Surprises in Sin City! From Gwen Stefani's pared-down make-up to Jessica Alba's blue smoky eye, FEMAIL recaps the unexpected beauty looks at the Billboard Music Awards
- The 2016 Billboard Music Awards were held in Las Vegas last night
- Stars like Gwen, 46 and Jessica, 35, hit the red carpet wearing unexpected beauty looks
- Take a closer look at the best hair and make-up moments from the annual event
You can always count on stars like Rihanna, 28, and Gwen Stefani, 46, to make an entrance at awards shows, and with last night's Billboard Music Awards staged in Las Vegas where anything goes, we knew we could expect some especially memorable beauty looks on the red carpet.
We were not disappointed, but there were some welcome surprises. Typical risk-takers - like Rihanna and Gwen - pared things down, while classic girls like Jessica Alba, 35, spiced things up.
Read on below to see all of the most unexpected beauty moments from the 2016 Billboard Music Awards.
Gwen Stefani went monochromatic.
To perform Go Ahead and Break My Heart, her new duet with boyfriend Blake Shelton, Gwen opted for a nude, glowy look - a refreshing change from her signature beauty style of a red lip, a cat eye and a retro updo.
'Paring it down while glamming it up!' her make-up artist Gregory Arlt wrote of the look, which seemed appropriate for the raw, emotional country song, on Instagram.
Gwen's country debut: Gwen Stefani, 46, ditched the red lipstick and heavy eye liner to perform her duet with boyfriend Blake Shelton
Lucy Hale's hair was full of secrets.
It was business in the front and a party in the back for the Pretty Little Liars star last night.
From the stage, the presenter appeared to be wearing her hair in a sleek, low ponytail, but a post on her hairstylist Kristin Ess' Instagram feed revealed that the center section of the 26-year-old actress' hair was reverse French braided in the back.
The unique embellishment extended from the crown of her head to the nape of her neck and was secured with an elastic above a second ponytail that contained the lengths from the two side sections.
'Sometimes the best things can't be seen,' Lucy wrote on her Instagram feed.
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Background check: The best detail from Lucy Hale's, 26, sleek ponytail - a reverse French braid in the back - couldn't be seen from the stage
Rihanna kept it casual...for her.
Rihanna always wows on the red carpet, most of the time thanks to a revealing dress that only she can pull off or a hairstyle that she's never worn before.
Last night, however, her beauty look was memorable because it was so normal. The singer appeared with a brown smoky eye, a neutral lip and a tousled bob.
As her riveting, minimalist performance of Love on the Brain during the show demonstrated, she clearly doesn't need theatrics or an over-the-top get-up to command a room.
Keeping it real: Rihanna, 28, went for neutral make-up to complement her brown vintage Thierry Mugler dress
Jessica Alba embraced her edgy side.
On the other end of the spectrum was Jessica, who took a red carpet risk with a striking blue smoky eye and a structured updo.
To achieve the bold blue cat eye, make-up artist Lauren Andersen used a mix of dreamy colors from Jessica's own brand, Honest Beauty: Eyeshadow Trio in Ocean Blue and True Velvet Eyeliner in Truly Sapphire.
She's got the blues: Jessica Alba, 35, branched out of her go-to, clean California girl style with a blue smoky eye, structured updo and embroidered Zuhair Murad gown
Zendaya chose a simple, high-shine hairstyle.
A red-carpet chameleon, we always look forward to seeing what fresh hairstyles Zendaya, 19, dreams up.
The CHI spokesmodel, for example, rocked a blonde pixie cut at the Grammy Awards, a bowl cut at the Met Gala earlier this month, and last night she killed it with a glossy, straight style.
Not a hair out of place: Zendaya, 19, wore her hair in a sleek center part style last night
Kesha continued to show off her glitter-free look.
It seems that Kesha's glitter-encrusted and rainbow-haired days are officially behind her.
To perform a soulful rendition of Bob Dylan's It Ain’t Me Babe, the 29-year-old singer went easy on the make-up and in keeping in line with the folksy song, wore her hair in a wavy shag.
No glitter in sight: Kesha's, 29, fresh, go-to beauty style features minimal make-up and textured blonde waves
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