The defining lip trend of 2026? It has to be the blurred lip. But Gigi Hadid is proving that a strong, defiant cupid’s bow is just as timeless as it is glamorous.
Hadid stepped out for the 2026 Breakthrough Prize Ceremony yesterday evening in a form-fitting, crystal-white David Koma gown with lashings of Anayam London jewels. The dress featured a halterneck fastened with a silver coin and sculpted bodice that fell into a contouring skirt. Glam doubled down on that classic, vintage air thanks to Hadid’s longtime friends and glam squad, makeup artist Patrick Ta and hairstylist Dimitris Giannetos.
“For the lips, I always choose a tone that complements the blush so the overall makeup feels harmonious,” Ta shares with Vogue. “Here, I selected a shade about four to five tones deeper than her natural lip color. I usually start by finding a lip liner that mirrors the natural undertone of the lip, then adjust the depth up or down depending on the finish I want.” The final result felt reminiscent of a silver screen siren like Marlene Dietrich, a vintage silhouette cast in a contemporary nude. The rest of Hadid’s makeup leaned into both her and Ta’s signatures: a luminous highlight, warm blush, and soft bronzed contour, plus a cool eye finished with a feline flick and fanning lashes that elongated the eye.
Giannetos also shared how he got the vintage-style, “big, bouncy, angelic” curls down. The key for the look, he says, was the prep. “I set the hair in tiny curls and clipped them till they cooled down,” he explains. “Then, with a big paddle brush, I brushed through the hair and backcombed all the hair solid, for a more vintage effect. I middle-parted the hair and pinned the sides up, leaving down some face-framing pieces.” Earlier this week, Hadid swapped her flippy bob to return to extra-long lengths with a c-shaped blunt cut that now falls to her chest, thanks to Giannetos. All that hair accentuates its flaxen and deeper tones, and last night’s ’do was super sleek and sophisticated.
The Breakthrough Prize, which awards outstanding contributions in mathematics and science, was a star-studded affair, also welcoming Anne Hathaway, Lily Collins, Naomi Watts, and more. The dress code of the evening very much leaned into classic, elegant red carpet codes with gowns and glam. Michelle Williams wore a black and gold sculpted Fforme dress with her hair in a sophisticated up-do, paired with a tomato red lip. Lily Collins wore a strapless, draped, deep mustard Saint Laurent column gown and a razor-edged bob to complement the clean lines.
The blurred lip has been the makeup trend du jour among the celebrities: from Sarah Pidgeon to Mia Goth, Charli xcx and Sadie Sink. (More often than not, it’s been crafted by blurred lip pioneer and makeup artist Nina Park.) Even the trend-transcending Amal Clooney has given the diffused lip a try.
But on Gigi Hadid, the strong lip stays winning. And with the return of ’90s-era matte makeup, it makes total sense. Velvety skin finishes balance coverage with wearability, perfect as temperatures begin to creep up toward summer, and for all the celebrities doing the step and repeat under the hot red carpet lights. What else follows? Sculpted brows, smoky eyes, and structure to the face without heaviness. To do it like Gigi—and all the ’90s supermodel icons before her—keep these strong lips brown or red, lined in a darker shade for dimension with contoured corners for a vampy end product. Lip pencils at the ready, plump your pout!
