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  5. The Best Beauty Moments from the 2016 Met Gala

The Best Beauty Moments from the 2016 Met Gala

By Erin Lukas & Marianne Mychaskiw Updated May 03, 2016 @ 10:15 am
Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.
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Gigi Hadid
Credit: Karwai Tang/WireImage

What the Oscars are to acting, the Met Gala is to fashion. Every year on the first Monday of May, fashion’s biggest stars gather for the annual fundraising event for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York. Considering this year’s theme Manus x Machina: Fashion in an age of Technology, is all about technology’s role in influencing and producing fashion, the beauty looks that accompanied celebrities’ red carpet couture outfits played into the theme and were equally as cutting-edge. Some looks included but not limited to gravity-defying hair and heavy-metal chromatic eye makeup. Scroll down to see the incredible beauty looks from all of the red carpet heavyweights at the Costume Institute’s annual event. 

RELATED: See All of the Best Looks from the 2016 Met Gala Red Carpet 

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Brie Larson

Brie Larson
Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Brie Larson kept her moody, plum matte lip that came courtesy of Chanel Rouge Cocoo Ultra Hydrating Lip Colour in Erik ($36; chanel.com) and Chanel Precision Lip Definer in Acajou ($31; chanel.com) the focus of the night by slicking her hair back into a wet-look ponytail. L’Oréal Paris Celebrity Hairstylist Mara Roszak kept the style in place using L’Oréal Paris Advanced Hairstyle LOCK IT Extreme Style Gel ($4; target.com). 

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Beyoncé

Beyoncé
Credit: Venturelli/FilmMagic

Wait, hold-up: Beyoncé traded her signature shimmery smoky eye for a dramatic pewter gray shadow. She kept the rest of the look low-key with a nude lip and sleek, straight strands.  

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Bella Hadid

Bella Hadid
Credit: Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Bella may have ignored the night’s tech theme, not that it mattered. Her flawless skin and muted smoky eye shows that a subtle approach can make just as big of a statement. Makeup artist Vincent Oquendo for Charlotte Tilbruy Beauty prepped Bella’s skin by massaging Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream ($100; charlottetilbruy.com) all over, followed by Charlotte Tilbury Wonderglow ($55; charlottetilbury.com) to add luminosity to her complexion. He turned to Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Glow Foundation ($44; charlottetilbury.com) and Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow ($68; charlottetilbury.com) as the final touches to give Hadid her unparalleled red carpet glow. 

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Alicia Vikander 

Alicia Vikander 
Credit: Venturelli/FilmMagic

Alicia’s high ponytail was anything but the one you haphazardly tie your hair into at the gym. The intricate braids and spirals were a welcome twist to the everyday style. 

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Claire Danes 

Claire Danes 
Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

One way to describe Claire Danes’ look? An electric Grace Kelly aesthetic. So as to not overpower her glowing Zac Posen gown, her hairstylist Peter Butler created a classic chignon, while her makeup artist Matin stuck to a statement lip using NARS Audacious Lipstick in Lana ($32; nordstrom.com). 

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Ciara 

Ciara 
Credit: John Shearer/Getty Images

“For Ciara’s look, I really wanted to play up the futuristic theme of Manus x Machina while still keeping a soft and sexy feel,” says the star’s hairstylist Cesar Ramirez, who created a retro finger wave on her silver strands with his arsenal of Mizani products. “Months of planning went into Ciara’s final look, from the pre-production of hairstyles, to the fine details of product testing for the perfect silver effect.” She paired the dramatic effect with a sexy nude lip and smoldering shadow. 

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Emma Stone 

Emma Stone 
Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

A sultry smoky eye courtesy of Chanel Soft Touch Eyeshadow in Midnight ($30; chanel.com) was the perfect way to make Stone’s beautiful blue eyes pop against her new dark brunette hair color. L’Oréal Paris Celebrity Hairstylist Mara Roszak styled Stone’s strands in glamourous, soft waves using  L’Oréal Paris Elnett Satin Hairspray Strong Hold ($10; target.com) to lock them in place. 

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Kate Hudson 

Kate Hudson 
Credit: John Shearer/Getty Images

Between her soft, touchable waves, shimmery shadow, and glowing complexion, the star’s look was classic Kate and allowed her graphic Versace gown to take center stage.

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Lady Gaga 

Lady Gaga 
Credit: Kevin Mazur/WireImage

The star’s bold lip and platinum curls gave us a flashback to the old-school Gaga days. “Fashion in an age of technology is something I feel Lady Gaga has been a huge influence on,” says her makeup artist Sarah Tanno, who used the yet-to-be-released NARS Mineshaft Velvet Lip Glide to create the vivid orange pout. “I wanted to do something that was more rock in a modern and futuristic way.”

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Hailee Steinfeld

Hailee Steinfeld
Credit: John Shearer/Getty Images

Hailee’s glossy vampy lips and a center part brought a bit of ‘90s grunge to the Met Gala red carpet.  

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Katie Holmes

Katie Holmes
Credit: George Pimentel/WireImage

“The whole feel became very Cher-esque,” says Holmes’ hairstylist DJ Quintero. “Almost a ‘70s throwback.” After inserting a set of mile-long extensions, Quintero applied the Alterna Caviar CC Cream ($25; sephora.com) to the star’s damp hair, then blow-dried her strands with a round brush. A quick pass of the flat iron locked in the bone-straight texture, and he followed with a dollop of Alterna Bamboo Smooth Kendi Dry Oil Mist ($25; sephora.com) which helped to blend the extensions with the star’s layers. 

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Katy Perry 

Katy Perry 
Credit: John Shearer/Getty Images

Katy Perry is no dark horse when it comes to making a bold statement on the red carpet. The singer took the retro beehive style to new heights thanks to a few tricks by celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton. He used Oscar Blandi Hair Lift Mousse ($23; ulta.com) on Katy’s damp hair to create extra volume for the sculpted style from the get-go. Once he created the beehive, ran Oscar Blandi Sculpting Promade ($23; dermstore.com) throughout to give Katy’s hair its structured, futuristic, high-shine finish. Perry continued the futuristic theme with bleached brows and her makeup, by taking the blue mascara and black matte lipstick from her upcoming Katy Kat CoverGirl Collection for a red carpet test drive. 

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Kendall Jenner

Kendall Jenner
Credit: Taylor Hill/FilmMagic

Jenner complemented her dewy skin and sculpted brows with a tight ponytail that sat high on the crown. 

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Kerry Washington

Kerry Washington
Credit: Bill Davila/startraksphoto.com

Washington’s hairstylist Takisha Sturdivant-Drew mirrored the punk rock vibe of her bold eye with an edgy set of magenta ringlets. After prepping her strands with Neutrogena’s Triple Repair Shampoo and Triple Moisture Recovery Mask ($5 each; walmart.com), she blew out her strands with the T3 Featherweight Luxe Dryer ($150; sephora.com) and a round brush. Picking up the T3 Bodywaver ($149; sephora.com), Sturdivant-Drew began creating soft spiral curls. “I wrapped medium strands of hair loosely around the tool for 7 seconds, pinning the curls as I went,” she says.

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Kim Kardashian West & Kanye West 

Kim Kardashian West & Kanye West 
Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

The couple that slays together, stays together! Mrs. Kardashian West worked a slicked-back hairstyle, which was created by Cesar Ramirez, then her makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic went to work on her smoky eye and nude lip pairing. Though Kim typically goes for a similar look off the red carpet, Dedivanovic gave it an ultra-modern twist by completely bleaching her brows, then filled in her arches using Sephora Collection’s Retractable Brow Pencil in Honey Blonde ($12; sephora.com). Kanye appropriately kept the vibe going with a set of pale blue contact lenses.

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Lupita Nyong'o 

Lupita Nyong'o 
Credit: Larry Busacca/Getty Images

Lupita’s gravity-defying updo may have been show-stopping, but her radiant complexion also took center stage. Celebrity makeup artist Nick Barose kept the actress’ skin dewy and polished by using Lancôme Paris La Base Pro Pore Eraser ($38; lancome-paris.com) on her t-zone, and Lancôme Paris Translucence Mattifying Silky Pressed Powder in 550 Suede ($32; lancome-paris.com) to keep excess shine under control. 

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Kylie Jenner 

Kylie Jenner 
Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

To balance the graphic effect of her blinged-out Balmain number, Kylie Jenner went for a sleek, side-parted bob, which she paired with neutral tones on her eyes and lips. Her makeup artist Ariel Tejada used the shades from both the Vintage Vamp Luxury Palette and Dolce Vita Luxury Palette by Charlotte Tilbury ($52 each; nordstrom.com), using each of the “pop” shades as a base, then worked with the darker hues along the outer corners and lower lash line. After a few ample coats of mascara (and some light contouring, natch), Tejada traced Jenner’s signature pout with Charlotte Tilbury’s Lip Cheat Liner in Iconic Nude ($22; nordstrom.com), and finished by filling in her lips with Tilbury’s lipstick in Penelope Pink ($32; nordstrom.com). 

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Rosie Huntington-Whitely

Rosie Huntington-Whitely
Credit: Karwai Tang/WireImage

To complement the neutral eye and lip created by her makeup artist Kate Lee, who used Chanel products, her hairstylist Christian Wood formed a low bun with a futuristic, mirror-like shine, courtesy of Moroccanoil’s Glimmer Shine spray ($14; nordstrom.com). “As soon as I saw the stunning Ralph Lauren gown, I knew the hair needed to be simple, clean, and elegant – Old Hollywood with a modern twist,” he says. 

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Kristen Stewart

Kristen Stewart
Credit: George Pimentel/WireImage

No one pulls off an ode to punk rock quite like Kristen Stewart. Celebrity makeup artist Jillian Dempsey created the actress’s silver graphic eye using Chanel Stylo Eyeshadow Fresh Effect Eyeshadow in Vert Grisé ($34; chanel.com) to create the geometric shape then went over it with the silver shade in CHANEL Quadra Eyeshadow in Tissé Ombre de Lune ($61; chanel.com), really pressing it in with a nylon brush to boost the metallic effect. Dempsey then lined Stewart’s lids with Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long Lasting Eyeliner in Ébène ($33; chanel.com) and smudged the liner on the lower lash-line to give it that lived-in effect as seen on the members of your favorite band. 

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Selena Gomez 

Selena Gomez 
Credit: Venturelli/FilmMagic

All eyes were on Selena Gomez’s fresh-faced makeup. The singer chalked her complexion up to a handful of Kiehl’s products celebrity makeup artist Hung Vanngo had in his arsenal. Vanngo wanted Gomez to look “beautiful, fresh, sexy, and young,” so he paid extra care when prepping her skin. First he treated Gomez’s skin to Kiehl’s Turmeric & Cranberry Seed Energizing Radiance Masque ($32; kiehls.com), then patted a few drops of Kiehl’s Daily Reviving Concentrate ($46; kiehls.com) on her cheeks and forehead for extra radiance, finishing by moisturizing her skin with Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream ($48; kiehls.com)  and Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado ($48; kiehls.com). 

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Taylor Swift 

Taylor Swift 
Credit: George Pimentel/WireImage

The singer complemented her new platinum crop with a edgy bordeaux lip that almost appeared black. 

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Sarah Jessica Parker 

Sarah Jessica Parker 
Credit: George Pimentel/WireImage

In lieu of a dramatic headpiece, Sarah Jessica Parker wore her layers in tousled waves, and her makeup artist Leslie Lopez used her metallic eye as the focal point. “Bold eyes are always a priority for Sarah. She loves a good, strong eye,” says the pro, who layered the Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Sticks in Tuxedo, Rosegold, and Gilded Gold ($29 each; nordstrom.com) to create the effect.

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Zendaya

Zendaya
Credit: Jamie McCarthy/FilmMagic

Further proof Zendaya can pull-off any hair style: her futuristic bowl cut wig she rocked on the red carpet with a gilded smoky eye.

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Gigi Hadid

Gigi Hadid
Credit: Karwai Tang/WireImage

Gigi shone in every aspect of her look for the evening with a sleek pony, bronze lids, and chrome manicure by KISS Nails, complete with hidden crystals that cost a cool $2000.

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    1 of 24 Brie Larson
    2 of 24 Beyoncé
    3 of 24 Bella Hadid
    4 of 24 Alicia Vikander 
    5 of 24 Claire Danes 
    6 of 24 Ciara 
    7 of 24 Emma Stone 
    8 of 24 Kate Hudson 
    9 of 24 Lady Gaga 
    10 of 24 Hailee Steinfeld
    11 of 24 Katie Holmes
    12 of 24 Katy Perry 
    13 of 24 Kendall Jenner
    14 of 24 Kerry Washington
    15 of 24 Kim Kardashian West & Kanye West 
    16 of 24 Lupita Nyong'o 
    17 of 24 Kylie Jenner 
    18 of 24 Rosie Huntington-Whitely
    19 of 24 Kristen Stewart
    20 of 24 Selena Gomez 
    21 of 24 Taylor Swift 
    22 of 24 Sarah Jessica Parker 
    23 of 24 Zendaya
    24 of 24 Gigi Hadid

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    The Best Beauty Moments from the 2016 Met Gala
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