The Costume Institute’s annual Met Gala has always been a beacon of boundary-pushing style—and it extends above the neck to powerful effect. For men, makeup is increasingly becoming one of the most powerful tools for bold self-expression. Much like it has in popular culture, it’s gained momentum on the Met Gala red carpet as the years have progressed.
In 2005, Marilyn Manson arrived on the red carpet wearing an all-black military-inspired Marc Jacobs look with a smoked-out gaze and a deep Merlot lip, while in 2013 Pharrell Williams leaned into the “PUNK: Chaos to Couture” theme with a rimming of kohl liner along his water lines. In 2016, Kanye West took eye-level transformation to the next level with a pair of ice blue colored contacts that sparkled against his crystal-embroidered Balmain jacket of the same color. Then, tapping into the celestial spirit of the 2018 exhibit “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination,” singer Troye Sivan upped the wattage with a golden gaze and shimmering skin.
But it was last year’s “Camp: Notes on Fashion” theme that really inspired attendees to make grand beauty statements. Hitting the pink carpet with Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele, co-chair Harry Styles wore a dark raven manicure with pops of teal to match his ruffled black blouse, and Jared Leto harnessed the power of prosthetics to carry an uncanny carbon copy of his own head as a nod to the Italian fashion house’s viral Fall 2018 runway moment. Darren Criss and Marc Jacobs each made standout graphic eyeliner statements, as did Michael Urie, albeit only on on one eye in coordination with his half-gown half-suit ensemble. Then, going head to head in the most awe-inspiring category, there was Billy Porter’s gilded eyes and violet lip etched in gold along the Cupid’s bow and down the center, as well as Ezra Miller’s surrealist, painted-on sets of eyes that were impossible to tell from his real ones. Here, a look back the best men’s makeup moments in Met Gala history.