A Look Back at the Most Over-the-Top Beauty Looks From Past Met Galas

With the first Monday in May right around the corner, there's one thing everyone in the beauty world can look forward to: the Met Gala — and all the best, most out-of-the-box beauty looks born from it. An annual tradition since 1948 (save for 1991, 2000, 2002, and 2020), the celebration always manages to gather the biggest stars in Hollywood. 2022's theme was "Gilded Glamour," 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 guests' guide, it's safe to say there will be many hair and makeup moments to look forward to. That also means there's no better time to reflect on the best beauty moments to hit the red carpet over the past few years.

Past Met Galas have provided us with more than enough beauty inspiration to reminisce on. There have been multitier updos adorned with precious jewels, stereotype-defying manicures, truly transformative makeup displays, and even body makeup that doubled as clothing. Some moments are purely theatric, while others are full of meaning. With its fashion-centric overarching theme, this event produces 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 from some of our favorite celebrities in past. Ahead, we're looking back at some of our favorite Met Gala beauty moments from the last decade.

— Additional reporting by Jessica Harrington

Blake Lively's Hair at the 2022 Met Gala
Getty | Mike Coppola

Blake Lively's Hair at the 2022 Met Gala

Blake Lively's tiara was punctuated by the crown braid that sat just below its base.

Kaia Gerber's Hair at the 2022 Met Gala
Getty | Jamie McCarthy

Kaia Gerber's Hair at the 2022 Met Gala

Kaia Gerber's hair was the star of her 2022 Met Gala look. The model had voluminous, bouncy curls that went well below her back for a dramatic hairstyle that was fitting for the night's opulent theme.

Quannah Chasinghorse's Makeup at the 2022 Met Gala
Getty | Jamie McCarthy

Quannah Chasinghorse's Makeup at the 2022 Met Gala

Quannah Chasinghorse's eyeshadow was the perfect shade of blue to match her dress and accompanying accessories.

Alicia Keys's Hair at the 2022 Met Gala
Getty | Kevin Mazur/MG22

Alicia Keys's Hair at the 2022 Met Gala

Alicia Keys put her own spin on "Gilded Glamour" hair accessories, wearing crystal-encrusted discs along the length of her ponytail.

Megan Fox's Hair and Makeup at the 2021 Met Gala
Getty | John Shearer

Megan Fox's Hair and Makeup at the 2021 Met Gala

Baby bangs were the name of Megan Fox's Met Gala game: she walked the red carpet with (presumably) clip-in retro pinup bangs.

Amanda Gorman's Hair at the 2021 Met Gala
Getty | Mike Coppola

Amanda Gorman's Hair at the 2021 Met Gala

Amanda Gorman's crystal laurel headpiece had a very special meaning to her. It was inspired by the spirit of the Statue of Liberty, which bears a significant meaning to poets because it's the headpiece worn by the god Apollo, who's the patron of lyrical poetry.

Lupita Nyong'o's Hair and Makeup at the 2021 Met Gala
Getty | Mike Coppola

Lupita Nyong'o's Hair and Makeup at the 2021 Met Gala

Drawing inspiration from the '90s with a mix of Old Hollywood Western films, Lupita Nyong'o's sculptural Met Gala hairstyle featured gravity-defying volume with looped pieces of hair at her forehead.

Barbie Ferreira's Hair at the 2021 Met Gala
Getty | Mike Coppola

Barbie Ferreira's Hair at the 2021 Met Gala

Barbie Ferreira pulled out a completely different look at the 2021 Met Gala, trading in her signature black hair for a "bronde" color and middle-part jewelry.

Gigi Hadid's Wispy Lashes at the 2019 Met Gala
Getty | Karwai Tang

Gigi Hadid's Wispy Lashes at the 2019 Met Gala

Makeup artist Erin Parsons applied individual feathers to Gigi Hadid's lashes to create this wispy, otherworldly look.

Priyanka Chopra's Hair and Makeup at the 2019 Met Gala
Getty | Theo Wargo

Priyanka Chopra's Hair and Makeup at the 2019 Met Gala

Priyanka Chopra arrived at the 2019 Met Gala looking like a sexy version of the Mad Hatter from "Alice in Wonderland" with a silver crown and creative eye makeup.

Elle Fanning's Nails at the 2019 Met Gala
Getty | Dimitrios Kambouris

Elle Fanning's Nails at the 2019 Met Gala

Tiny charms dangled from Elle Fanning's neon nails, serving up major "I Dream of Jeannie" vibes.

Harry Styles's Nails at the 2019 Met Gala
Getty | Dimitrios Kambouris

Harry Styles's Nails at the 2019 Met Gala

Defying gender stereotypes yet again, Harry Styles wore mismatched blue nail polish on the red carpet.

Lady Gaga's Hair and Makeup at the 2019 Met Gala
Getty | Dimitrios Kambouris

Lady Gaga's Hair and Makeup at the 2019 Met Gala

We can't decide which part we like better from Lady Gaga's 2019 Met Gala look: her over-the-top eyelashes, graphic eyeliner, giant pink hair bow, or tiny hair bows underneath it.

Lily Collins's Hair and Makeup at the 2018 Met Gala
Getty | Gilbert Carrasquillo

Lily Collins's Hair and Makeup at the 2018 Met Gala

Lily Collins's gothic makeup at the Met Gala was a tribute to the "dark arts," according to her makeup artist, Fiona Stiles. Paired with a sculptural, braided updo, Collins's look for the evening was unforgettable.

Tessa Thompson's Hair at the 2018 Met Gala
Getty | Gilbert Carrasquillo

Tessa Thompson's Hair at the 2018 Met Gala

A line of eye-catching pearls started at the nape of Tessa Thompson's neck and trailed up her three-tier, beehive-like hairstyle.

Jasmine Sanders's Hair at the 2018 Met Gala
Getty | Mike Coppola

Jasmine Sanders's Hair at the 2018 Met Gala

We can't help but stop and stare at Jasmine Sanders's romantic, rose-adorned braids at the 2018 Met Gala.

Rihanna's Makeup at the 2017 Met Gala
Getty | James Devaney

Rihanna's Makeup at the 2017 Met Gala

Rihanna's magenta blush was swept from her cheekbones to just below her eyebrows.

Lupita Nyong'o's Hair at the 2016 Met Gala
Getty | George Pimentel

Lupita Nyong'o's Hair at the 2016 Met Gala

Lupita Nyong'o took her hair to new heights with her architectural updo in 2016.

Amandla Stenberg's Hair at the 2016 Met Gala
Getty | Larry Busacca

Amandla Stenberg's Hair at the 2016 Met Gala

Amandla pushed back their Afro with a silver, diamond-studded headband and paired it with minimal makeup.

Janelle Monáe's Hair at the 2015 Met Gala
Getty | John Lamparski

Janelle Monáe's Hair at the 2015 Met Gala

Let's never forget Janelle Monáe's iconic, multilayer braid at the 2015 Met Gala.

Miley Cyrus's Hair and Makeup at the 2013 Met Gala
Getty | Karwai Tang

Miley Cyrus's Hair and Makeup at the 2013 Met Gala

Miley Cyrus's interpretation of 2013's theme — "Punk: Chaos to Couture" — was spot on with her spiked-up hair and bold red lip.