The Best Beauty Looks at the 2026 Emmys

Nicole Kidman

The actress tapped into fall’s emerging low-updo trend with a soft, intentionally messy bun, long curtain bangs and wispy face-framing pieces. Her makeup stayed fresh and youthful, with softly defined eyes, flushed pink cheeks and a glossy peachy lip that perfectly complemented her angelic Chanel gown.

Lorenzo Martin, who used K18 products to create the look, says, “Red-carpet hair should look beautiful, feel healthy and shine from every angle!” On towel-dried hair, he layered AstroLift at the roots with HeatBounce from roots to ends before blow-drying. Martin then created soft texture with a curling iron then added AirWash for effortless movement. The hair was then gathered into a low ponytail and twisted into a low bun. To finish, three drops of Molecular Repair Hair Oil added shine, smoothed flyaways and made the look red-carpet ready.

Zendaya

Attending in support of Euphoria, Zendaya debuted a dramatic new pixie cut for the occasion, immediately becoming one of the night’s biggest beauty talking points. The cropped style, reminiscent of Halle Berry’s iconic 2002 Oscars moment, paired with flawless makeup, had heads turning on the red carpet.

Celebrity hairstylist Coree Moreno used göt2b and KERATÎME by Schwarzkopf products, including the KERATÎME Hair Bonding Oil and göt2b glued 2-in-1 Spray Wax to bring the actress’s “modern, sculpted pixie” to life. He also used the ghd Sculpt, “working in small, irregular sections to create the architecture of the pixie.” Moreno says, “I wanted the silhouette to feel feminine and refined with a little rebellion—sleek around the perimeter with airy, piecey texture and controlled height through the crown.”​

Sofía Vergara

A presenter tonight, Vergara brought her signature bold glamour to the carpet: richly defined eyes, a strong lip and voluminous, bouncy waves. It’s the kind of statement-making, high-wattage beauty look she’s known for, which pairs perfectly with her sparkly pink gown.

Celebrity makeup artist Sabrina Bedrani says, “To get Sofia ready for the Emmys, the first step is always the skin prep. There’s no good makeup application without good skin care first. So I started with IMAGE Skincare VITAL C hydrating intense moisturizer to help moisturize and plump the skin. I love this moisturizer because in addition to all its benefits, it makes a perfect base for the application of the foundation, it just makes it go on smoother and add an overall natural glow to the face.”

Claire Danes

Nominated for Lead Actress in a Limited Series for The Beast in Me, Danes wore her blonde bob sleek and straight with a deep side part. Her makeup stayed soft, with illuminated skin and rosy cheeks, which was the perfect match for her sharp hairstyle and sculptural Armani Privé gown.

Celebrity hairstylist Peter Butler styled the actress’s sleek strands using Goldwell products, creating a modern “graphic bob” with volume and texture. Starting with clean, damp hair, Butler applied Dualsenses Pure Hydration 5-in-1 Hydrating Spray to provide heat protection, conditioning and shine without weighing down the style. Next, he worked StyleSign Bodifying Control Mousse through the hair section by section before blow-drying with a round brush. Butler focused on creating volume through the top while leaving the ends straight to emphasize the graphic shape of the bob and contrast the rounded shoulders of the actress’s gown. Once the hair was dry, Butler applied StyleSign Blowout & Texture Spray through the roots and mid-lengths, gently roughing up the hair to create movement, dimension and a more effortless texture.

Chase Infiniti

Nominated for Lead Actress in a Drama Series for The Testaments, the actress stunned in warm, monochromatic brown glam: soft bronze eyes, matching lips, voluminous, brushed-out waves and a copper-beaded Louis Vuitton gown.

Celebrity hairstylist Lacy Redway used ghd tools to create the actress’s look. “For this look, I was inspired by the silhouette of Chase’s dress, from the heart-shaped neckline to the dress flaring out on the bottom, we wanted the waves to resemble her dress,” she says. “By brushing out her waves, we created a younger, cooler version of Old-Hollywood Waves.”​

After blow-drying her hair with the ghd Speed and the Professional High Strength Hair Dryer Comb attachment to completely smooth out the hair, Redway added in extensions for more fullness and volume. Then, she created a middle part and used ghd Sculpt to straighten and smooth the hair all together before going in with ghd Wave to add waves and texture.​ Lastly, Redway sprayed a paddle brush with hairspray and brushed out the waves.” ​

On her skin, celebrity makeup artist Amber Dreadon used Aveeno products, including the new Positively Radiant Vitamin C Serum. “For Chase Infiniti, we wanted to create a look that felt weightless and ethereal. Moon touched skin with rust tones gently applied through the makeup to complement the dress and lush hydrated skin for the face and extra luminosity for the body.”

Supriya Ganesh

Representing The Pitt's record-setting 25 nominations, Ganesh wore a middle part with sleek, polished waves cascading past her shoulders, a glossy, just-out-of-the-shower finish paired with soft, smoky eye makeup for an effortlessly cool red-carpet moment.

“For Supriya’s Emmy’s look, I wanted the beauty to feel undone and slightly subversive and editorial, while still undeniably beautiful,” says celebrity makeup artist Kara Yoshimoto Bua. “The inspiration was sheer, luminous skin, with believable texture and storm-washed eyes. To create Supriya’s lip look, I pressed CHANEL Rouge Coco Longwear Satin Lipstick Hydrating and Smoothing Lip Care in Édimbourg, a satin taupe-mauve shade, across the entire lip. To create the blackberry-fuchsia rose effect, I tapped CHANEL Rouge Allure Velvet Luminous Matte Lip Colour in Rupturiste, a more intense fuchsia plum shade, into the center and blended with my fingertip.”

Sarah Snook

Nominated for Lead Actress in a Limited Series for All Her Fault, Snook kept her red-carpet beauty polished and understated. Sleek, glossy styling and soft, dewy glam. “It’s so important to get the skin prep right for a glowing red-carpet look,” says celebrity makeup artist Mary Wiles, who used Counter products to achieve the actress’s look. “I always focus on deeply hydrating and nourishing the skin first, creating a fresh, dewy base that allows makeup to melt into the skin rather than sitting on top. From there, I like to keep the complexion natural and luminous, letting the skin’s own radiance shine through.”

After prepping Snook’s skin, Wiles applied Dew Skin Tinted Moisturizer in shade 1 to even the complexion, with Skin Twin Creamy Concealer in Fair 1 applied beneath the eyes. For warmth and soft contour, Velvet Cream Bronzer in shade 1 was applied on and slightly below the cheekbones, followed by a touch of Cheeky Clean Cream Blush in Havana for a dewy, natural flush. Wiles also applied Lid Glow Cream Shadow in Lustre as a highlight on the cheekbones and shoulders for an extra touch of radiance.

On the eyes, Lid Glow Cream Shadow in Aura was swept across the lids, while Twinkle was applied close to the upper lashes and softly extended outward like an eyeliner. For the lips, Mary lined with Lined & Primed Lip Defining Pencil in Pink Blossom, followed by Sheer Genius Conditioning Lipstick in Twig. She finished the look with Counter’s newest product, Beyond Gloss in Bare Shimmer (launching on September 22) for a high-shine finish.

For her hair, celebrity hairstylist and Act+Acre founder Helen Reavey used the brand’s new Stem Cell Thickening Foam as the base for her sleek look.

Emmy Rossum

The actress’s voluminous curls were styled by celebrity hairstylist Vernon François, who used OLAPLEX products to achieve her look. “I began with No.3PLUS Complete Repair Treatment on damp hair, leaving it for about three minutes before rinsing. Then, I used No.4 Curl Bond Shaper Shampoo to cleanse, followed by [the conditioner] to keep the hair hydrated and detangled. After I dried and styled, I refreshed the roots and brought back volume with No.4 Detox Dry Shampoo. I applied my favorite No.10 Curl Defining Gel to shape the curls, and gently diffused them to dry. For a flexible hold that doesn’t disturb the curl pattern, I lightly misted with Shape Set Hairspray. To finish, I used No.7 Shine Serum Oil Mist to make the curls shine beautifully.”

Sarah Pidgeon

Nominated for Lead Actress in a Limited Series for Love Story, Pidgeon debuted a warmer, beach-blonde hair, which she wore in soft waves and paired with understated makeup to let her lavender Chanel gown take the spotlight.

“I opted to create a soft makeup look to complement the sheer lilac hue of Sarah’s dress,” says celebrity makeup artist Emily Cheng. “To pair the makeup with Sarah’s dress, I applied CHANEL Les Beiges Healthy Glow Natural Eyeshadow Palette in Cool. This palette was monochromatic with different textures, which allowed me to add a whisper of sparkle to the eye that was visible when she blinked.”

For her hair, celebrity hairstylist Christian Wood used K18 products. “As soon as I saw Sarah’s beautiful Chanel gown, I knew this needed to be a hair moment all about shine, health and simple elegance,” he says. “We decided soft, barely there waves that felt effortlessly polished were the way to go. After Sarah’s dramatic color change for Love Story, hair health is a major factor in the products we use for red carpets and a vital step in hair health and longevity.”

Wood started by using the Triple Bright Purple Shampoo to keep Pidgeon’s blonde strands bright, and then followed with the Leave-in molecular repair hair mask. “This is a vital step in keeping the hair strong, shiny and lustrous, and key pre-styling prep before any red carpet,” he says. “On towel-dried hair, I added HeatBounce section by section on the mid-lengths and ends for the ultimate heat protection and an extra shot of moisture while blow-drying.”

Once the hair was dried, Wood took large sections of hair and wrapped them around a large curling iron, holding for 10 seconds to create soft, loose waves that had movement but felt relaxed. “Once the waves were complete, I added some AirWash to the roots. “This acts the same way as setting powder does with makeup. It prevents oils from occurring throughout the night, keeping the hair voluminous and oil-free.”

To finish, Wood added some Molecular Repair Hair Oil and combed out all the waves with a wide-tooth comb to add polish and softness to the look. “I often use a wide-tooth comb on soft waves instead of a brush, as this helps the waves stay in place and keep their definition, as brushing can often pull out the waves you have just applied.”

Olivia Munn

The actress (her series Your Friends & Neighbors is nominated for Outstanding Drama Series) kept her glam in her signature wheelhouse: warm skin, soft definition around the eyes, and a glossy, neutral-toned lip. “For Olivia’s look, I wanted the skin to feel fresh, luminous and deeply hydrated, creating a glass-skin glow that complemented the sultry, softly flushed makeup,” says celebrity makeup artist Archangela Chelsea, who used ELEMIS products to prep the actress’s skin.

On Munn’s eyes, Archangela used Kiss So Natural Airy Fluffy Soft Curl Lashes in Fluffy Natural as the foundation of the lash look, then added individual lashes from the Kiss Lash Atelier Lash Extension Design Kit in Natural underneath Olivia’s natural lashes to subtly fill in any spaces. Mixing the two created a customized, seamless lash that enhanced her eyes without overpowering the softness of the look.

For her hair, celebrity hairstylist Gonn Kinoshita says, “I wanted to create effortless, flowing waves to contrast the structure and strength of her black dress. The softness and movement of the hair brought a beautiful balance to the overall look.”