World's Most Beautiful 2026: Zendaya's 'Bixie' Cut, Margot Robbie's Method Makeup and More Big Beauty Moments of the Year

The red carpet looks, transformations and trends that shaped the pop culture conversation

The past year gave us plenty of unforgettable beauty moments.

In honor of our 2026 World’s Most Beautiful issue, we’re looking back at the bold, buzzy, and culture-shifting looks that were impossible to ignore — on red carpets, on social feeds and everywhere in between. Zendaya led the charge with her headline-making "bixie" cut, which delivered a ton of short hair inspiration and some serious red carpet drama. Alysa Liu captivated the 2026 Winter Olympics stage with fearless self-expression, flipping the script on figure skating style with her frenulum piercing and halo hair.

Meanwhile, the beauty world's boundaries kept expanding: from the viral obsession with salmon sperm skincare to acne getting a long-overdue, confidence-first rebrand (yes, we see you, Alix Earle).

Icons continued to redefine the conversation, too. Michelle Obama opened up about her braids on her book tour, sparking meaningful dialogue around hair, identity and visibility. And a powerhouse group of legends—Halle Berry! Cindy Crawford! Janet Jackson! — are proving that turning 60 isn’t about slowing down, but about stepping even more fully into your power, embracing a pro-aging mindset that feels both refreshing and overdue.

Scroll on for the buzzy beauty moments that didn’t just make headlines, but also set the tone for what’s to come.

01 of 13

Zendaya's 'Bixie' Cut

After a red carpet hiatus, Zendaya returned to the spotlight with a double flex: A ring on that finger and new hairstyle that launched the next “it” look. For The Drama press tour, her pro Ursula Stephen molded her hybrid haircut (a cross between a pixie and a bob) into everything from retro fingerwaves to an edgy wet look using products like the Moroccanoil Treatment Mist and Molding Cream.

02 of 13

Margot Robbie's Method Makeup

For the Wuthering Heights press tour, Robbie, 35, let the gothic romance influence both her red carpet outfits and glam. Makeup artist Pati Dubroff said she took a blush-forward approach, creating a windswept effect that fans dubbed “Brontë blush”—a flushed look that nods to the winds on England’s Yorkshire moors where Emily Brontë’s novel takes place. Dubroff’s signature trick was layering Chanel’s N°1 De Chanel Lip and Cheek Balm in Berry Boost and Red Camellia for a radiant effect. (It's no wonder you voted Robbie's press tour "Best Method Makeup" in our reader's choice poll!)

03 of 13

Odessa Azion's Curls Spark Debate

There was so much speculation around the Marty Supreme star’s hair (fans said spirals that thick and shiny had to be fake), that the actress, 25, set the record straight : “You think I can afford a wig like that?” she  joked, noting that she often styles it herself for events with Oribe Gold Lust Nourishing Oil.

04 of 13

60 Is the New Sexy

Six decades in and these boundary-breaking women still look just as radiant as they did 30 years ago.

Halle Berry: The Oscar winner is embracing her next decade with vigor. “I feel so renewed,” she told Drew Barrymore on her talk show. “I feel more ready to be my best self.”

Robin Wright: “It’s a number…I still feel like I’m in my early 30s,” Wright said of the milestone birthday during a candid conversation on the How To Fail with Elizabeth Day podcast.

Cindy Crawford: For the supermodel, turning 50 was “much harder” than 60. “Once I got over the hump of 50, I just realized there still is so much in front of me,” said the Meaningful Beauty founder, adding that she’s grateful to “feel good in my own skin.”

Janet Jackson: After more than 40 years in the industry, the music icon is still captivating arenas with her dance moves and glow. Hopefully 2026 will bring her next album as a birthday gift for us all.  

Salma Hayek Pinault: As an ambassador for Ultherapy Prime—a ultrasound treatment that lifts areas like the brow and neck—Hayek Pinault is owning beauty on her own terms. “I don’t need to look 20—I’m excited to look good at 50 and 60,” she said. “It’s a different kind of 

05 of 13

Alysa Liu's Halo Hair

With her infectious energy and signature striped hair, Liu
was impossible to miss at the Milan Olympics and quickly became
a fan-favorite. “I love to exercise self-expression,” Liu, 20, told People of her unique look. Slaying the game while staying true to yourself? As Liu said after she finished her gold medal-winning performance, “That’s what I’m f—ing talking about!”

06 of 13

Michelle Obama's Chic Book Tour

The former First Lady, 62, delivered one show-stopping ensemble after another while promoting her book The Look. Equally as striking was her candor, from sharing the freedom she found in wearing braids once she left the White House to dishing about the time she got 10 piercings at once. 

07 of 13

Apple Martin's LBD

The 21-year-old delivered a full-circle fashion moment at the Marty Supreme NYC premiere, stepping out in a Calvin Klein Collection dress plucked from mom Gwyneth Paltrow’s closet. She even styled it with an updo that mirrored Paltrow’s look at the Emma premiere three decades earlier.

08 of 13

Chase Infiniti's Dreamy Oscars Glam

For her first trip to the Academy Awards, the One Battle After Another star, 25, coordinated her ethereal lavender Louis Vuitton gown with soft purple eye shadow from the French label’s beauty line (LV Ombres Eyeshadow Palettes in #450 Cosmic Dreams) for a look we predict will be trending this prom season.

09 of 13

A Sexy Spin on Acne

Breakouts are getting a full-on rebrand thanks to these Gen Z heavy hitters.

At just 29, Hailey Bieber is a bonafide beauty mogul. Three years after she launched her company Rhode, e.l.f. Beauty acquired it for $1 billion. Now, she promises to bring her brand to “more faces, places and spaces.” One of those places? The new Spotwear collection designed with husband Justin Bieber. The cornerstone of the collab is hydrocolloid pimple patches in trendy shapes like shrooms and daisies.

And for Alix Earle, 25, acne has never been a behind-the-scenes struggle. “That’s the thing that skyrocketed my career,” she said of sharing her skin journey with her audience, which has reached over 8.4M on TikTok alone. That built-in fanbase showed up in a big way when she dropped her debut skin care line—Reale Actives. The four-product collection for acne-prone skin sold out in hours. 

10 of 13

Kris Jenner Name Drops Her Doc

When the KarJenner matriarch, 70, revealed she got a facelift with plastic surgeon Steven Levine, his NYC practice was so flooded with requests that Jenner had to give friends and family a secret password for consultations. 

11 of 13

The Salmon Sperm Skincare Boom

One of the hottest ingredients in beauty right now is PDRN, which is derived from sperm cells of salmon (yes, sperm) and used in skincare products to boost collagen. Everyone from TikToK influencers to celebs like Miley Cyrus are fans of the K-beauty innovation which you can now find in affordable drugstore formulas. 

Medicube PDRN Overnight Mask, $24; medicube.com

12 of 13

The CBK Effect Takes Hold

FX’s megahit Love Story put Carolyn Bessette Kennedy back in the spotlight as the ultimate ’90s style muse. Shoppers are emulating the late tastemaker’s look with clean silhouettes, neutral basics and of course that thick tortoiseshell headband. The trend even inspired a beauty revival: Face Stockholm just restocked her go-to Cranberry Veil lipstick shade.

13 of 13

Breakover Bobs

The best way to get over heartbreak is with a killer haircut. Just ask our parasocial besties Emily Cooper (Lily Collins) and Belly Conklin (Lola Tung), who sparked the “French girl bob” revival thanks to their roles  in Emily in Paris and The Summer I Turned Pretty.

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