Moody makeup set the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards on fire on Sunday night in Los Angeles, where a bevy of artists — including Teyana Taylor, Charli XCX and Sombr — arrived on the carpet with charcoal-coated eyes.
The dark shadow, which wrapped around their lids and melted over their bottom lash lines, nodded to the growing indie sleaze movement that’s infiltrated every red carpet and runway for the last couple of months. The placement, however, marked a modern revival — one that could very well filter down to the everyday woman on the street — and more likely, in the club — this fall. Here, a closer look at the gothic detail as seen on Sunday night.
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Teyana Taylor
Clad in a feather-trimmed frock by Zuhair Murad, Teyana Taylor took the “tired eyes” trend to a new level, blending black shadow with gray and blue shades on the outer edges of her lids and up into the brow bone. The melting pot of moody hues carried into her bottom line like a thin shadow.
Charli XCX
No stranger to post-party eyes, Charli XCX boasted a ring of black shadow that stole the spotlight throughout the early 2000s. The statement-making hue added to her “brat but make it vogue” vibe and mirrored the hue of her short, inky layers. With so much happening north of her nose, the artist kept her lip natural, reaching for a nude shade.
The “360” performer has been working with makeup artist Yasmin Istanbouli; however, Istanbouli has yet to be named the artist behind her Sunday night look. WWD has reached out for confirmation.
Sombr
Thanks to celebrity groomer Jamie Taylor, Sombr added texture to his curls and buffed his signature black liner way below his bottom line on Sunday, carrying the color into his eye bags and above. Teamed with a custom ERL fall 2026 getup, which included a fluffy fur, the eye put the finishing touches on his rockstar image.
Lisa Rinna
Leave it to Lisa Rinna to turn the red carpet into her own beauty show. The reality star channeled her inner traitor, taking charcoal shadow and dragging it in circles around her eyes. The dark hue covered her lids and cast a devilish cloud over her brows, popping in the platinum light of her pixie. Rinna has yet to credit the makeup artist who helped bring her modern grunge vision to life.
