The 24 Best Celebrity Beauty Moments of 2024
These were the defining celebrity makeup, hair, and nail looks of the year.
2024 was the year beauty maximalism came back with a glitter tear-streaked vengeance, and I couldn't have been happier to witness it. Think Charli XCX's bratty curls, Kendall Jenner's rich-girl blonde, and the big diva bouffant Miley Cyrus wore to the Grammys. Think Sabrina Carpenter and Hailey Bieber's expertly-layered cream blushes. Think Chappell Roan and Cynthia Erivo's elaborate manicures. What unites the year's top celebrity beauty moments is a sense of playfulness—and over-the-top commitment to serving a look.
Ahead, revisit the 24 best celebrity makeup, hair, and nail moments we spent all of 2024 staring at.
Zendaya's Preppy Wimbledon Glam
Zendaya applies lip gloss with a cherry red manicure and honey blonde curls at Wimbledon.
Zendaya's Challengers-era honey blonde era may be gone, but it's most certainly not forgotten. For me, the look peaked when she attended Wimbledon in a preppy tweed blazer and pearl earrings accessorized with a cherry red manicure, taupe shimmer eyeshadow, and curls pulled into a high bun. The mid-match lip gloss reapplication was merely icing in the cake.
Charli XCX's Bratty Curls
Charli XCX's dark glossy curls became her Brat-era calling card.
Charli XCX's Brat album may very well be 2024's most important cultural export. With the help of hairstylist Matt Bens, the pop star's decision to sport her naturally curly texture throughout the album cycle empowered many to do the same.
"We decided to ditch the straightening so often and embrace her natural hair," Bens explained to Byrdie. "It was all about an attitude, something completely different, a little anti...So naturally, an erratic curl pattern fit."
As for the secret to keeping a party girl's hair so healthy on tour? Per Bens, it's all about K18.
Kylie Jenner's Soft Glam Make-Under
Kylie Jenner's makeup takes a minimalist turn with flushed cheeks and glossy lips.
Kylie Jenner's glam underwent a major vibe shift in 2024. At Paris Fashion Week in January, as well as the Met Gala months later in May, the beauty mogul showcased a softer side with girlish curls, rosy cheeks, and nude eye makeup pared back to the bare minimum—no heavy contour, matte lips, or dense lashes in sight.
Sabrina Carpenter's Blonde Blowout and Babydoll Blush
Sabrina Carpenter's signature look features cool pink blush and fluffy blonde bangs.
You couldn't spend more than two minutes on TikTok without running into a video about Sabrina Carpenter's cheeks or hair this year. Her bouncy blonde blowout with curtain bangs looked so good on the Short 'n Sweet Tour that it prompted many to wonder whether she was wearing a wig. Her bright pink doll-face blush became so indelible that her makeup artist Carolina Gonzalez was left with no choice but to release the star's go-to color combination: Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Cheek Tints in shades 53 Bold Pink and 62 Delicate Mauve.
Doja Cat's Glitter Tears
Doja Cat's Met Gala glitter tears were the work of makeup artist Pat McGrath.
Doja Cat left her hotel in nothing but a couple of towels on her way to the 2024 Met Gala before changing into a sopping wet T-shirt dress en route. But frankly, the clothes (or lack thereof) hardly mattered because her makeup completely stole the show. Legendary makeup artist Pat McGrath layered iridescent fake tears atop runny black mascara to perfectly crystallize the look of having a glamorous meltdown in the shower.
Chappell Roan's Museum-Worthy Manicures
Chappell Roan collaborates with manicurist Juan Alvear on most of her extravagant manicures.
I will never be bored so long as there's another avant-garde Chappell Roan manicure in the works. Nail artist Juan Alvear was the steady hand behind her greatest hits, including her honey-dipped pink gingham nails for her Saturday Night Live debut and her spiky dagger nails at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards—both of which were created with Aprés products.
Rihanna's Platinum Streaks
Rihanna made a quick change from natural honey blonde curls for her Fenty Hair launch party to a sleek brunette blowout with icy highlights.
Rihanna's quick change from honey blonde natural curls for her Fenty Hair launch party to a cool-toned brunette blowout with icy platinum blonde highlights ten days later was a masterful feat of self-transformation. She looks gorgeous with both styles, but her skunk highlights—worn to cheer on her man at his debut American Sabotage runway show in Paris—left me wondering just how far the indie sleaze revival might go.
Miley Cyrus's 'Barbarella' Bouffant
Miley Cyrus won big at the 2024 Grammys with a pile of teased hair.
Miley Cyrus marked her big night at the 2024 Grammys with even bigger hair. Hairstylist Bob Recine teased her highlighted brunette locks into a '70s-inspired bouffant that paid homage to Jane Fonda in Barbarella as well as actor Raquel Welch. It was a look that screamed glamour from every follicle and symbolized the "Flowers" singer's rightful place in a lineage of pop divas throughout music history.
Kendall Jenner's Rich-Girl Blonde
The late Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy inspired Kendall Jenner's dramatic blonde hair transformation.
While in town for New York Fashion Week, Kendall Jenner stopped by celebrity stylist Jenna Perry's salon for a blonde hair transformation.
“It took me two days to take her this gorgeous shade of golden blonde,” Perry told Vogue of the visit. “She is really inspired by the '90s and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy right now.”
With a suitcase full of minimalist outfits to match her new cut and color, the model got to live out her '90s It-girl fantasy later that month at Paris Fashion Week.
Selena Gomez's Billionaire Lob
Selena Gomez debuted her lob at the 2024 Academy Museum Gala in October.
Selena Gomez got this elegant lob haircut one month after becoming a billionaire, and two months before getting engaged to boyfriend Benny Blanco. Coincidence? I think not.
Ayo Edebiri's Brushed-Out Waves
Ayo Edebiri's brushed-out waves lent a beachy vibe to her Loewe look at the BoF 500 Gala in September.
Don't get me wrong, I loved the cheeky little blunt bob Ayo Edebiri debuted at the 2024 Golden Globes in January. But I'm partial to the long, brushed-out waves she wore to the Emmys and the BoF 500 Gala in September. There's something so beachy and effortless about the combination of this floral Loewe hoop skirt dress, black flip flop heels, skin-focused glam, and '70s-inspired hair. She looked like vacation incarnate.
Dua Lipa's Aura Nails
Dua Lipa flashes cherry red tie-dye nails and blue airbrush aura nails.
Dua Lipa was directly responsible for my obsession with airbrush nail art this year. Celebrity nail artist Mei Kawajiri gave the pop star the black and blue aura manicure she wore to perform at the TIME100 Gala in April. The New York City-based manicurist also created the cherry red tie-dye airbrush stencil set the pop star flashed on Instagram after her trip to Washington, D.C. in October.
Gigi Hadid's Flippy Blonde Bob
Gigi Hadid documented her big chop to a bob on Instagram in March.
Gigi Hadid was so excited to embrace the flippy bob trend in March that she asked a friend to document the whole process on Instagram. The new haircut came courtesy of celebrity hairstylist Chris McMillan, who lopped nearly half her hair to create this chin-length masterpiece.
Drew Barrymore's Throwback
Drew Barrymore recreated her iconic 2003 Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle premiere look on her talk show.
For a June edition of The Drew Barrymore Show, the actor and host decided to recreate her often-reposted look from the 2003 New York City premiere of Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle. She even had a replica of her iconic graphic T-shirt emblazoned with "My boyfriend's out of town" printed to complete the vision. She also recruited hairstylist Chris Appleton and makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury to nail her throwback icy blonde hair and smoky eyes.
Meghan Markle's Shiny Shoulders
Meghan Markle collarbones find their light at the Paley Honors Tribute to Tyler Perry on Dec. 4.
One glimpse of Markle's gleaming collarbones at Paley Honors Tribute to Tyler Perry in December sent me down a rabbit hole searching for her favorite body care. Luckily, makeup artist Daniel Martin didn't make us wait long for the exact product he used on the American Riviera Orchard founder's chest and shoulders: Live Tinted's liquid highlighter drops in the shade "Golden Hour."
Cynthia Erivo's Goddess Nails
Behold: Cynthia Erivo's Elphaba-inspired Wicked press tour manicures.
Already a nail art obsessive long before she was cast, Cynthia Erivo herself made the clever decision to center micro-braids and full sets in Elphaba's styling for Wicked parts one and two. That said, the actor and OPI ambassador saved her best manicures for the press tour. In the run-up to the film's Thanksgiving release, Erivo treated the public to an ever-changing lineup of green, red, and black Greek Goddess nails embellished with gems, charms, and hand-painted designs.
Hailey Bieber's Cinnamon Girl Makeup
Hailey Bieber wears cinnamon girl makeup on her birthday, as seen in her TikTok makeup tutorial.
No one took the cinnamon girl makeup trend more personally than Hailey Bieber. The Rhode founder released a terracotta-colored Pocket Blush as well as a limited-edition lip tint inspired by the monochromatic warm brown look. She even filmed a TikTok tutorial of her take on the trend, which promptly racked up nearly two million likes.
Quannah Chasinghorse's Lavender Haze
Quannah Chasinghorse brought sheer, ethereal shimmer to the 2024 Met Gala.
Quannah Chasinghorse’s 2024 Met Gala makeup look is destined to live rent-free in my mind forever. Makeup artist Katey Denno used Half Magic's colorful array of paints and powders to create her lilac eyeshadow, blue eyeliner, and the halo of purple duo-chrome shimmer encircling her cheeks and temples. Sheer, ethereal shimmer was an overarching trend of the year, and this look foretold it back in May.
Lily-Rose Depp's Nude 'Nosferatu'
Lily-Rose Depp collaborated with makeup artist Nina Park on her Nosferatu press tour glam.
Lily-Rose Depp got the scream queen treatment on her Nosferatu press tour thanks to Chanel makeup artist Nina Park, the actor's trusted collaborator since 2018. Paying homage to both Victorian beauty standards and Depp's love of '90s makeup with a muted brown color palette, Park cleverly chose to accent—rather than conceal—the actor's naturally downturned pout, high cheekbones, and deep-set eyes for a sultry-yet-haunted look.
Taylor Swift's Rainproof 'Eras Tour' Lipstick
Taylor Swift wore the same Pat McGrath red lipstick to every stop of the Eras Tour.
Taylor Swift wore the same red lipstick to all 149 stops of the Eras Tour and no one ever saw it budge—not even during rain shows. Her go-to shade, Pat McGrath LiquiLust Legendary Wear Matte Lipstick in Elson 4, is already sold out again following a recent restock. But I have a feeling the shade will become more readily available in the coming year, now that she's no longer criss-crossing the globe.
Coco Gauff's Coquette Bow Braids
Tennis legend Coco Gauff secures her red, white, and blue-streaked braids with a white bow at the Paris Olympics.
Nail art and hair accessories were the defining trends of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. For her matches at Roland Garros, tennis player Coco Gauff tapped into the coquette trend by topping her signature braids with a crisp white bow. The style also incorporated patriotic red, white, and blue strands to match her uniform.
Beyoncé's Betty Davis Halloween Costume
Beyoncé poses as Betty Davis for Halloween.
Beyonce outdid herself with her Betty Davis Halloween costume this year. The Cowboy Carter singer recreated the cover art of Davis's 2005 compilation album, This Is It in a plunging zebra print bodysuit with furry-trimmed shoulder pads. But her glossy red lipstick, shimmering silver eyeshadow, and teased afro really cinched the look.
Pamela Anderson's Golden Globe-Nominated Bangs
Pamela Anderson debuts bangs at SAG-AFTRA's special screening of The Last Showgirl in Los Angeles.
The Pamela Anderson renaissance was already scheduled to continue well into next year with the forthcoming release of The Last Showgirl, in which she plays the leading role. But 2024 ended with a bang—literally and figuratively—for the star following news of her first-ever Golden Globe nomination. Technically, Anderson debuted her fresh set of blonde bangs a week before the announcement at SAG-AFTRA's special screening of the film in Los Angeles. But I hope they stick around for awards season.
Chappell Roan's Madame Butterfly Transformation
Chappell Roan posing in her pink butterfly costume and makeup at Coachella.
Euphoria makeup artist Donni Davy devised Chappell Roan's hot pink antenna brows and gem-encrusted eyes for her Coachella weekend-two performance. Combined with the star's Lady Miss Kier-inspired butterfly costume and Roan's cascade of red curls, this was undeniably the most daring and transformational look of the year.
