MTV Glam Cam
The 2026 VMAs Served Nostalgia, Smoky Eyes, & Space Buns
The red carpet doubled as a fall beauty mood board.
You never really know what you’re going to get at the MTV Video Music Awards. Britney Spears might perform with a python; Lady Gaga might show up in a meat dress; Miley Cyrus might make headlines twerking with a foam finger. That’s a lot of pop culture history for any one awards show to live up to — but this year, a few more moments got added to the list.
Namely, Madonna made her long-awaited return to the VMAs stage, with Seth Rogen in tow nonetheless; Kacey Musgraves performed a tribute to Dolly Parton; and Taylor Swift screened her new “Patient Zero” music video starring Dakota Johnson. In other words, the group chat will be buzzing for the foreseeable future — especially once you factor in the night’s standout beauty looks, which more than held their own.
As any MTV kid might guess, nostalgia was a running theme. Tyla channeled a certain ’90s pop star with a snakeskin set and blonzer to match, while Teyana Taylor brought space buns out of retirement. Elsewhere, newer trends got their time on the red carpet, too: think transition blush, bleached brows, and cat-eye manicures.
If you’re looking for an excuse to try a smoky eye this fall, the VMAs delivered. And, against all odds, the red carpet even gave the Pinterest bridal bunch some wedding inspiration to work with, courtesy of Sienna Spiro’s sparkly French tips.
Ahead, all the best hair, makeup, and nail looks from the 2026 MTV VMAs.
1Taylor Swift’s French Lob
Taylor Swift might not be patient zero of the lob outbreak, but she’s certainly helping it spread. Before premiering her new music video during the awards ceremony, the singer debuted a shoulder-length cut alongside her signature French fringe.
2Teyana Taylor’s Space Buns
Dressed in a feathery beaded gown, Teyana Taylor rocked an equally playful hairstyle. Her boho braids were pulled back into Y2K-inspired space buns, finished with loose curls and swooped baby hairs.
3Lisa’s Curved Talons
Making history as the first Asian soloist to win Best Pop Video, Lisa did so with a little piece of home at her fingertips. Created by celebrity nail artist Juan Alvear using Aprés Nail, her extra-long stilettos were bent backwards as a nod to the fingercaps worn in traditional Thai dance.
4PinkPantheress’ Transition Blush
PinkPantheress had plenty to blush about at the VMAs, where she took home her first-ever Moon Person. Fittingly, her glam featured a romantic wash of pink diffused beneath her eyes and up toward her temples.
5Olandria’s Cat-Eye Nails
Playing off the crimson piping in her gown, the Love Island star carried the color through her glam, from her ruby-red cheeks to a matching magnetic manicure. Makeup artist Kimora Mulan tied the whole look together with a warm cinnamon-spiced smoky eye, courtesy of Anastasia Beverly Hills’ Genesis Eyeshadow Palette.
6Charli XCX’s Smoky Eyes
Speaking of smoky eyes, Charli XCX has rarely been spotted without them lately. Her VMAs glam kept the streak going with grungy, smudged black eyeshadow — though she traded her usual voluminous waves for sleek, straight hair that gave rockstar Morticia Addams vibes.
7Tyla’s Anti-Blush
Tyla took the VMAs’ red carpet back to its ’90s glory days. Dressed in a Britney-coded snakeskin set, she leaned into the throwback look with blown-out eyeshadow and sculpted terracotta cheeks that looked more like bronzer than blush.
8Ella Bright’s Espresso Hair
Now that Off Campus Season 2 filming has wrapped, Ella Bright wasted no time switching up her beauty look. Hairstylist Adir Abergel took her from teddy bear bronde to a glossy espresso brown just in time for fall, while manicurist Zrinka Vuksan Bolancha kept the autumnal color palette going with a marbled brown mani finished with sculpted gold detailing.
9JoJo’s Faux Freckles
For her first VMAs in a decade, the “Too Little, Too Late” singer was anything but. She paired gray eyeshadow with a flash of navy blue liner along her bottom lashes and a healthy spattering of faux freckles along her nose, giving the otherwise edgy look a softer, more lived-in finish.
10Ciara Miller’s Auburn Waves
Auburn is the hair color to try this fall, according to resident cool-girl Ciara Miller. The Summer House star’s waist-grazing waves expertly accentuated the rusty tones of her distressed leather set.
11Chloe Bailey’s Bleached Brows
Whether Chloe Bailey matched her brows to her hair or vice versa, it worked. The coordinating platinum arches and face-framing tendrils added an unexpected edge to her crystal-covered gown.
12Sienna Spiro’s Sparkly French Tips
Sienna Spiro stayed true to her trademark ’60s-inspired glam, save for one hidden detail. Nail artist Emi Kudo applied two thin coats of OPI’s shimmery Throw Me a Kiss polish over a classic French mani, then tucked tiny crystals underneath each nail for an extra flash of sparkle.
