Well, no one saw that coming. Last night's Met Ball, the biggest event in the fashion diary, was an absolute corker. A visual, safety-pinned, feast for the eyes. 

Running, nay sprinting, away with this year's punk theme, the attendees really put themselves through the beauty ringer for this one, as evidenced by the assemblage of towering quiffs, Sharpie eyeliner, wacky hair accessories (studs. More studs. And a winge) and a few disparate dip-dyes. 

Whilst we applaud their efforts (these things can be so drearily homogenised), it's hard not to wonder how the hair and make-up would have gone down if the theme hadn't been taken quite so literally. It's also sort of hard not to laugh. 

View the gallery for the most extreme beauty punks of last night