There’s no place like the Met Gala to make a dramatic beauty statement. It’s arguably the most important and influential red carpet event of the year, even moreso than the Oscars or the Grammys, and the internet is glued to the livestream watching the attendees arrive. All eyes are on you as you ascend the stairs in your custom designer ensemble, and Tyla made the most of her Met Gala moment not with a jaw-dropping piece of couture, but with a new shade of buttery golden blonde hair.

The 2025 gala was Tyla’s second Met; she attended last year in a Balmain gown made of sand, but this year she opted for a glittering, off-the-shoulder Jacquemus gown with an Old Hollywood silhouette and sweeping cape. Her hair was also an ode to the past, crafted by hairstylist Yusef as a tribute to stars like Josephine Baker, Lena Horne, and Joyce Bryant. “I was inspired by the fierce elegance of Black women from the 1930s and ’50s,” Yusef said. “Joyce was the blueprint: bold, glamorous, and unapologetically provocative. Every sculpted wave and glossy finish in Tyla’s look was a tribute to that fearless spirit.”

Tyla’s hair, styled in her signature short pixieish length, was a warm, radiant golden honey color that sparkled against her diamond jewelry and crisp white pinstripe gown. To craft the classic short curls, Yusef prepped her hair with OGX Bond Protein Repair Sealing Serum, then set her hair in a classic roller set to create the waves. He let the rollers cool and the curls set, then spritzed OGX Bond Protein Repair Heat Protectant Spray for moisture and softness. For hold without stiffness or crunchiness, Yusef reached for OGX Flexible Hold Hairspray, then applied OGX Bond Protein Repair 3-in-1 Oil Mist for “luminous shine and movement.” As a special final touch worthy of the Met Gala, he spritzed a bit of Parfums de Marly perfume on Tyla’s hair to “wrap the look in luxury.”

Pat McGrath also looked to Baker for inspiration, as well as Dorothy Dandridge and Jean Harlow. “The look focused on sultry smokey eyes using warm nudes and deep browns from Mothership I and XII,” McGrath shared. “For her luminous skin, I used my Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection System because Tyla’s complexion is absolutely divine. We also played with the brow—arched, softened, and gently toned to echo a new kind of modern Hollywood.”

More from the Met Gala:

• Rihanna’s Met Gala Look Doubled as Her Third Preganncy Announcement
• Did Nicole Kidman Cut All Her Hair Off for the Met Gala?
• Megan Thee Stallion’s Met Gala Ponytail Defies the Laws of Physics

Now, watch Tyla prep for her first Met Gala:

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