Beauty
So much more than just blonde hair and red lips.
If you try to picture NYLON cover star Gwen Stefani with your eyes closed, a picture immediately springs to mind. The singer has had a signature look since she first rose to fame: platinum blonde hair, ruby red lipstick, and dark, arched brows. But despite her highly identifiable style, Stefani has actually always been playful and experimental when it comes to beauty and fashion. Hot pink hair, face gems, neon nails, and gravity-defying hairstyles have all been part of the star’s repertoire over the years as she’s done countless performances and graced even more red carpets.
Ahead of her headlining reunion with No Doubt at Coachella, we took a retrospective look at her greatest beauty looks from the ’90s to today.
1996, Backstage at Live 105's BFD Concert
In her early days on the scene, Stefani stood out from the crowd with Bettie Page micro bangs, black hair streaks, and eye-catching face gems.
1998, MTV Video Music Awards
It didn’t last for long, but Stefani’s blue-hair era will forever be etched in our memory (along with her matching fuzzy bikini top).
1999, Artist Direct Online Music Awards
Hot pink has always been one of Stefani’s signature colors in fashion, but never as much as when she sported a full head of shocking magenta hair circa Y2K.
2000, Teen Choice Awards
At the turn of the millennium, Stefani was making the transition away from hot pink hair and towards her trademark platinum. Dark red lipstick remained her constant.
2002, Grammys Party
Many of Stefani’s most memorable hairstyles involve inflated rockabilly bouffants and pompadours, like this poofed-up ponytail.
2003, Super Bowl XXXVII Halftime Show
For the 2003 Super Bowl Halftime Show, her exaggerated, darkly lined red lips, black eyeliner, and sky-high hair made sure she would be seen across the football field.
2004, MTV European Music Awards
Even with a garden party of hair accessories, bronze eyeliner, and dark pink lipstick, Stefani’s European Music Awards Glam looks whimsical and not overly busy.
2005, MTV Video Music Awards
Blonde hair, winged liner, and crimson lips are a classic combination that always stuns — especially with a leopard-print dress.
2006, American Music Awards
During The Sweet Escape release year, Stefani also wore the album cover’s mod hairstyle with straight-across bangs and curled-under ends to the American Music Awards.
2011, Cannes Film Festival
Brushed-out disco curls and bright fuchsia lipstick offered a refreshing twist on Stefani’s go-to updo and red lips.
2013, Met Gala
The 2013 Met Gala theme was Punk: Chaos to Couture, and no one looked more at home on the red carpet than Stefani with her hot red lips, sleek side bangs, and spiky updo.
2016, Today Show
Stefani never returned to her black hair streaks look from the ’90s, but she did have a stint sporting dip-dyed ends.
2020, Grammy Awards
Bronzy skin, pink lips, and thick brows are about as different from early 2000s Stefani as you can get — and she pulls off the ladylike style flawlessly.
2022, Met Gala
Alongside a fluorescent yellow dress and matching manicure, Stefani opted to keep the rest of her 2022 Met Gala look understated with straight glossy hair and peach lipstick.
2023, CMT Music Awards
Leave it to Stefani to keep her alt-girl edge even at the CMT Music awards. She wore dark eyeliner, red lipstick, and extra-long French nails with her menswear-inspired outfit and fishnet tights.
