The Met Gala Makeup Was All About Painterly Pinks & Vibrant Reds

The dress code for the 2026 Met Gala, “Fashion Is Art,” yielded plenty of sculptural ensembles; think Hailey Bieber’s gilded breastplate, Lisa’s affixed arms, and Heidi Klum, well, literally being a sculpture. But when it came to the makeup, the inspiration turned to the painter’s palette. More specifically, the stars on the green carpet put the “R” in ROY G. BIV, wearing shades of red and pink on their cheeks and lids.

Nicole Kidman, an event co-chair, paired her vibrant red sequined-and-feathered Chanel gown with rosy red cheeks. Olympian and newly minted Louis Vuitton ambassador Alysa Liu wore a strapless maroon gown and soft washes of dark red shadow on her lids. Charli XCX opted for a classic smoky eye in gray tones for her upper lids, but makeup artist Ana Takahashi swept a bold maroon along her lower lash line.

Adding a dash of white pigment into the mix to reach the pink side of the spectrum, Angela Bassett’s vibrant pink blush swept up from her cheeks to her lids. Model Adut Aketch also opted for a shocking shade of neon pink for her cheeks, to stunning effect. For her first Met Gala, BlackPink’s Jisoo opted for a soft, pastel pink color palette, while veteran attendee Zoe Kravitz opted for a subtle pink smoky eye.

Scroll on to see the standout pink and red makeup looks from the 2026 Met Gala.

Nicole Kidman

Alysa Liu

Charli XCX

Angela Bassett

Adut Aketch

Jisoo

Zoe Kravitz