6 Of The Most Striking Beauty Trends To Emerge From This Year’s Met Gala

While the first Monday in May has been and gone, but the buzz around this year’s most definitive fashion and beauty moments remains.

The second instalment of the two-part fundraiser was themed In America: An Anthology of Fashion, in homage to the country’s Gilded Age, the post-Civil War period in which the economy boomed in the late 19th Century.

There was much to unpack on the beauty front, and it was fascinating to see how a number of famous faces interpreted the gilded glamour theme.

From boundary-pushing brows to bedazzled face jewels, these six trends stood up to fashion on its biggest night.

TOWERING TIARAS

As seen on: Blake Lively, Anna Wintour, Emma Chamberlain and Tommy Dorfman

Few accessories drew as much attention on Met Gala Monday as tiaras, whose abundant presence couldn’t be ignored. The regal crown accessory cemented Blake Lively’s Lady Liberty-inspired look, with her Lorraine Schwartz tiara designed to replicate the statue’s own with seven rays and a colourway that alluded to its gradual oxidisation from copper to teal. A vintage Cartier tiara dating back to 1911 lent opulent sparkle to Emma Chamberlain’s take on a present-day princess, while Met Gala chairwoman Anna Wintour set the trend from the top with a tiara studded with diamonds and peridots.

Get the look: Dolce & Gabbana's opulent Multicolour Brass Crystal Sicily Orange Tiara, $2812, is adorned with floral motifs and glass oranges, or for a locally made option, consider the Lilith Knotted Tiara, $120.

As seen on: Lucy Boynton, Naomi Campbell, Dove Cameron, Venus Williams, Chloe Kim and Kid Cudi

High-shine embellishments didn’t end with tiaras, and sparkling details made a feature of every area of the face  from Lucy Boynton’s diamante-studded false eyelashes through to Naomi Campbell’s symmetrical face jewellery. According to Lucy’s makeup artist Jo Baker, her “champagne lashes” zeroed in on “sparkles, bubbles and celebration”. Of course, there was less OTT takes on the trend, with American snowboarder and two-time Olympic gold medallist Chloe Kim donning a handful of red jewels on the inner corner of her eyes, or Kid Cudi’s genderless glitz in the form of tiny blue and red gems.

Get the look: McoBeauty Sparkle Face & Body Jewels in the shade Desert Rose, $9, are light-reflecting self-adhesive jewels that add a hint of shimmer to face or body.

CRIMSON LIPS

As seen on: Maude Apatow, Gigi Hadid, Phoebe Bridgers and Carey Mulligan

Red wine lips is a subverted take on time-honoured ruby red, and this year’s distinct lean towards the shade family was echoed across the board with moody violet-reds and deep berry hues. Gigi Hadid’s blood-red lip deserves an honourable mention - with its ombre effect created by makeup artist Erin Parsons using Maybelline lipsticks. A darker shade was used on Gigi’s lip-line, and faded into a punchier, lighter red in the centre, while still being strong enough to carry the dramatic red coat she wore for the evening. Maude Apatow committed to the old Hollywood aesthetic, with a berry-stained lip created by makeup artist Kelsey Dennihan using the Giorgio Armani Beauty Lip Maestro Liquid Lipstick in 201 Dark Velvet, coupled with finger waves created by hairstylist Peter Lux (more on that below).

CASCADING CURLS

As seen on: Kaia Gerber, Olivia Rodrigo and Sophie Turner

Ethereal waves will always remain red carpet classic, and this year they were out in full force. Guido Palau is the hair maestro responsible for Kaia Gerber’s Lady Godiva-esque loose curls, which cascaded down her sides to rest at her hips. This was complemented by pearl-and-diamond starry barrettes. Sophie Turner also sported what felt like a never-ending mane, with burgundy tresses that walked the line between Florence Welch and Morticia Adams (but in a good way).

Get the look: Create natural-looking beach waves or ultra-voluminous bouncy curls using Ghd Curve Creative Curl Wand, $290, which also features a protective cool tip to give you something to hold while curling hair into place.

BLEACHED BROWS

As seen on: Kendall Jenner, Maisie Williams and Precious Lee

There were multiple reasons why jaws dropped during the Met Gala's red carpet arrivals, one of the most memorable of which was when Kendall Jenner stepped out with freshly bleached arches. Her barely-there brows were in stark contrast with her heavily smoked-out eyes, only adding to the impact of her look. Similarly, Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams sported peroxide caterpillars, which she paired with an exaggerated winged liner and red wine lips.

Get the look: If you're prepared to fully commit, we recommend you call in the professionals to help you bleach your brows to your desired shade. Otherwise try a masked-out brow instead, which calls for a strong-hold brow gel (fans of RuPaul's Drag Race will recall contestants using glue stick) brushed through brows and set with setting powder before concealer helps disguise them completely. Try it with Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze Brow Styling Wax, $44.

COLOURED CUTS

As seen on: Evan Mock and J Balvin

While it didn’t exactly fit the brief, Evan Mock and J Balvin dared to be different with neon pink and green buzzcuts that were memorable for all kinds of reasons. In stark contrast to his full cream ensemble, Gossip Girl’s Evan sported a neon pink shade with his signature regrowth coming through, while musician J asked his barber Christian to create a “gilded green” look with angular cuts carved into the back of his hair.

Get the look: L'Oreal Paris Colorista Spray in the shade Hot Pink, $18, which lends instant, vibrant colour to strands without the chalky feel. The quick-drying formula works best when applied to clean, dry hair, and can be easily removed in one wash.

STOCKISTS: Anastasia Beverly Hills from selected department stores including Sephora or online at Sephora.nz; Dolce & Gabbana from Themarket.com; Giorgio Armani from Smith & Caughey’s or online at Smithandcaugheys.co.nz; Ghdhair.com/nz; L’Oreal Paris from selected supermarkets and department stores, including Farmers or online at Farmers.co.nz; MCo Beauty from selected supermarkets and The Warehouse, or online at Themarket.com.