Sabrina Carpenter is officially in the building! The musician took us back to the '20s with her time-traveling beauty look at the 2026 Met Gala, fusing flapper cheekiness with classic silent movie star glamour.
Carpenter, who is on the host committee for the event, looked every bit the screen siren, swapping her usual ‘60s and ’70s-inspired bombshell blowout for a delightful twist on the faux bob. Her hair was curled up in big, thick ringlets in varying directions to give it the illusion of a cut from the front, though it's obvious she didn't lose any actual length for the big night. We're fascinated by the mechanics of this hairstyle; how were her curls pinned up to stay in place all night long and hold their shape so beautifully?
Here it is from the front:
And now, the truly stunning back view. Those big rolls! That bounce! I feel like she's going to Charleston right off the red carpet.
“With Sabrina's Dior look being made from film, there was a cinematic and archival theme to her look,” said hairstylist Evanie Frausto. “Sabrina has such a refined, timeless sensibility. I wanted the hair to feel like a modern interpretation of Old Hollywood: hair that felt intentional and polished from every angle going up the Met Gala steps.”
Frausto prepped Carpenter's hair with Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Leave-In Treatment and Big Blowout gel, then blew it dry with a smooth finish. He pinned the sides back tightly and rolled them under for a “sleek, contoured shape,” then built two additional rolls at the nape of the neck that swept back and outward. “The placement and direction of each roll was key to balancing structure with softness and keeping the look elevated rather than overly set.” To hold her style in place, he combined Spray Wax, Shine Flash, and Control Hairspray.
Atop her curls, Carpenter wore a sparkling headpiece of dangling faux diamonds; zoom in and you'll see the center stone actually reads “Sabrina.” Her makeup was a softer version of her usual onstage glamour, with rose-brown tones on her eyes and lips. The star mimicked the film strip “fabric” of her high-necked halter dress with her black-tipped manicure, which began with a shimmery chrome base and ended with black tips dotted with shimmering stones.
While the faux-short style is a departure from Carpenter, who typically wears her hair quite long, the vintage-inspired details are not. She loves a throwback, and this ode to ‘20s Hollywood was definitely not the retro glam we thought she’d channel for the Met Gala—but we love it.
Fun moments from the Met Gala:
- The Best Beauty Looks at the 2026 Met Gala
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Now, revisit last year's red carpet:
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