From Bold to Subtle – The Best Oscars Red Carpet Looks

The 94th Annual Academy Awards were held in Los Angeles, CA at the Dolby Theater. Hollywood stars graced the red carpet with some truly spectacular looks. From sultry to bold to subtle glam, the Oscars saw it all. Since the pandemic, all award shows were canceled and fans could only see very casually dressed celebs, with little to no makeup, receiving awards from their laptop screens. No doubt many were left disappointed as they weren't able to see their favorite stars all glammed up. But the Oscars marked their return this year, and Will Smith slapping Chris Rock wasn't the only dramatic occurrence here. Celebs served some truly bold and dramatic looks as well.

Most celebs opted to completely disregard the old Hollywood dress code and be themselves. Confidently challenging the old, rigid standards of beauty, it seems like Hollywood women wished to express themselves through their makeup and fashion. One thing we noticed, was the strategic and perfect use of highlighter. Let's take a look at and dissect some of the most notable makeup looks on the red carpet.

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Nicole Kidman

Nicole's work speaks for itself, making sure she remains one of the highest-paid actors in the world. A recipient of numerous accolades, Nicole began her acting career in Australia before diversifying her filmography with television shows as well.

Do you prefer a red lipper or Brown? The Oscars had them all.

Her arrival on the red carpet left fans mesmerized. Her makeup artist, Kyra Panchenko was given the responsibility of making her look red carpet-worthy. Courtesy of her, we also got our hands on the secret behind her glowy look. She used the celeb-favorite, Facegym. The tool is used for sculpting, face lifting, skin-prep, etc., the results were exquisite.

She styled her hair with Augustinus Bader's hair products. Her cheeks look rosy pink, courtesy of the blush. Her eyes look enchanting owing to the perfectly chosen lashes. Her bold red lip perfectly matched her nails. Her look goes perfectly with her attire.

Zendaya

Is there anything that Zendaya cannot do? Don't worry, that was a rhetorical question, we are well aware she can do literally anything. But this time we have the skill of a makeup artist to add to her long list of talents. She revealed through her Instagram story that she herself did both her makeup looks for the Oscars - the red carpet and the after-party.

Talking about the red-carpet look, Zendaya was styled in a custom Valentino Haute Couture crop top with a matching sequined skirt. Since she is an ambassador for Lancôme, the brand was tagged in all her stories, implying she used all Lancôme products to create her looks.

She chose a glowy base with minimal glitter on her eyes, that she embellished with faux lashes. Talking about the brows, they were thick and brushed. She chose a nude lip with gloss. We can also see liberal use of highlighter on all the high points of her face. The whole look has been tied together perfectly with a messy bun.

Vanessa Hudgens

According to her caption for the Oscars Instagram picture, Vanessa is living her best Audrey Hepburn life. We couldn’t agree more. She chose to go with a matte base with straight brows, that give off a little Korean makeup look. She chose a brown smokey eye that she added faux lashes over. She used minimal blush and went with a brown nude lip. Her chiseled face was complemented by highlighter on the tip of her nose.

She completed the look with a neat, high bun. The overall look brought an emphasis on her sequined dress. Talking about the products she used, her makeup artist prepped her skin using Solawave's Blue Light Therapy Wand and the Renew Complex Activating Serum. She also used all Pat McGrath Labs products - the Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Foundation, the Mothership VII: Divine Rose Palette, and the MatteTrance Lipstick - to achieve her glorious makeup look.

Megan Thee Stallion

Megan Thee Stallion’s look definitely roared like a stallion. She looked like Aphrodite had just stepped down to earth from the heavens. She sported her signature eye look with a cat eyeliner. Her glossy pout and bronzed face perfectly complemented the look. She went with thin brushed eyebrows and faux lashes. She also made very liberal use of highlighter – all over her face and body.

She decided to opt for a slicked-back low bun, finishing it with perfectly swooped edges. Talking about her dress, she went with Gaurav Gupta. The dress perfectly hugged her figure, showing off her curves.