Keep reading to see a 360-degree view of the red carpet from the neck up, and don’t forget to zoom in on every winged eyeliner look and plaited ponytail.
Vanessa Hudgens stayed true to her bohemian beauty style with whimsical waves on the VMAs red carpet. She added braids and jewelry to make the half-up look stand out.
Has Taylor Swift given up on her signature red lip for good? The superstar went nude with her lip to balance out the inky black eye makeup.
Selena Gomez went for an all-natural beauty look on the VMAs red carpet. Her long hair was curled into waves, and her face was devoid of heavy makeup.
Rita Ora decided on a dramatic, black smoky eye for the night and left the rest of her makeup neutral.
Rebel Wilson is like a superhero in our eyes, and for this red carpet, her hair fit that role. She wore a pompadour and ponytail combination. Then, she dyed her ends to match her lipstick!
Ever since Nicki Minaj gave up her pink wigs and pastel lip looks, her beauty has been more eye focused. This red carpet appearance was all about the winged eyeliner.
Miley Cyrus completely remixed her look for her VMAs hosting gig. She added a lengthy dreadlocked ponytail to her pixie cut. Perhaps her look for the night had a mermaid theme? That would also tie in the turquoise blue eyeliner and pearl hair accessory.
Kylie Jenner is a woman of many hairstyles (or wigs). For the VMAs, she tried on a brunette bombshell look with bangs included.
Kim Kardashian’s pregnancy pout faded into the background when she applied a nude lipstick. Her brown eyes were on full display, thanks to a few added lashes.
Purple and red, typically contrasting colors, somehow worked together for Kelly Osbourne’s beauty look on the VMAs red carpet.
Coming down the red carpet as a part of Taylor’s girl crew, Karlie wore very little makeup. Her look was all about a bouncy blowout and bronzed skin.
Hanging with Taylor Swift requires a certain amount of beauty badass-ery. Hailee Steinfeld added some edge to her look with winged eyeliner and a sleek, middle-parted style.
It looks like Gigi Hadid had an appointment at the spray-tanning booth (or just got back from a really amazing vacation). Her golden skin was accentuated with highlighter and a slicked-back hairstyle.
FKA ditched her typical braided styles for a curly, natural look. But she didn’t stray from her signature bold brows and septum ring.
Emily Ratajkowski is one model who defines laid-back cool. Her hair and makeup on the red carpet looked perfectly rolled around in!
Look at those lashes! Demi Lavoto put the spotlight on her eyes for the VMAs with her hair pulled back away from her face.
Ciara debuted a new short bob at the VMAs, but no one’s calling this a mom cut!
Chrissy Teigen didn’t settle for the average braid for the VMAs red carpet. She wore this twisted plait instead that looked even better from the back.
With her hair swept over to one side, Cara Delevingne made room to show off her flushed cheeks and rosy lip shade.
Britney Spears was channeling ’90s cool with her sky-blue ponytail, but her winged eyeliner was more modern chic.
Bella Thorne has a way of making a casual topknot look red carpet ready. For the VMAs, she added a bold smoky eye.
Aubrey ODay – Braids on braids on braids! It wouldn’t be the VMAs without a double plaited hairstyle, and these pigtails fit the bill.
Amber played up her platinum-blond crop with a pale pink lip — and a conversation-starting ensemble.
Everyone knows the best part of the MTV Video Music Awards isn’t the actual music videos — it’s the beauty on the red carpet! This year with Miley Cyrus as the host, the standard for hair and makeup was raised 10 notches. She set the bar high with her dreadlock ponytail, but Taylor Swift (and her model-heavy entourage) answered the call with an equally amazing display of bronzed beauty.
