A brush isn’t just a brush.

In the hands of a painter, it sweeps pigment across a canvas to give life to enduring art. Elsewhere in the world, it is the tool of a builder, washing walls in saturated yellows or velvety dark greens to breathe life into a home. 

From my side of the world, a brush is an instrument of sculpture and light—bringing colorful hues across the cheeks and moving across contours as it highlights the face’s natural lights and shadows. It’s a simple tool—but in the hands of someone talented enough, it becomes an entirely different art form unique to their strengths.

And perhaps that is why makeup feels naturally at home at the Filipino Music Awards 2026, held Tuesday, October 6, at SM Mall of Asia, as Filipinos came together to celebrate voices that carry beyond our shores. Beauty, much like music, was on full display for the world’s viewing—both are acts of composition, after all, crafted on subtle details that build toward an unforgettable statement reflected in every shade, swipe, and shimmer on the artists who continue to push the boundaries of Filipino music far beyond.

From Songbird Regine Velasquez-Alcasid’s playful glam and BINI Maloi’s DIY beauty to Jolianne Salvado’s faux freckles and Dia Maté’s all-out blush, here are 18 of the best FMA 2026 makeup looks that prove beauty on the red carpet is its own art form.

Jamiela makes manga lashes her FMA beauty statement

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Tsuki Jammy’s red-carpet beauty look felt like an extension of the strange, doll-like universe she’s built through her music. Oversized manga lashes on the lower lashline exaggerated the eyes to near-surreal proportions, while a wash of pink eye shadow kept the effect playful rather than purely eerie—a fitting beauty translation of her unique, soft-horror aesthetic.

Jolianne Salvado makes warm beauty feel fresh

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Cebu-based singer Jolianne Salvado brought a sun-kissed glow to the red carpet, pairing full glam with brightened under-eyes and a terracotta flush, plus one gorgeous detail: faux freckles scattered across her nose and cheeks. Soft cocoa eyeshadow and feathery lashes kept the eyes warm and open, while a touch of shimmer along the lower lashline brought out her doe-eyed gaze. 

Marina Summers is just sexy wherever, whenever

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Marina Summers proved there’s no need to save bombshell glamor for the runway—IYKYK. Warm bronze sculpting, a smoky charcoal eye, and a defined brown lip gave her FMA glam plenty of drama, with feathered brows as a final touch to the unapologetic look.

Regine Velasquez-Alcasid’s FMA beauty look is all her own

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Asia’s Songbird spent decades commanding the stage with her powerhouse vocals and unmistakable presence. On the red carpet, Regine Velasquez-Alcasid brought that same star quality to beauty with peachy blush swept across the cheeks and nose, delicate faux freckles, and a vibrant berry-rose lip. Regine knows her own beauty routine well: she has been doing her own makeup for years, so this playful red-carpet look feels all the more personal.

Dia Maté isn’t afraid of blush

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Anti-blush? Dia Maté doesn’t know her. For the Reina Hispanomericana 2025 winner, it didn’t stop at the cheekbone—it ran straight from the inner eye into a warm, mauvey-bronze flush swept high and wide toward the temple, so the entire upper face read as one continuous wash of light. Soft bronzed eyeshadow and fluttery lashes kept the eyes glowing softly, while a glossy mauve-rose lip finished things off to add even more drama to the look.

Pink is power for Michelle Dee

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Michelle Dee’s pink gown gets an unexpected counterpoint in her warm, sun-kissed makeup. Amber-terracotta blush swept high across the cheekbones and onto the lids, bringing a little heat to the otherwise pretty pastel palette, while a deeply defined taupe lip added a ’90s note to the look. 

Ena Mori puts the focus on graphic eyes

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Instead of piling on the glam, musician Ena Mori let one striking detail do the work: thick white liner traced both the upper and lower lash lines, paired with white mascara for a bold, monochromatic eye. Fresh, barely-there skin and a sheer lip kept the rest of the makeup pared back, making the unexpected white-hued eye the clear focal point.

Morissette makes soft glam work beautifully on morena skin

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Morissette, Asia’s Phoenix, brought a warm, luminous take to soft glam, with glowing skin, softly defined brown eyes, and rose-mauve blush and lipstick. The closely matched tones kept the look cohesive, while her morena complexion gave all that softness a beautiful depth.

Girl group Kaia goes full doll beauty

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Five faces, one unmistakable beauty mood: dewy skin, high-flushed cheeks, and glossy gradient lips that lean straight into the Douyin aesthetic. Blush is the defining move, swept high on the cheeks—and, on some members, across the bridge of the nose for that fresh, just-flushed effect. The rest of the look stayed deliberately soft—luminous skin, diffused eye shadow, and little hard definition—so the makeup felt youthful and doll-like without competing with all that feather and crystal.

Nicole Laurel Asensio brings back the 2016 beauty look

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Singer Nicole Laurel Asensio went all in on the beauty codes of the mid-2010s, with a full matte base, bushy brows, and a warm blush swept high from the cheeks toward the temples, doubling as both color and definition. The winged cat-eye and fluttery lashes brought the era’s signature eye makeup back into focus, finished with a nude-mauve lip. 

Read Maxene Magalona’s lips

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Maxene Magalona took color coordination seriously with a berry-burgundy lip that almost exactly matched her sequined gown. Everything else stayed luminous and understated—dewy skin, softly smoked brown eyes, and natural brows—letting that rich, saturated lip color carry the look.

Ashtine Olviga puts luminous skin first

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Singer and actress Ashtine Olviga kept the glam fresh and light, letting glossy skin take center stage. A touch of highlight along the cheekbones and nose, softly warmed eyes, and a glossy my-lips-but-better shade all gave the look its glow—a convincing reminder that sometimes the best beauty looks are the ones that let the skin show through.

Xonara puts a sharper spin on soft glam

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You notice the blush before you notice anything else about Xonara’s beauty look. For their FMA appearance, the group swept it high toward the temples, using the placement to sculpt the face rather than creating the usual rosy flush. Heavy lash line definition and rounded, warm-toned eyes brought a touch of Thai beauty influence to the members’ striking gazes, too. 

Shimmer steals the show with Kyline Alcantara

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Actress and singer Kyline Alcantara proved that a few well-placed details can carry an entire look. An icy-champagne shimmer swept across her lids caught the red-carpet lights with every blink, while a beautiful warm flush across the cheeks brought a touch of color to the complexion. Glowing skin, soft brows, and a glossy nude lip kept the rest of the makeup understated, letting those two touches take center stage for the artist’s FMA appearance.

Bini Maloi did her own glam—and nailed it, while Bini Jhoanna brought the warmth from her dress to her makeup

Photo courtesy of @bini_maloi on Instagram

While red-carpet beauty usually comes with a glam team, nation’s girl group member Maloi Ricalde did her own makeup for the occasion. She brought a doll-like effect to her FMA glam—a dusty-rose blush concentrated high on the cheeks, separated lashes fanning out from a soft mauve wash of shadow, and lips fading from a deeper cocoa outline to a glossy coral-pink center for that blurred, gradient finish. A single beauty mark added a playful detail, too.

Bini’s leader, Jhoanna Robles, looked beautiful as she brought the burnt-orange tones of her dress onto her face with a terracotta blush and warm, glossy lip. Champagne eyeshadow and softly fluttering lashes kept the eye makeup light, letting the cheek color remain the focal point. The result was a warm monochromatic look that felt especially striking against her glowing skin.

La vie en Zephanie

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Idol Philippines 2019 winner Zephanie Dimaranan made a case for going all in on pink. Sparkly pink shadow washed across her lids, while a deeper rose shade traced the outer corners in the shape of a wing, elongating the eyes without the need for eyeliner. Cool-toned pink blush kept the complexion fresh against her , while a glossy rose lip framed by a chocolate-brown liner brought warmth back to the look.

G22 knows how to make statement glasses part of their glam

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With frames this bold, the Alpha trio G22 didn’t need complicated eye makeup fighting for attention. Instead, the trio kept their skin luminous and their lips glossy, catching the light where the glasses don’t. It was a smart beauty choice that kept the frames part of the look rather than something the makeup had to compete with.