Filed In: Oscars beauty

Beauty at the 2013 Oscars

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For me, the red carpet at The Oscars, hails as the nexus of all things beauty – and even though I may not have the patience to sit through an entire awards show, I am literally glued to my screen when the celebrities start appearing. The recurring theme for this year, can be summed up in one word: elegance – harking back to an earlier era, where men looked dashingly handsome in their black tuxes and women shone like jewels in their sumptuous gowns.

As far as beauty goes, there were no major surprises; nail shades for the most part were subdued, makeup looks were refined, and hair styles polished – all the better to showcase the elaborately beautiful gowns. I actually loved the fact that everything meshed so beautifully and that the sophisticated tone of the show stayed true – The Oscars, in my opinion, is not the venue for outrageousness in any way, shape or form. The “trend buckers” came from expected sources (Helena Bonham Carter, Kelly Osbourne), but in an understated, Oscars kind of way.

Feel free to Click and enlarge each photo for detailed close-ups.

The following all sported varying shades of a white nail colour, what is sure to be a hot trend this summer:


Jennifer Lawrence - Dior Couture

Jennifer Lawrence, Best Actress winner – Dior Couture gown, Chopard jewelry


Anne Hathaway - Prada

Anne Hathaway, Best Supporting Actress winner – Prada gown, Tiffany & Co. jewelry


Reese Witherspoon - Louis Vuitton

Reese Witherspoon – Louis Vuitton


Olivia Munn - Marchesa

Olivia Munn – Marchesa gown

 

Probably the overall most popular look –  nude nails in either peach, neutral, or pink tones:


Charlize Theron - Dior Couture

Charlize Theron – Dior Couture gown, Harry Winston jewelry


Amanda Seyfried - Alexander McQueen

Amanda Seyfried – Alexander McQueen gown (love the violet smoky eye makeup!)


Amy Adams - Oscar de la Renta

Amy Adams – Oscar de la Renta gown


Kristen Stewart - Reem Acra Couture

Kristen Stewart – Reem Acra Couture hand-beaded gown


Zoe Saldana - Alexis Mabille Couture

Zoe Saldana – Alexis Mabille Couture gown, Neil Lane jewelry

 

Jennifer Garner - Gucci Première

Jennifer Garner – Gucci Première gown


Jennifer Aniston - Valentino

Jennifer Aniston – Valentino Haute Couture gown (how stunning is this?)


Sandra Bullock - Elie Saab Couture

Sandra Bullock – Elie Saab Couture gown, Harry Winston jewelry

 

A few celebrities opted for a modern twist on a neutral nail, by making it pastel:


Naomi Watts - Giorgio Armani

Naomi Watts – Giorgio Armani silver sequin gown


Nicole Kidman - L'Wren Scott

Nicole Kidman – L’Wren Scott sequin gown


Jennifer Hudson - Roberto Cavalli

Jennifer Hudson – Roberto Cavalli gown

 

The “dagger” nail shape made an appearance as well:


Adele - Jenny Packham

Adele, Best Original Song winner – Jenny Packham gown, Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry


Kelly Osbourne - Tony Ward Couture

Kelly Osbourne – Tony Ward Couture gown, Norman Silverman jewelry (and the lilac hair!)

 

Channeling a little bit of Oscars magic, golden nail tones were also spotted:


Jessica Chastain - Giorgio Armani

Jessica Chastain – Giorgio Armani gown, vintage Harry Winston diamonds


Jane Fonda - Versace

Jane Fonda – Versace gown, Chopard jewelry (let’s take a moment to admire this incredible woman: still killing it at 75!)

 

Naturally, there had to be a few red shades as well:


Kelly Rowland - Donna Karan Atelier

Kelly Rowland – Donna Karan Atelier gown


Helena Bonham Carter - Jessica McCormack

Helena Bonham Carter – Jessica McCormack gown

 

Final thoughts: With very few exceptions, it’s as if every makeup artist in Hollywood read the same memo: flawless complexion, smoky eyes & nude lips, while all the nail techs followed a similar pattern, keeping things low-key with neutral hues. Where things changed up a bit was with hair – but not by much, mind you, as styles fell into one of two camps: sleekly smooth, or a touchable updo. Fashion was also divided, with several stars opting for vivid jewel-tones, while the majority stuck to varying shades of white – but all gowns bore exquisite detail and workmanship. And let’s not forget the jewelry … understated in some cases, jaw-dropping in others. Finally, for me, the crowning moment was watching Adele perform ‘Skyfall’, for which she took home the Oscar for Best Original Song – the first nominated Bond theme to ever do so!


Adele & Oscar

Adele and the new man in her life: Oscar! (and the red pout….)