London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

The 15 Best Met Gala Beauty Transformations of All Time

The 15 Best Met Gala Beauty Transformations of All Time

From Cher to Rihanna, a retrospective look at the Met gala’s top hair and makeup transformations of all time.

If ever there was an excuse to transform, it would be for the Costume Institute’s annual Met gala. And while slipping into an extraordinary sartorial confection can do wonders, directional hair and makeup is an essential part of the equation. In fact, there are plenty of instances where hair and makeup catapulted a star’s look into bold new territory.

In the ’80s, Cher traded in her choppy raven mullet for a sleek updo that highlighted her vivid violet gaze, fuchsia cheeks, and dazzling winged ear adornments, while in the ’90s, Iman bucked the decade’s minimalism with deep ruby red lips and her caramel lengths woven into a towering braided updo topped off with a sparkling brooch. In 2004, Amber Valletta tapped into the “Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the 18th Century” theme by taking beauty cues from Marie Antoinette with a powdered blonde pouf and swirls of rosy blush.

A theme that begged for a renegade turnout was 2013’s “Punk: Chaos to Couture,” where Miley Cyrus gelled up her platinum pixie to spiky, electric-shock effect, and January Jones bleached her brows to punctuate her graphic Siouxsie Sioux–inspired eye makeup. No detail is too insignificant for Rihanna, of course, who shut down the 2015 “China: Through the Looking Glass” red carpet wearing a gilded crystal floral headpiece atop her crimson bob in that yellow robe number by Chinese designer Guo Pei. Looking toward the future while musing on 2016’s “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology” theme, Taylor Swift unveiled a white hot dye job, while Ciara opted for a shimmering silver shade for a metallic gleam.

While every year calls for its own special flair, leave it to 2020’s “Camp: Notes on Fashion” to up the ante on drama and theatrics. From Ezra Miller’s trippy eye makeup statement to Lily Collins’s ode to Priscilla Presley on her wedding day to Elvis-with a teased, floral-adorned bouffant-playing dress-up was practically the name of the game. Ahead of this year's event, “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,” here's a look back at the Met gala’s top beauty transformations of all time.



Cher


Right: At the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute gala exhibition of “Costumes of Royal India,” 1985



Iman


Right: At the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute gala “Christian Dior” exhibition, 1996



Amber Valetta


Right: At the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute gala exhibition of “Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the 18th Century,” 2004



Miley Cyrus


Right: At the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute gala exhibition of “Punk: Chaos to Couture,” 2013



January Jones


Right: At the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute gala exhibition of “Punk: Chaos to Couture,” 2013



Rihanna


Right: At the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute gala exhibition of “China: Through the Looking Glass,” 2015



Taylor Swift


Right: At the Metropolitan Museum's Costume Institute gala exhibition of “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology,” 2016



Katy Perry


Right: At the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute gala exhibition of “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology,” 2016



Ciara


Right: At the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute gala exhibition of “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology,” 2016



Cara Delevingne


Right: At the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute gala exhibition of “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between," 2017



Dree Hemingway


Right: At the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute gala exhibition of “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between," 2017



Zendaya


Right: At the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute gala exhibition of “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination,” 2018



Lily Collins


Right: At the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute gala exhibition of “Camp: Notes on Fashion,” 2019



Lupita Nyong’o


Right: At the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute gala exhibition of “Camp: Notes on Fashion,” 2019



Ezra Miller


Right: At the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute gala exhibition of “Camp: Notes on Fashion,” 2019

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×