Get the Look: Red Carpet Punk for Met Gala

Year after year, the Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City brings together fashion’s elite to celebrate the museum’s latest exhibition in high style. This season highlighted PUNK: Chaos to Couture and stars brought out their best interpretation; some playing it safe with a quiet nod to the rock rebel and others covered in undeniable, screaming-at-the-top-of-their lungs pure punk. Here’s how to achieve our favorite beauty and hair looks from the glamorous May 6 evening: Classic Red Carpet:

Kirsten Dunst kept her Diego Da Silva styled locks soft and wavy to balance her daringly low-cut Louis Vuitton dress. “I wanted to complement Kirsten’s more formal Louis Vuitton evening gown with a very beach, casual hairstyle,” Da Silva said. He began by washing hair with Sebastian Professional Trilliance Shampoo and Trilliance Conditioner and saturating locks with Volupt Spray. Using a round brush for extra lift, Da Silva blow-dried hair. Next he created waves from mid-lengths to ends with a medium sized curling iron and let hair cool. He finished with Halo Mist for shine and Shaper for firm, touchable hold.    

Da Silva created a loose, romantic chignon with Sebastian Professional products for Alexa Chung. After hair was washed with Sebastian Professional Trilliance Shampoo and Trilliance Conditioner he applied a generous amount of Volupt Spray all over.  Da Silva blow-dried with a round brush to lift locks from the root and pulled dry hair into a loose ponytail at the nape of the neck. He wrapped it casually into a chignon and secured with small bobby pins. To finish he loosened the bun to make the look undone and added a spritz of Shaper to keep it that way.   Glam Rock:

Stylist Laini Reeves created a soft Mohawk for Emily Blunt using KMS California products. “I wanted to pay homage to the theme of the evening, while still managing to keep her look not too over the top,” Reeves said. She prepped hair with KMS California Tamefrizz Taming Crème before blow-drying and creating a ponytail at the top of the head. With a spritz of Hairplay Makeover Spray, she braided the ponytail and secured the end, roughing it up to add texture. The plait was then pulled forward and secured on the front hairline to give the look of a braided Mohawk. Hairstay Maximum Hold Spray kept everything in place.    

To complement model Coco Rocha’s embellished, leopard-print Emanuel Ungaro custom creation, stylist Veronica Chu formed a sleek French twist. Hair was washed with Moroccanoil Moisture Repair Shampoo and Moisture Repair Conditioner and before Chu prepped with Treatment, Volumizing Mousse and Heat Styling Protection. She blow-dried with the Round Brush and flat-ironed to smooth and straighten locks. Chu sectioned off the first 1/3 of the crown and cut the hair into a deep V to ensure the tip was in line with Rocha’s nose for the fringe. Then hair was smoothed with Hydrating Styling Cream and pulled into a partial French twist secured with bobby pins and let the mid-lengths to ends fall naturally into a ponytail at the nape. Chu finished the design with gems to match Rocha’s gown and Hairspray Strong and Glimmer Shine Spray.

Katie Hughes, butter London global colour ambassador, gave Giuliana Rancic’s tips a subtle punk treatment with a rich, dark shade. She painted one coat of butter London Horse Power as a base coat followed by two coats of La Moss. She added a drop of The Black Knight at the cuticle of each nail and slowly dragged the brush down for a cascading effect. To finish, she added P.D. Quick Top Coat and Handbag Holiday Cuticle Oil.   All-out Punk:

With help from celeb stylist Oribe, Miley Cyrus embraced the punk theme wholeheartedly. “Her look was fearless, effortless, young and fantastic,” Oribe said. He began by flat-ironing dry hair with Oribe Original Pomade and added a spritz of Dry Texturizing Spray at the roots. Using hands, Oribe formed spikes with strands around the top of the head. He applied Sculpting Cream to slick back the sides and Rock Hard Gel on the tips for lasting hold.      

Emmy Rossum’s soft, flowing Donna Karan dress served as inspiration and materials—the designer provided extra pieces of lace and crystals from the gown— for Hughes’ edgy nail art. “Emmy knew she really wanted to incorporate the fabric from the dress somehow, but with a twist that gave it an unexpected edge,” Hughes said. Two coats of butter London Yummy Mummy and one layer of P.D. Quick Top Coat provided a base. Hughes then cut individual pieces of lace to fit each nail and placed them on, working quickly before polish set. Once dry, crystals were glued intermittently on top.

January Jones donned a Chanel Haute Couture mini dress accessorized with rebel hair and a striking beauty look. Wella Professionals Celebrity Stylist Andy LeCompte designed the jazzed-up plaited ‘do. He started by separating a 1-inch fringe section and secured. On the remaining hair he applied Wella Professionals Velvet Amplifier from mid-lengths to ends and created a cornrow braid beginning with a central section of hair and weaving around the head. LeCompte picked up the set-aside fringe, sprayed it with Thermal Image and used a flat iron to form a wave. He finished by brushing the bang away from the face with fingers and a spritz of Stay Essential Finishing Spray.  

All eyes were on Madonna when she stepped on the red carpet with her statement-making, pants-free Givenchy ensemble and stark, black bob from LeCompte. He prepped hair, already a blunt shape, with Wella Professionals Velvet Amplifier and flat-ironed locks for a sleek look. Mirror Polish provided the finishing touch and enhanced shine. —Jennifer Barnes