The Best Hair Looks From the 2026 Met Gala

Charli XCX

Charlie XCX’s textured half-up look added beautiful dimension, with a tightly slicked-back front and voluminous curls in the back. "For Charli’s Met Gala look, we wanted to create a half-up, half-down shape that still felt true to Charli’s natural, lived-in style,” says celebrity hairstylist Matt Benns.

“I first prepped the hair with Wavytalk’s Smooth Barrier Heat Protectant ($19), then started diffusing with the Turblow Pro ($96) hair dryer to bring out her natural texture,” he says. “Once the hair was dry, I built the foundation for the half-up by gathering everything from the ear and above, securing it tightly with an elastic right on top of the crown to get maximum height.”

Then Benns amplified the volume by “alternating between the Power Wave ($80) and the Curlmaker Pro ($99), using both a 3/4-inch and 1/2-inch iron. Finishing touches included teasing, texture spray for “airiness” and a finishing spritz of hairspray.

Amanda Seyfried

Amanda Seyfried’s long, golden curls paired with her signature blue doe eyes gave off a real-life Rapunzel effect on the red carpet. The voluminous ponytail, pulled from a sleek base, added striking contrast and made the look feel like a work of dynamic art.

Sarah Pidgeon

Sarah Pidgeon’s hair was hotly debated ahead of her debut as Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy in Love Story, but there’s no debate that the golden California cool waves she wore to the Met Gala suited her perfectly.

“For this year’s inspo, I looked back at Met carpets from the ’90s and early 2000s,” says celebrity hairstylist Christian Wood. “I loved how these eras felt effortless, timeless and simple. As soon as I saw her gorgeous Loewe look, I knew shiny, undone waves were the way to go.”

To get the look, he began by spraying Kenra Root Lifting Spray ($20) onto damp roots, Platinum Blow-Dry Spray ($28) on the mid-lengths and ends and a final coat of Platinum Silkening Gloss ($29) from root to tip for extra shine and softness. After blow-drying, he sectioned the hair and added an S-shaped wave with a flat iron. Once he got to the front, he used a soft curl iron, bending the hair away from the face. After the waves had cooled, he spritzed on Platinum Dry Texture Spray ($25) at the roots to add volume, then applied a generous spray of Shine Spray ($21) through the mid-lengths and ends.

For final touches, he brushed out the waves with a wide-tooth comb and sprayed a toothbrush with Fast-Dry Hairspray ($22) and used it to remove any flyaways. “Finally, I warmed a few drops of Kenra Luxe Shine Oil ($27) in my hands and gently rubbed it over the ends of the hair to add shine and give a subtle, broken-up texture.”

Zoë Kravitz

Kravitz’s half-up, half-down hairstyle, complete with a bun at the crown, felt straight out of Wuthering Heights, especially paired with her gothic black dress.

Zuri Hall

Access Hollywood co-host for the Met Gala, Zuri Hall, wore modern Renaissance curls to the event, giving the look a romantic, period-inspired feel. The lighter pieces framing her face made it all the more ethereal.

Eileen Gu

The Olympic gold medalist looks just as at home on the Met Gala red carpet as she does on the slopes. We love her updo, complete with loose, wavy tendrils that perfectly accent her ombré ends.

Naomi Watts

We love a prop in the hair—especially at the Met Gala. Watts’ Old Hollywood updo was dotted with what appeared to be live flowers.