The Academy Awards – more commonly referred to as the Oscars – is an annual celebration of achievements in film and the cinematic industry. For one night, all of Hollywood comes together to honor those who have worked hard both in front of and behind the camera. The films honored often go down in cinematic history as masterpieces that will be appreciated by generations to come. But the Oscars are not only about the films being honored. The stars who walk the red carpet are given the great responsibility of having to look absolutely impeccable. Famous designers fight over which celebrities will wear whose beautiful custom gowns, and, of course, the hair and makeup styles that complete the stars’ looks are equally important as the couture. We’ve chosen some of our favorite looks from this past Sunday’s 85th Academy Awards, many of which are so simple that any Collegiette could pull them together!
Bold Lip Color
Nothing screams Old Hollywood like a crimson red pout, and indeed that eternal style was present on quite a few this year’s leading ladies. Best Actress nominee Jessica Chastain paired her red lip with loose side-swept curls and a hint of liquid liner to master a glamorous classical appeal. However, many starlets went with an updated lip, and chose a bright pink instead. This color looked especially beautiful on felloe Best Actress nominee Anne Hathaway and presenter Queen Latifah, who both kept their other makeup fairly neutral, so that their lip shades truly popped.
Full Smoothed-Back Hair
The Oscars is definitely a time when many stars decided to take fashion and beauty risks, and this hairstyle could be considered one of them. Slicking back all of one’s hair is definitely a style that not all can pull off, so be wary if trying it at home! Both actress Melissa McCarthy and supermodel Heidi Klum tried this style, if you’re looking for inspiration. Each paired her ‘do with dramatic eyes featuring lush lashes, Hint: Take a tip from these ladies and layer on the mascara if you’re going to experiment with this new, daring hair style.
Subtle Smokey Eye
This was probably the most heavily featured look at this year’s Oscars, with many starlets favoring a smoked-out neutral eye shadow, paired with dark liner and eyelashes. This is a perfect look for when you want to add drama, but still look fresh. Best Actress winner Jennifer Lawrence and presenter and performer Amanda Seyfried both executed this subtle look perfectly by picking a shade of shadow that accentuated not only their features, but also their dresses Hint: When replicating this look yourself, pair it with fresh skin and a neutral gloss to avoid looking too overdone.
While all of these celebs have professional makeup artists who spend hours making sure the stars look picture perfect, often time the looks can be easily replicated at home with a little time and the right products. The overall trend at this year’s Academy Awards definitely leaned towards a very fresh look, highlighting natural beauty rather than caking on unnecessary layers of foundation or eye shadow. Hollywood is the perfect place to turn when seeking out new trends, and this year’s Oscars was no exception!