Both beauty and the beat were in harmony at the 2026 VMAs, where women across genres came together to celebrate music’s biggest night. While the fashion had its own rhythm, beauty carried the melody—bringing everything from soft glam to full-on drama. Among the stars who walked the carpet, these five women stood out for beauty looks that deserve their own encore.
RELATED: All About Brows: 6 Ways to Dress Them Up
Lisa Manoban
Best Pop winner Lisa Manoban arrived in a dramatic red gown and fur coat, but it was her beauty look that really stole the spotlight. A wispy eye look, glowing skin, and glossy nude lip kept things polished, while a high ponytail and her signature unmovable bangs framed her face. But the real star of the look? Her long, nude nails, with an upward-pointing design. It was unexpected, graphic, and certainly a manicure moment we don’t see every day.
Normani
Former Fifth Harmony member Normani was a dazzling sight at the VMAs. With her hair swept into a clean bun, the style kept the focus on her glowing skin and delicately defined eyes. Her cool-toned pout sealed the look, delivering a softer take on glam that felt both polished and effortless.
Olandria
If God were a woman, her name would be Olandria. The model brought a goddess-like quality to the carpet, with a full head of curls framing her flushed cheeks, chiseled features, and darkly defined eyes. Bringing the look together was a deep-brown lip liner that gave the makeup its ’90s-inspired definition, finished with a swipe of high-shine gloss. The result was sultry, sculpted, and unapologetically glamorous.
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift brought her signature cat eye to the carpet, adding an extra flick along the bottom lash line for a little more drama. A bright inner corner, her signature bangs, and a faint red lip completed the look. And with her beauty kept distinctly Taylor, she arrived at the VMAs as the most awarded artist in the show’s history.
Teyana Taylor
Teyana Taylor, on the other hand, brought a dose of drama to the red carpet, turning heads with her space buns and smoky eye. Her skin was bronzed around the perimeter, adding warmth and dimension to her complexion, while a cool-toned lip brought the entire look together. It was sculpted, smoky, and unmistakably Teyana.
From barely-there soft glam to full-on red carpet drama, the 2026 VMAs proved that there’s no single formula for a beauty moment, and these women only brought unapologetic glamour. If fashion set the tone for the night, these beauty looks provided the finishing notes—each one adding its own rhythm to the VMAs.
Featured Image and Photos: MTV (via Instagram)
Frequently Asked Questions
Taylor Swift wore her signature cat eye with an extra flick along the bottom lash line, a bright inner corner, her signature bangs, and a faint red lip, per MEGA’s coverage of the 2026 VMAs red carpet.
Teyana Taylor wore space buns with a smoky eye, bronzed skin around the perimeter of her face, and a cool-toned lip, a look MEGA described as sculpted, smoky, and unmistakably Teyana.
Per MEGA, the standout was her long, nude nails with an upward-pointing design, styled with a wispy eye look, glowing skin, a glossy nude lip, a high ponytail, and her signature bangs.
Olandria wore darkly defined eyes, flushed cheeks, and a ’90s-inspired deep-brown lip liner finished with high-shine gloss, with a full head of curls framing her face.
Normani wore her hair in a clean bun to keep the focus on her glowing skin and delicately defined eyes, finishing the look with a cool-toned pout for a soft, polished take on glam.
