Ready or not, award season is upon us again, starting with the 2026 Emmy Awards—and with it, the red carpet looks that often stir up more chatter than the trophies.
We’ve been eagerly awaiting how inevitably stunning Elle Fanning, Ayo Edebiri, and Sarah Pidgeon will be, looking wholly different from the roles that got them their nominations. And while there has been no shortage of Zendaya red-carpet beauty thrills this year—she singlehandedly inspired so many trends in just the last few months—we’ve come nowhere near reaching our limit, nor has her always innovative glam team.
Speaking of inspiration, the Emmys red carpet has become a bit of a beauty scouting mission. Just like the ongoing Fashion Month is offering up some of the most interesting hair and makeup ideas for 2027, celebrity invitees prompt trips to salons and virtual lipstick swatch try-ons simply by sauntering across the screen and posing for what will be widely shared photos. The fun is in the tiniest details: the placement of a part, the highlight on a cheekbone, the way a manicure complements an eye shadow shade, and countless other particulars that can shift the course of how we’ll play with our own hair and makeup.
We’re keeping track of the Emmy beauty moments that are making us look twice (or maybe five or six times), so be sure to scroll through the looks below and vote for the ones you like best. Because while there’s only one Emmy for each category, there’s no reason we can’t have multiple winners for our own imaginary best hair, best makeup, and best manicure honors.
