The red carpet event at last evening’s 83rd Academy Awards did not fail to elicit awe & envy for the fabulous evening wear, from those of us avidly watching. There were hues in every shade of the rainbow, all the major design houses were represented and the elegance that prevailed, was simply breathtaking. One thread in common that I noticed, as with every other award show of late, is the continuity of the latest nail polish trend: the ‘barely-there’ or neutral look, was still riding strong, and while there were very few exceptions, it seems like celebrities have been playing it rather safe and letting their gowns versus their makeup/nail polish, do the talking.  Then again, I like to view this nail colour choice as being somewhat avant-garde, and do admire the elegant and modern simplicity of a nude nail.

 

The followers of the neutral look varied, from a ‘barely there’ hint of sheen, a modern French manicure, a delicate nude, a pearly beige and a glossy tan on an elongated nail length (hello, Céline Dion):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The celebrities breaking out of this nude mold, were very few and far between, with Helen Mirren taking the prize for the edgiest look, sporting mysterious gunmetal grey nails….kudos!

 

 

 

 

 

Final thoughts:  Once again, I find that celebrities, for the most part, opted for a more toned down manicure.  I would have loved to have seen more of a variety of nail polish shades, but to be honest, even among neutral hues, there is still a vast choice, albeit much more subtle. The nail shapes themselves stayed rather short, with a ‘squared oval’ being the chosen silhouette, unless you’re Céline Dion who donned a more tapered & longer nail…..always on the leading edge of trends!

 

*Photo of Anne Hathaway wearing ‘Naked’ courtesy of Deborah Lippmann PR Department

*Photos courtesy of Vogue