VMAs 2026: Bleached Brows, Cat-Eyes and Cherry Red Dominate
The 2026 MTV VMAs red carpet delivered bleached brows, cherry cola red hair, sharp cat-eyes and Y2K braids, with Teyana Taylor, Lisa, Raye and Chlöe Bailey leading the night's standout beauty looks.
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The takeaway
- Chlöe Bailey wore bleached brows with icy-blond tendrils in a coiled updo, signaling the trend's return at the 2026 VMAs.
- Raye's cherry cola-red hair and glossy wine-colored lips positioned red as a leading fall hair-color inspiration.
- Teyana Taylor's braided space buns, smoky eye and contoured lip gave her look a Y2K twist on the red carpet.
Bleached brows, rock-star smoky eyes and Y2K braids carried the red carpet at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, with nine looks standing out to beauty editors watching the ceremony.
Teyana Taylor anchored the trend story. Her braided space buns, styled with a subtly smoky eye and a contoured lip, added what editors described as "a Y2K twist to the star's playful red-carpet look." The hairstyle framed a feather boa and beaded gown.
Ella Bright, star of Off Campus, offered the night's lesson in restraint. Her sultry brown makeup read as "a masterclass in understated yet impactful beauty." She paired it with darker, smokier brown hair, center-parted and styled in waves that balanced softness with structure.
Lisa pushed the cat-eye into new territory. The singer's sharp flick at this year's VMAs, according to coverage of the event, "proves that the makeup trend isn't just for millennials." She completed the monochromatic effect with statement earrings and matching red hair accessories.
Raye delivered the strongest hair-color signal of the evening for the fall season. Her cherry cola-red shade, worn with voluminous Old Hollywood-inspired curls, gave editors at Bazaar "plenty of fall hair-color inspiration." Glossy, wine-colored lips added depth against her shimmery halter-neck gown.
Charli XCX confirmed rock-star glam as a defining mood of the night. Her smoky makeup and sleek black hair set the tone that ran through several other looks on the carpet.
Taylor Swift kept the focus on the cut. Her sleek, shoulder-grazing haircut — a shift regardless of whether she reads as blonde or brunette — "deserves a moon man," per the coverage. The "Patient Zero" singer finished the look with a rose-nude lip and classic winged liner.
Chlöe Bailey made the case for bleached brows. Her edgy makeup "expertly accentuates the icy-blond tendrils in her coiled updo," marking a return of the bleached-brow trend on a major awards stage.
Sombr extended the rock-star thread. His guyliner and "effortlessly tousled curls" drew praise as part of the evening's heavier makeup direction.
Sienna Spiro closed the list with retro references. The songwriter's Twiggy-inspired lashes and bombshell hair formed what editors called "a recipe for beauty success," and her vintage-styled glam stood out as one of the carpet's sharpest looks.
Taken together, the 2026 VMAs red carpet split its beauty cues between decades: Y2K braids and space buns on one side, Twiggy lashes, Old Hollywood waves and winged liner on the other, with cherry cola red and bleached brows positioned as the looks most likely to shape salon and makeup requests heading into fall.
Source: Harper's Bazaar Beauty
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Staff writer covering media and advertising at Eurasian Beauty Journal.
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