Lady Gaga has always been in a league of her own. The pop icon—who has created a distinctive discography so electrifying and true to her bold, passionate nature—has inspired a legion of fans, all of whom have felt seen and heard through the raw energy of her music. And they’ve certainly all been awoken once again in recent months, ever since she dropped the thunderous dance anthem that is ‘Abracadabra’ as part of her Mayhem album release. Just last month, she also brought the roof down at Coachella, with her maddening theatrics and a transportive setlist that reached millions of her fans around the globe.
As for what’s in the air this weekend? There’s no shortage of mayhem in town, as Mother Monster herself opened the hall of fame for her Mayhem Ball Tour. The little monsters have come out to play, all taking turns to fall in for the pandemonium of a night with Lady Gaga herself. And whilst we’re looking at some equally ferocious outfit mania amid concert-goers—one we can only expect to see more of in the days to come—we’re bound to anticipate a scene of equally dramatic beauty looks too.
She’s a queen in that department after all. From her own concrete references to drag culture, as well as the longstanding establishment of her very own cult beauty brand Haus Labs, all signs point to one. Throughout her own scintillating career as well, the visual transformations were never short of a head-turning beauty beat.
There were the Coca Cola can rollers in ‘Telephone’—one we’ve even spotted a little monster sporting for Day 1. Then, the memorable hair bow of ‘Poker Face’. Or when Mother gave us everything she had in ‘Judas’, with her abstract liner designs and thinly-pencilled brows. The beauty looks to take inspiration from run the gamut, so there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be giving the Mayhem Ball your full glam. Catch all the inspo you need and recreate some of Lady Gaga’s most iconic beauty looks from her music videos here.
1 / 10
The lightning bolt for 'Just Dance'
Young Gaga had $20 and a dream. There was no debut like ‘Just Dance’, and she aced the indie sleaze aesthetic with some messy tightlining and concealer lips. But it was the tribute to David Bowie—in a cobalt lightning tattoo down her right eye—that’s certainly made it one to remember.
2 / 10
Coca Cola can hair rollers in 'Telephone'
‘Telephone’ was that song for so many reasons, but there’s no anarchy like Mother Monster still serving looks on prison time. Coke cans as hair rollers? Iconic.
3 / 10
Pencil-thin brows in 'Judas'
It was all about the eyes for ‘Judas’. Matched to her signature plum lip, the music video saw her work a flipped (under) liner look with a drawn-in pencil brow look that would go on to have much more legs in pop culture later on.
4 / 10
Undone and ethereal in 'Applause'
It was raw, it was sinister. ‘Applause’ came jam-packed with beauty looks to cop, from a smeared face paint moment to a doll-like porcelain appearance that teemed with the mood of John Galliano’s runways.
5 / 10
Hair bow in 'Pokerface'
To this day, the little monsters will be sure to bring up her hair bow moment from ‘Pokerface’ as one of her most legendary hairdos—one she went on to do many iterations of in her career.
6 / 10
The skeleton makeover of 'Born This Way'
A tribute to the queer community, Gaga epitomised the message of her song in this skeletal body art look—one she collaborated on with her late muse and friend Zombie Boy to achieve. In a single capture, she defiantly created an image that everyone shared, and could identify with.
7 / 10
The cupid bow lip in 'Paparazzi'
The very picture of weird. In her scheme to poison her on-screen boyfriend Alexander Skarsgård, the ending moments of ‘Paparazzi’ sees Gaga rock this blonde wig, some very lengthy lashes as well as a clownish cupid bow lip in a severe shade of black.
8 / 10
The austere glamour of 'Alejandro'
Oh, the gothic beauty of ‘Alejandro’. According to her longtime make-up collaborator Val Garland, it was time to pare back and give in to the incredible austerity of her own beauty. Beyond her vampy cold, red lips, her brows were bleached, her lashes and hair were her own, and her skin was given a frosty-pale sheen.
9 / 10
Punk swerves in 'The Edge of Glory'
If there’s a Gaga look that could scream punk, this would be it. With her half-bleached wig, the purposefully mussed-up liners and crimson red pout.
10 / 10
The royal reign of 'Abracadabra'
A glorious return, if there ever was one. Mother Monster made sure to ascertain her status as a fashion and beauty chameleon with this comeback—and chose to go the monochromatic route of sunset lids and a brick red lip to go with her burgundy ensemble.
