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Best Met Gala Beauty Looks From 2009

A Decade Later and We're Still Applauding These Beauty Looks From the 2009 Met Gala

When it comes to the annual Met Gala, playing it safe never pays off. It's the risk takers whose looks are remembered 10 years later, and even if some people aren't feeling their look, there are still going to be plenty that applaud it — fashion is subjective, after all! To celebrate Met Gala 2019, we've rounded up the best looks from the decade before and all of the eccentric hairpieces, metallic eyeliner, and daring lip stains that 2009 inspired. Not everyone may agree with the beauty looks we've deemed the best of the best, but hey, that's showbiz, baby.


Image Source: Getty / Larry Busacca

1. Kate Moss

The Marc Jacobs metallic headscarf! The matching metallic cateye eyeshadow! That contour! Kate Moss didn't attend another Met Gala event after this until 2018, but it was probably only because she knew she could never top this absolutely stunning look.

Image Source: Getty / Randy Brooke

2. Leighton Meester

Not everyone approved of Leighton Meester's playful Louis Vuitton jumpsuit (don't worry, Leighton — we were feeling it, even if Blair Waldorf probably wouldn't), but no one could resist her cherry-red lips and adorable pin curls. Her decision to go easy on the eye makeup definitely helped balance out that bold lip colour, too.

Image Source: Getty / Kevin Mazur

3. Katy Perry

Another polarizing celebrity look that year was Katy Perry (specifically Katy Perry's choppy bangs), but we totally applaud the queen of daring hair for her rounded bob cut and full fringe. Her blue Tommy Hilfiger gown also made her Disney princess eyes pop (as did her expertly-applied smokey eye makeup).

Image Source: Getty / Kevin Mazur

4. Anne Hathaway

Anne Hathaway brought fashion to new heights will her big bouffant hair, which perfectly complemented her flouncy 1960s-style Marc Jacobs party frock. We bet Mia Thermopolis never dreamed of pulling off a smokey eye.

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5. Rihanna

Rihanna rocks the red carpet at every Met Gala, but she absolutely stole the show during her second appearance at the gala with her Dolce & Gabbana fitted suit and that sparkly electric-blue eyeliner. Just look at that short but voluminous haircut — don't even pretend you didn't consider getting golden streaks after seeing this.

Image Source: Getty / Larry Busacca

6. Jessica Alba

Jessica Alba looked super-sweet in her embellished Jason Wu dress, but it was her rosy-red lips and insanely complicated braided crown that really caught our eye. We don't know what's happening up there, but we know that even with the help of Pinterest, we'd never be able to recreate it.

7. Kate Bosworth

Kate Bosworth channelled Old Hollywood glamour in 2009, pairing sheer Stella McCarthy lace and her signature scarlet lip with vintage barrel curls. That deep side part only added to the va-va-voom factor.

Image Source: Getty / Larry Busacca

8. Agyness Deyn

Like Kate Bosworth, model Agyness Deyn brought Old Hollywood style to the gala with her metallic silver Burberry gown and Jean Harlow-esque soft platinum curls. Her unexpected nude lipstick, dark brows, and rosy cheeks made her a total standout.

9. Rachel Weisz

Again, not everyone was vibing with this look, but we loved how Rachel Weisz paired her blush-coloured Vera Wang tulle gown with gothic-inspired deep berry lips. The look she was going for, according to her, was "punky princess," and with her black choker and romantic updo, we think she nailed it.

10. Tyra Banks

Tyra Banks smized all night with her glamorous Badgley Mischka gown and wild cinnamon bun-style hairdo. And that red lip stain? Next level fierce for sure.

11. Madonna

Madonna went for it in 2009 with this head-turning Louis Vuitton headdress, which critics either praised as ingenious or referred to as a pair of bunny ears. To us, the best Met Gala looks are the ones that are the most memorable, so Madonna's loose curls, barely-there makeup, and top knot were totally in vogue.

Image Source: Getty / Marcel Thomas

12. Rosario Dawson

Rosario Dawson may have played it safe with her coral Diane von Furstenberg strapless gown, but she looked like the picture of elegance with her loose chignon, especially with those cute curls framing her face. Her shiny red lips and barely-there eye makeup pulled the whole look together perfectly.

13. Jessica Stam

Doll-faced model Jessica Stam paired her futuristic Rodarte cocktail dress with side-swept bangs and a classic 1940s-style wave, with the rest of her hair pulled back in an artfully messy bun. Her makeup is also beautifully understated, with that black kohl liner making her blue eyes pop.

14. Ashley Olsen

Only Ashley Olsen could pull off that dramatic eye makeup and trendy asymmetrical lob (though we've definitely tried and failed). Her relatively simply white gown from her own label and nude lips allowed her to really play up her big green eyes and cool cut.

15. Ciara

Ciara dazzled with this slinky backless Pucci dress and made the slicked-back super-long pony cool way before Ariana Grande ever did. That highlight and soft cateye definitely elevated her style into the realm of the elites.

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