The Egyptian resort town is back to welcoming Arab stars for the ninth edition of the El Gouna Film Festival. Running from October 15 to 23, 2026, this year’s film festival runs under the theme ‘Cinema for Humanity’. And with it are the stars decked out in their usual glam, ready to champion talent across the Arab world.
This edition, beauty has taken a toned-down glamour, with many opting for natural-looking finishes contrasted with precise contouring and sleek eye looks. With hair, styles were being experimented with without going over the top. Curled bobs, dramatic flicks, and up-dos were the norm, while some opted to leave it long and loose, cascading down alongside their gowns. Here are our favourite beauty looks from the festival so far.
Yasmina El-Abd
Beginning with the ceremony’s host, Yasmina went for a natural luminous finish created entirely by Dior Beauty. The eyes held all the drama with an elongated wing diffused into a subtle smoky eye that made Yasmina’s eyes pop. Complementing her look was her softly curled hair, which was then slightly parted on the side and held by a clip. While at first glance, the clip gave off the air that Yasmina was still at the makeup table, ultimately it adds to her girlish charm.
Cynthia Khalifeh
Stunning the red carpet in a sculptural gown by Sara Mrad, Cynthia Khalifeh made her hair to match. A slicked-back bun with little flicks of hair framing the face, it was a classic red carpet look but impressive nonetheless. On the eyes was heady, dark eyeshadow, courtesy of makeup artist Sandra William. The lips took on a typical ‘90s lip liner look where bold swipes defining the lip were centre focus.
Mona Zaki
This year’s recipient of the Career Achievement Award for her decades of work in the industry, Mona Zaki was one of the highlights of the night. The actress appeared in a stunning black and silver gown by Carolina Herrera, sporting a chic curled bob.
Created by stylist Silvia Bernaba, the bob was framed with curtain bangs and swooped graciously downward in a small, short layer.
Azza Slimene
Another curly bob we have reminisced about for the night came from Azza Slimene. But her unique style didn’t just stay with the bob. In fact, it was cropped short that it almost felt like a pixie cut. Thick bangs covered up the forehead while light blue eyeshadow peeked through. While the rest of the skin remained naturally glowing—as was the theme—Azza’s dramatic hair and makeup took over the spotlight.
Hannah El-Zahed
It’s been a while since we’ve seen bold brows but Hannah El-Zahed brought it back on the El Gouna carpet. Paired with ultra-long beachy waves, the look felt both glamorous for the carpet but also seaside-ready for the resort.
Yara Mustafa
Another dramatic look of the night was Yara Mustafa. The singer appeared in an embellished white dress by Nour Muhtaseb and paired it with curtain bangs covering the eyes. On the skin, blush took centre stage as it was placed high on the side of the cheekbones, almost contouring the face. Complementing the flush was a pale pink pout which paired well with the stubborn flicks of hair.
Riham Abdel Ghafour
Bringing back the pouf that was all the rage back in the 2000s, Riham Abdel Ghafour reimagined the style with a slight bump compared to the voluminous nostalgic look. The half up-do was paired with straight brows, nude lips, and a natural glam.
Arwa Gouda
With everyone leaving their hair free or going the bob and slick-back route, we were pleasantly surprised when Arwa Gouda stepped on the carpet with a high pony. And no, we’re not talking about a precise slick-back but a natural pony that left behind volume around the scalp. On the skin, smoky eyes, nude lips, and a soft bronzer gave Gouda an effortless looking glam, almost mimicking the kind of tan one would get at El Gouna.
