Get The Look: The Hair, The Nails, The Dresses And Vision Behind Our Met Gala Looks

With one of the most famous dress codes in the world, the annual Met Gala challenges your inner fashionista. It starts with a vision that manifests into your personal interpretation of that year’s exhibition. Whatever that is, it must be bold, fabulous and the ultimate expression of self. Last year was HelloBeautiful’s first year at the Met Gala, and this year we returned with more knowledge, more glam and a better understanding of the personal connection to your look.

HB’s Met Gala team Shamika Sanders and Charlene Masona break down the inspiration behind their Fashion is Art looks, below.

Shamika Sanders, Met Gala Host

They may plan the Met Gala a year in advance, but credential approvals go out about a week before, which means you have to have a plan and most fast. There’s no time for shipping, so God-forbid you order something express and it doesn’t fit. And then, there’s the dress code. Last year, was my first year on the carpet and the theme was Dandyism. A true fashion challenge especially when tailoring is essential but time consuming. The year prior to that, the dress code was “Garden of Time” and I took it very literal, but realized the actual Met Gala exhibition plays as essential role in the trends celebrities will most-likely tap into.

With that prior knowledge, I thought hard about the “Costume Art” exhibition and it centered around the human body. And suddenly, I had a vision. I knew we’d see a lot of corsets, drapery, prints, and sheer looks that showed off the body. Finding a dress became easier once I had that fashion direction in mind, I had to find local shops where I could try things on. Insert MissCircle, which happened to cross my social media feed thanks to my algorithm. And it appeared, a dress that combined those above elements and felt like art to me.

Hair

Once I got the dress, I had to figure out glam. Turns out, that was the easy part. Being a wig girlie allows me to experiment with my look and a unit as good as the LuvMe RawMagic x Kim Kimble Icon collection, it was an easy slay. I’m obsessed. At a higher price point on LuvMe Hair, it is a premium wig. The quality of it took my look to the next level. It came pre-plucked, pre-bleached, pre-everything.

Buy, here.

Nails

I sent Chief Educator at Paintbox NYC, Evelyn Lim, some nail inspo shots and she handled the rest. I arrived to my appointment at Paintbox NYC on Sunday to the laughs of my co-host Charlena Masona, who was deep into her custom press-on appointment. Her personality is as bubbly as the Prosecco Evelyn greeted me with.

Turns out, I had the perfect person because she specializes in texture and chrome nail designs. Using Gel X tips, she got to work and before I knew it, it was an artsy masterpiece at my fingertips.

Skincare

There was absolutely no time for breakouts of puffiness so I turned to this perfectly-times press mailer I got from Bubly Rose that included a mini beauty fridge packed with skincare goodies like a jade roller, gusha and Medicube products. I love how the Medicube Collagen Niacinamide Jelly Cream felt so cool on my skin. It felt like a spa day at home, which helped me prep for a big day in the makeup chair.

Charlene Masona, Met Gala Social Media Producer

About The Look

I didn’t know how to pull this look together in a week. Then, I remembered one of my friends I’ve had since middle school is an abstract painted. I reached out to her and found pieces to ship to her quickly.

She usually paints with lots of fun colors, so I knew a black base would be perfect. I didn’t have many notes, I just wanted her to do what she does best and she delivered.

The Nails

The Hair

I’ve been a “natural” blonde for months, so I definitely was open to a change for the Met Gala. The body wave hair all from LuvMe x Kim Kimble was really soft with perfect lace. Our stylist Naira West did a fantastic job customizing the unit. My lace was invisible and looked like it was growing out of my head.

The Nails

Since I was wearing an multi-colored abstract look on a black base, I wanted my nails to match. During my consultation with the Paint Box team, I sent them some inspiration I found on Pinterest. Like my friend Lauren, I really enjoy when artists feel the most free creatively so I wasn’t too particular about how I wanted my nails to look. When my nail artist Nancina showed me the custom press-ons she painted, I was more than impressed, I was obsessed. She understood my vision completely.

Makeup

I worked with our makeup artist Tiffany before, so it was great to work with someone I had a bit of a rapport with. I told her I wanted lots of color because my usual makeup style is a soft glam, nude lip, with brown liner and gloss. It’s a great look but I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and go the Art Pop route. I shared some looks I had saved from beauty influencers and 6 artists like Painted By Easter. like everyone else on the glam team, I wanted Tiffany to freestyle. The makeup turned out really bold and colorful, which matched my look perfectly.

For more Met Gala coverage, see below:

2026 Met Gala Recap: Beyoncé Returns, Rihanna Shines & Best Looks Revealed

Red Carpet Rundown: Revisiting Every Look Beyoncé Has Worn To The Met Gala

Met Gala 2026’s ‘Fashion Is Art’ Theme Sets The Stage For Living Masterpieces

HB On The Scene + Everything You Need To Know About The 2026 Met Gala