49 best Met Gala 2023 beauty looks that we're obsessed with

It's the Met Gala 2023 and *deep breath* we're already buzzing. Because when it comes to OTT glamour, the evening is pretty much unmatched. In the past the gala, aka the Met Ball, has given us Lady Gaga's bonkers XXL gold spiky lashes, Zendaya's adorable Cinderella moment (complete with blue alice band and light-up dress) and Kim Kardashian's infamous Marilyn Monroe tribute (which called for a 14 hour hair bleaching sesh the night before, yikes).

The ball is held annually at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York to raise money for The Costume Institute’s exhibitions, which are showcased there each spring to celebrate fashion through the ages. So naturally, the event's high profile guests want to make sure they show up and make a memorable impression, which means putting their best beauty foot forward with next-level hair and makeup.

This year's theme is “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty,” in honour of the late designer who headed up some of the world's most prestigious fashion houses including Chanel, Balmain, Chloé and Fendi. We expect to see the brands he led represented, but also, subjects that were close to his heart, like his white, fluffy Birman cat, Choupette (who skipped the event after posting an update to her 184k Instagram followers explaining “we preferred to stay peacefully & cozy at home”).

Leading the charge, Doja Cat dutifully dressed as Choupette complete with a cat ear cap, prosthetics and an exaggerated cat-eye liner. Model, Anok Yai, paid homage to the late designer with gauzy “sunglasses” draped across her eyes (a trademark of Lagerfeld) which she paired with a blunt micro fringe and seriously fresh-looking skin. Upping her nail game, Rita Ora took nail jewellery to the next level with Chanel logo-embellished nail necklaces. And Karl's platinum hair was replicated by Jessica Chastain who bleached her strands platinum for the event.

Gigi Hadid paid tribute to Karl with the teensiest makeup detail – a tiny pearl under her eyes – to reference the strings of pearls Karl favoured at the helm of Chanel.

Yara Shahidi worked with Gaultier to put together an ode to her favourite look from the Chanel 1993 Haute Couture show, which she paired with a flawless '90s makeup look. Speaking exclusively to GLAMOUR, her makeup artist Nikki Wolff revealed “I blocked out half her brow and drew them back in skinny.”

Elsewhere, stars such as Lily James, Lizzo, Olivia Rodrigo and Emily Ratajkowski wore micro Audrey Hepburn fringes, perhaps to celebrate one of Chanel's most iconic moments after she wore the brand's little black dress for Breakfast At Tiffany's.

And, as is her tradition, Rihanna arrived fashionably late (after everyone else had left the red carpet) in a white Maison Valentino gown, embellished with the Camelia flower that's a signature of Chanel. Ri co-ordinated her beauty look with a wash of white shadow across her eyelids and finished things off with a bright red lip.

Here's all the best beauty looks from the Met Gala 2023…