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The MTV Video Music Awards red carpet is one of those rare places where the outfits are every bit as interesting as the performances and prizes that follow—and the hair, makeup, and manicures are every bit as important as the outfits. The celebrity glam teams always take a little more license at the VMAs to get eccentric, hyperbolically glamorous, referential, or all three. That makes the red carpet—or in this year's case, seafoam blue-green carpet—arrival of every nominee, presenter, and performer particularly fun to track, especially in the context of the looks they’ve already established as their signature styles.
Sabrina Carpenter, for example, has certain hallmarks that have become nearly as recognizable as her music, and Olivia Rodrigo also tends to know exactly what works for her, but with both of them, even a familiar combination of their favorite shades and shapes can feel more fresh than predictable in the hands of their beauty pros.
We’ve been placing imaginary bets in our heads about whether or not artists like Raye and Olivia Dean will stick to their retro-informed vibes, how Charli XCX and Tate McRae’s respective hairstylists will play with their length, and what color Megan Thee Stallion’s hair will be. It’s that anticipation that makes this red carpet one of the most fun of the year for beauty lovers, not to mention one of the hardest to narrow down to the best looks.
But someone has to do it, so we’re zooming in on part placement, scrutinizing smoky eyes, clocking every minute manicure detail that will make this particular night an especially memorable one for fans and beauty historians alike. Keep scrolling for the best beauty moments on the 2026 VMAs red carpet.
Taylor Swift
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 27: Taylor Swift attends the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) at Peacock Theater on September 27, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Taylor Swift waited until the very last minute to show up on the carpet, but for fans of fun eyeliner and fresh lobs—and, you know, Taylor Swift—it was worth the wait. The nominee, who just released four contentious new songs, will find no one complaining about how lovely she looked. She tripled-down on eyeliner with a black wing on top and bronzy-brown wing on the bottom, sandwiching white liner with bonus white shimmer in the inner corners of her eyes. Her hair appears newly cut into a straight, one-length look—except for those extra-thick bangs.
Charli XCX
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On paper, all of Charli XCX's go-to beauty elements are there: long, black hair and smoky eyes being the key characteristics. But there's no denying this is a new look for the nominee. Instead of extra-long, air-dried waves, Charli's hair has been blown out into its shiniest form, its layers curving inward. Her eye shadow, fully framed by matching liner, is nearly as black and velvety as her outfit, and her lips were kept pale with a hint of overlining. We think she's really channeling Morticia, especially with that deep red manicure detail.
Tyla
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The twisting rows atop Tyla's head gave way to glossy, super-straight hair reaching well past her waist, going almost as low as her low-slung, blue, snakeskin-print skirt. Her body skin shimmered, and her face glowed, looking even brighter with the help of what appear to be light-brown color contact lenses. The overall effect is a Y2K dream come true.
Lisa
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The combination of a sheer, form-fitting, cherry-red dress and matching XL fur coat makes it pretty easy to be distracted away from the incredible details of Lisa's beauty look, starting with yet another match: the bands wrapped around different areas of her high ponytail. Her makeup could not be prettier or more ideal for imitating, with its barely-there shimmer shadow, the softest possible wing, and gloss in what appears to be her natural lip color. But what we really can't stop staring at are Lisa's beige nails, which are crafted into a uniquely curvacious shape.
Teyana Taylor
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Teyana Taylor's partially braided, partially brushed-out hair has been swept up like two adorable tornadoes into dual-texture space buns atop her head. Just messy enough that it doesn't stop being glamorous, the look feels very rave-meets-goth, especially with black beaded and feathered ensemble and smoky eyes.
Olandria
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Absolutely no one is surprised that Olandria looked like a goddess for the umpteenth time this year, and she served up romance novel realness with her corsetted leather ensemble and waist-length curls. “For Olandria’s 2026 VMAs glam, I wanted the hair to feel sexy, effortless, and glamorous. The curls were soft and full with beautiful movement and an undone finish that still felt polished enough for the red carpet," says hairstylist Ashanti Lation, who used Amika Un.done Volume and Matte Texture Spray after curling her hair in varying sections and directions. Makeup artist Kimora Mulan, used the neutral tones of the Anastasia Beverly Hills Genesis Eyeshadow Palette to pick up on the earthy tones of her dress, while the deep, rusty-red polish on her nails seems to nearly perfectly match its ruffled trim.
Raye
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Raye may stick to a certain retro look, but it felt fully refreshed with a newly rich, burgundy auburn hair color for her famously vintage-style curls. Her lipstick leans slightly warmer—though its still a bold, deep red—and it couldn't look more classic with her timeless black, winged eyeliner.
Chloe Bailey
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Which do you think came first: The bleached tendrils or the bleached brows? Either way, we love Chloe Bailey's high contrast hair, her locs piled into a gorgeously swirling updo with a mix of brown and blonde iron-curled tendrils pouring delicately out of the sides. Her skin is positively glowing with both brilliant situated highlighter—the bridge of the nose is so genius—and rosy pink blush that perfectly complements her rosy-brown gradient gloss.
Ciara Miller
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We have no doubt in our minds that colorists are going to be inundated with requests of Ciara Miller's incredible auburn highlights, which, of course, look super-stunning on extra-long, loose, middle-parted curls like hers. Just as toasty is her brown lip color, which adds warmth to her cooler-leaning eye makeup. And by the way, if you were wondering if a French manicure can work with western-wear, Miller's look is proof that the answers is a resounding yes.
