It’s the biggest date in any A-lister’s calendar, so it’s no surprise that Hollywood’s best and brightest brought their beauty ‘A’ game to the red carpet for last night’s Oscars ceremony.
The Academy Awards act as a grand finale to the year’s awards season circuit, so the stars have had plenty of time to hone their red carpet routine. That’s not to say that they played it safe, though. Yes, we saw bronzed eyelids and nude lips a-plenty – a failsafe red carpet look worn to perfection by Emily Blunt, Alicia Vikander and Margot Robbie – but other, more playful (and less predictable) looks also stood out.
Rachel McAdams and reigning Best Actress Brie Larson both matched their dresses to their eye make-up in an oh-so subtle way, with a smudge of coloured liner around the lash line: deep green for the former, cobalt blue for the latter. Brie also stepped things up by choosing a bold fuschia lip colour and a gloriously intricate piece of hair jewellery. Someone give the girl an award! Oh, wait…
In the Best Hair category, both Olivia Wilde and Daisy Ridley deserve a shoutout. Olivia’s laidback Dutch braid - softer and looser than a French plait – is laidback yet totally red carpet – appropriate, while Daisy’s intricate twisted up-do is a glossy nod to the Star Wars universe. And in a sea of peachy nude lips, we’re appreciating her choice of a subtle rosy hue.
See more of our favourite Oscars beauty looks in the gallery below
Oscars 2016 Best Beauty
1 of 10alicia vikander oscars red carpet beauty
Alicia Vikander can do no wrong on the red carpet, teaming her ridiculously covetable custom Vuitton gowns with a well-honed formula of warm brown eye shadow and barely-there lip colour. Continuing the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ formula of her outfit, her hair was worn half-up, half-down, with the upper layers twisted into a mini bun.
2 of 10saoirse ronan oscars red carpet beauty
Saoirse Ronan’s beachy, laid-back waves and emerald-tinted smoky eye make for one of our favourite looks of the night. A little less polished – and a little bit edgier – than Saoirse’s go-to red carpet face, it’s the perfect counterpoint to her dazzling mermaid Calvin Klein gown.
3 of 10olivia wilde oscars red carpet beauty
It's the hairdo that will launch a thousand beauty tutorials - Olivia Wilde stole the show with an artfully 'done-but-not-too-done' Dutch halo braid (they're thicker and less girly than French braids, FYI) twisted up into a bun. A masterclass in modern red carpet beauty.
4 of 10brie larson oscars red carpet beauty
In our book, Room’s Brie Larson deserves another Oscar for managing to make blue eyeliner look both modern and totally wearable. Her secret? Concentrating the colour towards the outer corner of the eyes – and avoiding the lower lash line altogether – to keep the look out of the ‘80s. Bonus points for the fuchsia lipstick.
5 of 10rachel mcadams oscars red carpet beauty
With just a smudge of coloured kohl around her waterline and lashes, Rachel McAdams makes green eyeliner look oh-so easy – and makes a case for matching your dress to your make-up, too.
6 of 10jennifer lawrence oscars red carpet beauty
Polished, poker straight hair in the perfect shade of no-brass blonde – we’re taking this flawless shot of Jennifer Lawrence straight to our hairdresser. Her low-key beauty look, complete with subtly smoked-out eyeliner, was the ultimate accompaniment for her statement gown (custom Dior, naturally.)
7 of 10daisy ridley oscars red carpet beauty
We’ve got so used to seeing Daisy Ridley in her Star Wars garb that we still do a double take when she gets all scrubbed up for the red carpet. As if her Chanel couture gown didn’t make enough of a statement, her simple but striking up-do (very Rey goes to Hollywood, right?) and pinky-red lip colour announce her as one to watch for awards seasons to come.
8 of 10margot robbie oscars red carpet beauty
Glowing skin, barely there eye make-up, subtly defined brows and a glossy nude lip – Margot Robbie’s Oscar look is 24 carat beauty brilliance. Red carpet hair can often feel over-wrought, so her laid-back blow dry gets top marks, too.
9 of 10emily blunt oscars red carpet
Emily Blunt kept her make up simple and classic, choosing warm nude tones which complement her colouring and adding a touch of sparkle on the eyelid. We’re also fans of her side-swept parting and loose waves – a fresh take on Old Hollywood style.
10 of 10rooney mara oscars red carpet
Best Supporting Actress nominee Rooney Mara is a true beauty trailblazer. She’s updated her trademark red carpet look - perfect alabaster skin, killer brows and a deep, bold lip colour – with a futuristic, intricately twisted up-do. A nod to Rey from Star Wars? We hope so…