From buzzcuts to cat claws — the best beauty transformations from this year’s Met Gala

The Met Gala’s ‘Superbowl of Fashion’ white carpet has given us some major beauty transformations this year, from buzzcuts to bright white bobs – here are this year’s best beauty transformations

The 2023 Met Gala paid tribute to one of fashion’s biggest icons, Karl Lagerfeld, and celebrities did not disappoint when it came to sticking to this year’s theme; Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty.

Karl Lagerfeld, who headed up several luxury fashion houses including Fendi, Chloe, and Chanel until his death in 2019 was known for his black and white colour palettes, luxurious minimalism, ribbon finishes, and of course, his cat Choupette – who has almost 200k followers on Instagram.

To embody the legendary designer, Met Gala attendees made sure to stick to the theme in a way that Karl would be proud of. From grey toned hair and feline touches to ribbon-inspired up dos and dramatic hair cuts, the legacy of Karl was celebrated in full force last night.

Here are some of the best beauty looks straight from the steps of The Met.

  1. Cara Delevingne’s short grey bob

    As one of the ultimate Chanel girls for Karl Lagerfeld, it was no surprise that Cara Delevingne paid tribute to him in her own typical quirky way. The supermodel ditched her long brunette waves, and debuted an ultra-short grey bowl cut bob in honour of Karl’s signature grey hair.

    The textured bob was heavily textured and wavy, with a micro fringe and plenty of layers, and finish off with a wet look. She accessorised her look with micro leather gloves and a cigarette holder – both also staples of Karl’s iconic style, and opted for a dramatic smokey eye.

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  2. Florence Pugh’s dramatic buzzcut

    No stranger to an edgy cut, Florence Pugh shocked everyone when she walked the white carpet in a beautiful white gown, which she paired with a dramatic new buzzcut. The freshly shaven hair showed off the actress’ natural dark brunette colour, and was shaved evenly across her head.

    Florence accessorised her brand new hair with an elaborate vertical headpiece that featured a v-shaped headband with black feathers standing several feet in the air. She completed her look with a dark smokey eye and soft pink lips with a pale, natural-looking complexion, which are all signature Chanel looks from Karl’s time at the fashion house.

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  3. Kristen Stewart’s textured mullet

    Another of Karl’s favourite muses, Kristen Stewart showed off her textured mullet cut, featuring short sides and extra length on the top and back. The androgynous look was styled with a touseled finish that matched with her black and white tuxedo.

    Kristen’s makeup was kept to a minimum, as she avoided eye makeup or lipstick, and instead focussed on her graphic brows, which were pencilled in a straight line.

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  4. Doja Cat’s feline makeover

    No one commits to a theme quite like Doja Cat, and the Met Gala was the perfect place for her to live up to her name with an over the top look. Inspired by Karl’s famous cat Choupette, Doja Cat was given a full feline transformation, complete with prosthetics to change her nose to be more cat like.

    Her cat-themed outfit featured a crystal-embellished hood with cat ears, whilst her makeup took cat eyes to a new extreme with carefully placed eyeliner that elongated her eyes into a cat shape. She finished off her ode to Karl and Choupette with claw-like nails, that were painted in a nude finish with darker tips.

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  1. FKA Twigs’ ribbon-inspired up do

    Ribbons were a major signature detail in many of Karl’s designs, and FKA Twigs put a sculptural twist on the inspiration with her up do. Rather than simply accessorising with ribbons in her hair, instead the singer turned her hair into the ribbons themselves.

    Extreme amounts of hairspray and product were used to create stiff, sculptural loops and bows with her dark hair, whilst the rest was slicked back away from her face. She offset the stiffness of her hair with fluffy, brushed up brows and bronzed eyeshadow for a softer beauty look that worked with her sculptural hair.

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  2. Suki Waterhouse's romantic makeup

    Suki Waterhouse hasn’t hit the Met Gala’s red carpet since 2014, but made a return this year with a soft, romantic-inspired makeup look. Wearing a floral sheer dress, Suki’s beauty look was equally delicate and romantic, with a glowing base and nude lip, but it was her eyeshadow that had people talking.

    Instead of a traditional smokey eye, Suki’s delicate colour palette started with a bright green in the centre of her eyelids, before blending seamlessly into a rosy, pink-toned red colour that extended beyond the outer corners of her and onto her cheekbones.

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  3. Jessica Chastain’s ‘blonde for Karl’ colour

    Actress Jessica Chastain stepped onto the Met Gala white carpet with a shocking new hair transformation, revealing a platinum blonde colour. Her waist length locks were straightened and smoothed back away from her face with a centre parting, in a departure from her trademark auburn colour.

    However, the actress revealed that the look was only temporary, with the wig being specifically for Met Gala’s theme. She told The Cut: "It's not forever. It's for Karl."

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  4. Emily Ratajkowski’s Audrey Hepburn-inspired fringe

    EmRata has been experimenting with new hair looks recently, but at last night’s Met Gala, her new fringe was quite the departure from her usual soft, flowy hair styles. The model had opted for one of this year’s hottest hair trends; the micro fringe.

    The Audrey Hepburn-inspired baby bangs stopped above her eyebrows, and blended seamlessly into her voluminous wavy curls. If you were wondering whether this was a temporary change, it turns out she really has committed to the look, telling a reporter: “"I had a fringe already, but just went a bit shorter".

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By Editor