We’ve seen the beauty realm evolve in a multitude of ways over the past decade. Long gone are the days when celebrity beauty ops would be dedicated solely to the red carpet with techniques used often obscured from the public eye. We’ve fast moved on to an aspirational age of social media: how-to tutorials by the professional artists themselves, established content creators sharing their own cosmetic hacks and even full-face routines by some of the biggest A-listers. And we’ve all emerged the better for it.
It’s undeniable—the likes of Instagram and TikTok have given us all a space for unabashed self-expression. And for some, an artfully made-up mien or a customised change of talons are the perfect canvases to do so. Pop culture has had significant influence in the sphere; with entire visuals modelled after films of the ’80s or popular drama Euphoria, the latter for that hit of Y2K. Experimentation is abound, with novice creators and popular personalities alike attempting to ace a make-up look that is all the rage or share a thematic one-off look for others to recreate.
Then begs the question: how do we sieve out the best of all? Make-up trends surely begin somewhere, and learning from our seasoned celebrities is never a bad place to start if you’re feeling overwhelmed. Vogue Singapore might be of help to you on that front—with our monthly curation of captivating beauty moments, courtesy of our favourite faces from Hollywood, the K-pop scene and more, just for that fresh jazz of inspiration.
The month of May always beckons some of the greatest celebrity hair and make-up outings—considering it’s shared by fashion’s biggest night and the annual Cannes Film Festival. Notably for the Met, some of the most outstanding beauty swerves came from the likes of Zendaya, FKA Twigs and Tyla. Meanwhile, fascinating hairdos such as Simone Ashley’s sculptural turn, Joey King’s sweet bob and Anya Taylor-Joy‘s headpiece were all memorably spotted in Cannes. Over on the other side of the world, recent comebacks such as XG’s ‘Woke Up’ has been all the rage, with Cocona’s buzz cut being one that sent her fans into equal frenzy.
Feast your eyes on the full assortment of this month’s best celeb beauty moments, below.
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Barbara Palvin
One who doesn’t shy away from classic glamour, Barbara Palvin went with the oldest trick in the beauty handbook. Cue deliciously beachy waves and a quintessential scarlet pout for her attendance at Cannes.
2 / 14
Joey King
Joey King surely knows to stun on a red carpet. For the closing ceremony in Cannes, the actor swapped out her long, wavy tresses for a chic, old money bob—accented by a single bobby pin—to achieve a look of simple elegance with her Miu Miu look.
3 / 14
FKA Twigs
A resplendent vision at the Met, FKA Twigs’s diamond-studded mien only served as the perfect complement to her custom Stella McCartney gown—made of lab-grown diamonds. It was fittingly matched by a gravity-defying, sculptural updo that heightened the drama of her entire look.
4 / 14
Greta Lee
At this year’s Met Gala, Greta Lee proved her fashion fluidity yet again. As an off-kilter contrast against her weightless Loewe gown, the actor swapped out a more feminine hairdo for an edgier mullet and micro bangs.
5 / 14
Anya Taylor-Joy
For the photo call of ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, Anya Taylor-Joy sought out yet another mesmerising headpiece—one that would deem her fit of royalty. To finish the look, her signature kohl-lined peepers served as the perfect contrast to her pristine white ensemble.
6 / 14
Gwendoline Christie
As if her appearance on that viral Maison Margiela couture runway wasn’t enough, Gwendoline Christie continued her stunning theatrical streak at the Met, where she sauntered in with a fluffy, statuesque updo and porcelain doll make-up that called to mind that very same runway.
7 / 14
Cocona of XG
By way of shocking hair transformations from the celebrity set so far? XG’s Cocona certainly takes the cake, as she opted for a buzz cut for the septet’s latest comeback. For the album jacket, a dazzling cascade of crystals was the glistening final touch, embellishing a soft, under-eye blush.
8 / 14
Rihanna
For all of a whirlwind weekend, Rihanna opted for a candy-coloured pink wig that certainly stole the show during her appearance at the Puma pop-up in Miami, whilst supporting her partner A$AP Rocky.
9 / 14
Karina of Aespa
She’s a supernova. For Aespa’s latest comeback, Karina opted for a cat-like transformation: opting for a mien streaked in electric pink, and a pair of high pigtails to complete the look.
10 / 14
Tyla
Luminous, lit-from-within skin? Check. Perfectly lip-lined lips? Check. Wet, textured tresses? Check. So there you had it: Tyla at the Met, in all her glowing glory.
11 / 14
Lisa
Seems like Lisa’s looking to double down on the smokey eye. For her appearance at her F1 Grand Prix in Monaco, the K-pop mega star swapped out her usual soft glam for darker shadows that felt more lived-in and smudged out.
12 / 14
Saoirse Ronan
At the Louis Vuitton cruise 2025 show, Saoirse Ronan served up laid back edge on a platter—a clean, spotless complexion enlivened by a brick-hued pout and her blonde textured bob swept to one side.
13 / 14
Simone Ashley
Simone Ashley elevated her look at Cannes with an artfully swept-up updo that drew the focus to her sculpted cheeks and plum pout.
14 / 14
Zendaya
There was never a question of Zendaya’s ability to ace the Met Gala’s theme, and she wore her breathtaking Maison Margiela gown with a transformative beauty look of thin brows, berry-swatched peepers and a wine-stained pout that rewarded her with a fearsome, blazing gaze.
