A look back at the most over-the-top beauty looks from previous Met galas

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By Webdesk


The Best Met Gala Beauty Looks Through the Years: See Photos

With the first Monday in May just around the corner, there’s one thing everyone in the beauty world looks forward to: the Met Gala — and the best, most out-of-the-box beauty looks to come from it. An annual tradition since 1948 (except in 1991, 2000, 2002 and 2020), the celebration always manages to gather the biggest stars in Hollywood. 2022’s theme was “Gilded Glamor,” 2021’s was “American Independence,” and now, for the 2023 Met Gala, the dress code is “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty,” for the late designer. With that as a guide for guests, it’s safe to say there will be plenty of hair and makeup moments to look forward to. That also means there’s no better time to reflect on the best beauty moments that have graced the red carpet in recent years.

Past Met Galas have given us more than enough beauty inspiration to reminisce. There are multi-layered updos adorned with precious jewels, stereotype-defying manicures, truly transformative makeup displays, and even body makeup that doubled as clothing. Some moments are purely theatrical, while others are full of meaning. With its fashion-focused overarching theme, this event delivers some of the most unique beauty moments we’ve seen.

This is all to say that it’s going to be hard to top the wildly creative hair, makeup, and nail looks we’ve seen from some of our favorite celebs in the past. Ahead, we take a look back at some of our favorite Met Gala beauty moments from the past decade.

– Additional reporting by Jessica Harrington