Emily Blunt's Spiky Bun at the Met Gala Is Very '90s Punk
According to hairstylist Laini Reeves, it was Kate Moss-inspired.
There has not been a shortage of gorgeous Met Gala beauty looks this year. With a theme of "Costume Art" and a dress code of "Fashion Is Art," designers, fashion insiders, and celebrities pulled out all the stops. Case in point: Emma Chamberlain's neon yellow inner corner eyeshadow, Sunday Rose's pink lids, Nicole Kidman's mermaid hair. But I'd be remiss not to shout out Emily Blunt's spiky bun, which is very '90s and very sleek.
According to hairstylist Laini Reeves, who was responsible for tonight's look, the hairstyle was inspired by a '90s look Guido Paolo created for Kate Moss. "The military-style corset had a lot of detailing and a high neck, so the hair had to go away and we had to keep it very tight," says Reeves. "I wanted it to look really wet and high-shine."
Emily Blunt at the 2026 Met Gala.
To achieve the perfect texture, she doused the hair in TRESemmé Bonding Oil and slicked it back into a center-parted ponytail. Now, here's where things get interesting. To add texture and grit back into the hair, Reeves grabbed dry shampoo and worked it through. "When you put a lot of oil in the hair, it's hard to fix it with bobby pins because it gets so slippery. The dry shampoo helps gunk it back up again," she explains.
To finish it off? She let the ends "peacock" out of the bun for a '90s vibe (it's very Jenna Rink, in my opinion). "We're really going back to these knots, and buns, and ponytails," she says. And for summer? What could be better? Or more humidity-proof.
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Samantha Holender is the Senior Beauty Editor at Marie Claire, where she reports on the best new launches, dives into the science behind skincare, and shares the breakdown on the latest and greatest trends in the beauty space. She's studied up on every ingredient you'll find on INCI list and is constantly in search of the world's glowiest makeup products. She's constantly tracking the biggest nail and hair trends to pop up in the beauty space, going backstage during fashion weeks, tracking celebrity looks, and constantly talking to celebrity hair stylists, nail artists, and makeup artists. Prior to joining the team, she worked as Us Weekly’s Beauty and Style Editor, where she stayed on the pulse of pop culture and broke down celebrity beauty routines, hair transformations, and red carpet looks. Her words have also appeared on Popsugar, Makeup.com, Skincare.com, Delish.com, and Philadelphia Wedding. Samantha also serves as a board member for the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME). She first joined the organization in 2018, when she worked as an editorial intern at Food Network Magazine and Pioneer Woman Magazine. Samantha has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from The George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs. While at GWU, she was a founding member of the school’s HerCampus chapter and served as its President for four years. When she’s not deep in the beauty closet or swatching eyeshadows, you can find her obsessing over Real Housewives and all things Bravo. Keep up with her on Instagram @samholender.