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):
Best Actress winner Natalie Portman in Rodarte
Amy Adams in L'Wren Scott (nominated for Best Supporting Actress)
Jennifer Hudson in Versace
Mila Kunis in Elie Saab Haute Couture
Michelle Williams in CHANEL (nominated for Best Actress)
Cate Blanchet in Givenchy Haute Couture by Riccardo Tisci
Gwyneth Paltrow in Calvin Klein Collection
Scarlett Johansson in custom-made Dolce & Gabbana
Mandy Moore in Monique L'Huillier
Sandra Bullock in Vera Wang
Halle Berry in Marchesa
Penelope Cruz in L'Wren Scott
Nicole Kidman in Dior (nominated for Best Actress)
Reese Witherspoon in Armani Privé
Host Anne Hathaway during the show wearing Deborah Lippmann's 'Naked'
Céline Dion wearing Armani Privé (elongated tan nails)
Florence Welch in Valentino (sporting a dusty rose polish)
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!
Host Anne Hathaway in Valentino (with fiery red nails)
Helena Bonham Carter in Colleen Atwood
Virginia Madsen in Romona Keveza
Dame Helen Mirren in a custom-made Fitriani
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
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