Touted as fashion’s biggest night out, the MET Gala takes place on the first Monday of May every year. What began in 1971 has continued to be a stage for the stalwarts of the industry to put their most fashionable foot forward. The theme for this year is ‘Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty’, celebrating the revolutionary late fashion designer. While we’re waiting with bated breath for this year’s rendezvous, there’s no denying that all of the previous years have been nothing short of exemplary—in terms of glamour and beauty.
This is the one night that we witness our favourite stars go the extra mile with their beauty choices. Exaggerated eyelashes, outlandish hairstyles and maximalist makeup make an appearance and we always save it for our beauty mood boards. Over the years, the MET Gala has given us countless looks that remain iconic even today.
Here’s taking a look at all of our favourite MET Gala makeup looks:
Rihanna in 2017
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This beauty moment by Queen Riri herself was the catalyst – blush draping became cool again. Defining avant-garde, Rihanna’s makeup for the Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons-themed night was a major lesson in monochromatic beauty. Choosing maroon as her weapon of choice, the multi-hyphenate opted for different hues of this shade for her dramatic and glistening blush, stunning eyeshadow and striking lips.
Naomi Campbell in 1995
Naomi Campbell definitely invented the iconic 90s makeup look that’s been making a comeback lately. With pastel eyeshadow adorning her eyelids and flirty eyelashes enhancing the eyes, some would say Naomi’s eyes were the highlight. However, her ‘supermodel’ lips with brown lip liner and nude lipstick set a beauty trend that continues to reign supreme even today.
Deepika Padukone in 2019
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Deepika Padukone embraced Barbiecore in all of its glory for her appearance at the 2019 MET Gala. Metallic purple eyes that made a defining statement, jewel-toned was the memo and boy did she nail it. Shades of fuchsia, lilac and purple were used for this stunning look. Being someone who loves her neutral lips, watching Deepika embody her bold side with ox-blood lips was a sight for sore eyes.
Bella Hadid in 2019
Usually a fan of her radiant minimalistic makeup, Bella ditched it for the 2019 MET Gala and opted for frosty, blue eyes paired with sleek and sultry eyeliner. Her angular cheekbones had a pop of colour with some red blush instead of the regular bronzer, we LOVE. For the lips, Bella chose a glossy raisin red that went perfectly with the rest of her makeup.
Lady Gaga in 2019
The 2019 MET Gala certainly served some legendary makeup looks all thanks to its ‘Notes on Camp’ theme. Lady Gaga, the reigning queen of camp made an appearance on the red carpet with exaggerated, gilded falsies that were the star of the night. Her eyes were adorned with a string of dazzling rhinestones—she made it cool way before Euphoria did. A pop of vibrant pink on her lips was a seamless match to her pink gown.
Kendall Jenner in 2022
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Possibly one of her most risque moves ever, Kendall Jenner did away with her dark brows and replaced them with bleached ones. The bleached brows ensured that all of the attention was on her eyes. Fluttering eyelashes with tightlined eyes gave Kendall a gothic vibe, unlike her usual chill girl one.
Gigi Hadid in 2021
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Watching Gigi Hadid sport a matte blue eye paired with a perfect feline flick was a massive beauty moment for sure. Why? Because the supermodel mixed her own colours to create a custom hue. Peachy cheeks and a nude brown lip allowed Gigi’s eyes to do the talking.
