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

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