Oscar History's Best Beauty Moments
Here are some of the best beauty looks to grace the biggest night in Hollywood.
The night of the Oscars is undoubtedly Hollywood’s biggest and most glamorous event of the year. While the attention tends to fall on fashion, the beauty moments most definitely deserve our attention as well. Yes, while Lupita Nyong'o's powder blue Prada dress worn in 2014 is noteworthy to this day (as it should be), she looked positively radiant with a simple and elegant updo and a soft peachy lip. Best Actress nominee Emma Stone also stunned during the 2017 Academy Awards with shimmery golden eyelids, a bold red lip, and her shoulder-length hair styled in a sophisticated side part.
Here’s L'OFFICIEL’s compiled list of the best beauty looks in Oscar history.
Starting with a classic old Hollywood beauty moment, Audrey Hepburn's iconic baby bangs, paired with a slightly winged eye look, make for a beauty moment that's effortless and chic, much like Hepburn herself.
Who can forget Cher's golden goddess look from the 45th Academy Awards? The '70s were all about the disco aesthetic. Cher's makeup prioritized a bronzy and tanned finish paired with a nude lip and an eye look that featured her beautifully long lashes. During the '70s, Cher was famously known to wear her long raven-colored hair down and straightened.
When talking about the clean girl aesthetic, this beauty moment from Gwyneth Paltrow at the 1999 Oscars may come to mind. Paltrow is a consistent ambassador of a simple, sophisticated, and pared-down beauty routine, and this moment is no exception. The side-parted hair worn in an elevated tight bun perfectly goes with the maroon lip shade (consistent with '90s makeup trends) and light facial makeup.
Salma Hayek gracefully walked onto the red carpet in a stunning plunged purple dress, and to match, she had on a fetching violet eye shadow with a pink-toned lip shade. The actress wore her thick curls in an updo with a few pieces pulled out to create an effortless appearance.
In 2008, Marion Cotillard employed a quintessentially French beauty look, with an alluring red lip and a bouncy, tousled hairdo. The shimmery white eyeshadow allowed her stunning grayish-blue eyes to stand out. She won the Best Actress trophy that night for her performance in La Vie en Rose, and she looked radiant doing so.
Lupita Nyong’o's 2014 Oscars look will go down in red-carpet history as a groundbreaking fashion moment. Yet her radiant makeup and hair must not be forgotten. The Oscar-award-winning actress wore her hair up with a luminous headband and channeled a hint of shimmer on her eyelids to highlight her rich brown eyes. Nyong’o's features, including her high cheekbones and full lips, were accentuated with some light blush and a neutral lip.
Another noteworthy red lip moment belongs to Dakota Johnson's red carpet look at the 2015 Academy Awards. Our recent cover star wore her bangs and lengthy brunette hair in a classic updo while fashioning light eye makeup that beautifully highlighted her blue eyes.
Emma Stone accepted her Best Actress award with her hair waved and touseled to the side and her cheeks lightly blushed while employing a strong brow look. The graceful makeup flawlessly complimented her shimmery gold Givenchy gown.
Zendaya's 2021 Oscar look was an all-around stunner as she wore a flattering strapless Valentino gown. At the helm of Dune's release later that year, her makeup gave off a sunkissed look.
Florence Pugh's hairdo was particularly intriguing last year. The Oppenheimer actress created temporary bangs by doing a unique updo that laid the length of her hair on top of her forehead. Pugh's updo was complemented by a siren-like makeup look.
