business.

2Zendaya, 2024Jamie McCarthy//Getty Images

In her first of two (!) looks this night, Zendaya donned a vampy, ultra-glam, grungey eye look and matching lip that legit had me barking at my screen when I saw it on IG. It’s definitely in the Met Gala Hall of Fame. And did you peep her matching nails?

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3Linda Evangelista, 2004Evan Agostini//Getty Images

Before the Met Gala was the costume event it is now, it was much more pared back. However, you could count on supermodel Linda Evangelista to turn it out, with this stunning smokey eye, matte skin, and slicked-back hair. Just because it’s not in your face doesn’t make it less impactful.

4Billie Eilish, 2021Dimitrios Kambouris//Getty Images

Billie Eilish’s high-glam take for “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” lives in my mind rent-free. Between the blown-out voluminous bob, the dramatic eyeliner, and the sharp lip – it perfectly complements her voluptuous, gauzy gown.

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5Naomi Campbell, 1995New York Daily News Archive//Getty Images

I can’t even tell you how many times I saved this inspo image without knowing it was Naomi Campbell at the Met Gala. But it is! She’s serving peak ’90s, with the bright under-eyes, cloudlike skin, and glossy overlined lip with sleek, straight hair. She’s my favourite reference, baby.

6Lily Collins, 2019John Shearer//Getty Images

Lily Collins showed up and showed out in 2019 for the “Camp: Notes on Fashion” theme. And while her outfit was certainly stunning, it was really her whole glam look that took it to a cool place. I love the juxtaposition of a really strong eye loaded with lilac color, heavy liner, and lots of lashes next to a bare, almost concealer-like lip. And of course, the flowers in her hair? Trés chic. Emily would approve.

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7Victoria Beckham, 2003Evan Agostini//Getty Images

The number of times I brought this specific photo to a hairdresser as a teenager should tell you just how iconic this look was. It didn’t break barriers, but gosh, it looked damn good. Victoria Beckham shows you don’t have to do the most to make a statement. Here, she’s got a really good layered haircut, curling iron waves, and likely lots of hairspray.

8Kid Cudi, 2021ANGELA WEISS//Getty Images

It’s rare we see men on the carpet with an interesting or even remotely visible beauty look. But Kid Cudi’s black smokey eye pairs perfectly with this neon-green hair color. Charli XCX, I have an idea for you…

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9Lady Gaga, 2019Dimitrios Kambouris//Getty Images

Many will say this was one of the best Met Gala outfits of all time (considering it was actually four outfits in one). But I’d go as far as to say her beauty ranks super high as well. The teeny bows made out of hair. The gold lashes on the top and the bottom. The matching bright-pink lip. The white inner-corner eyeliner. It’s all so good!

10Rihanna, 2018HECTOR RETAMAL//Getty Images

It was extremely difficult to choose only one look from Rihanna, considering she’s kind of a Met Gala queen. But she really knocked it out with this one for the 2018 “Heavenly Bodies” theme. Smokey eyes and bold ombré lips feel somewhat counterintuitive for an event centered around Catholic fashion, but only Rihanna would do it in the coolest, most subversive way.

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11Taylor Swift, 2016Larry Busacca//Getty Images

Anytime a Met Gala attendee wears something out of their usual element, it feels especially memorable and iconic. Case in point: Taylor Swift’s infamous deep-red lip, a departure from her usual blue-based classic red she’s known for. This look actually ended up being a Reputation Easter egg – not only did she go on to wear a similar deep lip during the era, but talked about this night in the song “Dress.” “Your buzz cut and my hair bleached…”

12Cher, 1985Vinnie Zuffante//Getty Images

We can’t talk about best looks without including Cher—it would be insensitive to mother, obviously. At the 1985 Met Gala, which at the time was just a simple charity event, Cher showed up in this iconic Bob Mackie look and paired it with slicked back hair, a violet smokey eye, and frosted lips. It’s so ’80s and so amazing.

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13Tessa Thompson, 2019Dia Dipasupil//Getty Images

Why carry a train when you can carry your braid? Tessa Thompson is low-key our braid inspo always (she and her hairstylist, Lacy Redway, are always cooking up different styles), but this took things to new heights lengths.

14Olivia Rodrigo, 2022Kevin Mazur/MG22//Getty Images

Previously, we’d never really seen Olivia Rodrigo wear much color on her eyes nor style her hair in anything but sleek waves. This boho-esque, ethereal look brings the sparkles on her dress to her eyes in a similar purple tone. And the butterflies in her hair? She was a fairy…

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15Gemma Chan, 2021Jeff Kravitz//Getty Images

Was Gemma Chan the originator of Brat summer? The wash of green eyeshadow swiped across Gemma Chan’s lids paired with a strong lash and berry lips seem to say so. Plus, these sculptural braids and blunt bangs add something a bit more abstract to her look.

16Zendaya, 2019Dimitrios Kambouris//Getty Images

Sue me, but Zendaya has too many incredible looks to choose from and she deserved two spots on this list. When she showed up at the 2019 Met Gala as Zenderella, with this ethereal blue eyeshadow and sideswept voluminous updo, she was looking camp right in the eye.

Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you “have to try.” Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair ‘do every few months. 

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