I love award shows. In fact, they are on a very short list of things that I miss about using my television only for netflix and working out! That’s why I was extremely excited to be able to watch a portion of the Golden Globes last night! I definitely am working on making plans to watch the Grammys this year, and to live-tweet them!

As a makeup artist, and a member of the fashion and beauty industry, awards shows are a great place for me to see stars in their effort to look their best (as opposed to when tabloids catch them just trying to live their lives) and is a great place to check out upcoming trends in fashion and beauty.

Trends are exactly where I am going to start!

I think anyone could see the trends in the fashion – shimmer/metallic dresses, and plunging necklines.

  Here, Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Lopez, and Kate Beckinsale rocking examples of these looks.

As a makeup artist, however, one must look a little closer to see trends, and I have to say that there was one BIG trend that I was relieved NOT to see, and that was what professionals in my industry refer to as “instagram eyebrows!” There are MANY amazing, talented makeup artists on instagram and YouTube that are profoundly good at making very dramatic, vibrant, and colorful looks that show artistry and ability almost like a smack in the face. These artists also tend to make very dramatic, unnaturally perfect-looking eyebrows (many of which don’t even look like hair is involved). This is what was missing on the red carpet, and I am relieved to see a more natural brow. With makeup artists, those who are best paid are often those who can do a great natural look, which is what truly shone on the red carpet last night.

The only “Instagram Eyebrows” that stood out to me where on Conchita Wurst, but we all know that drag queen makeup abides by a completely separate set of rules! That dress and hair are amazing, that’s for sure!

Alright, time to look at individual looks!

In my opinion, Jennifer Lopez won (because remember, these shows aren’t about the actual awards to me – haha!). Her dress is absolutely stunning, and shows off a lot of work in the gym and discretion with what she eats. It’s on point with the metallic fabrics and plunging necklines, but unlike many plunging necklines that do not flatter breasts, this sneaky sheer panel below the bust helps her defy gravity, which made Jeremy Renner visibly nervous, and inspired him to comment on her “globes!” Her hair and makeup are choices I wouldn’t necessarily make, but that work for her and this dress. The nude lip is perfect and lets our attention go to her eyes, which are smoky and sultry. I am usually not fond of several different aspects of her look – center parts, eyes lined all the way around, and outgrowth of highlights, but she and her dress are so gorgeous that I just don’t care. Love love love it!

  Ever since I saw the movie “Zero Dark Thirty,” Jessica Chastain has been on the list of people whose makeup I’d love to do! As you can see, she rocked the metallic dress with a low, plunging neckline trend as well. I love that her makeup is a glamorous, natural look that defines her eyes and lips just enough, but lets her own beauty shine through. I look at her and see a gorgeous woman without wondering how much jumping into a pool would change things. I adore the soft, flowy old Hollywood glam hair, and think she just did an amazing job overall in putting her look together. I think another credit she deserves is achieving a somewhat monochromatic look from lip color, to hair, to eyebrows, and even extending to the color of her dress. Bravo, Jessica Chastain!

You could really take almost everything that I wrote about Jessica Chastain’s hair and makeup, and apply it to Amy Adams. She was just charming when she accepted her award, and absolutely stunning on the red carpet. I have been absolutely loving colors in the periwinkle family lately, so her dress hits the mark for me personally, as well! While there’s no plunging neckline, and only a slight shimmer, she is still on trend with a lighter color, and a nod to old Hollywood glam, which will always be a favorite in my mind!

 

 

 

We are on a roll with redheads, so why not continue on? Emma Stone looked simply fabulous. I love the daring move away from a standard dress and into a jumper, and the fact that she stuck with her signature look of a bright pout and a winged cat eye. If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don’t think I need to break down the looks of Salma Hayek, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss and Jennifer Anniston to tell you why I love them – they follow the same guidelines I explained above – a defined eye, nude lip, natural brows, and simple but elegant hair. Their dresses are classic and stunning with clean lines. I love the belt detail on Salma Hayek’s! Julia Louis-Dreyfuss looks sleek and sophisticated with a touch of sexy. I ADORE Jennifer Aniston’s shoes, and can’t help but fondly remember how fashionable the exact same neckline she was wearing last night was when she rose to popularity – I know that I wore AT LEAST two dresses with that cut (but not that slit!) to formal dances in high school! And yes, let’s go back to that slit – DAYUM!

As a blonde myself, I always love to check out other blondes on the red carpet. I love Taylor Schilling’s veer away from such a tight silhouette, with an interesting neckline and daring red, with the lips to match! Of course I am not overly fond of the center part, but do think a simple updo was a great choice, to give her dress the focus it deserved! Katherine Heigl’s dress and look was another favorite of mine – the dress is super flattering, and her hair and makeup simply showcased her natural beauty!

 

One would expect the face of a major makeup label (in this case, Lancome) to arrive with gorgeous makeup, and Lupita Nyong’o did not disappoint! I loved the bright purple eyeshadow to match her dress (which I didn’t love quite as much), as well as those deep berry lips! She pulls off two brights on one extremely gorgeous face better than most could! And I must just say that I love Joanne Froggat’s braided hair style, although I personally would have smoothed it out more, or made it look – more intentional with the softness!

Another trio of stunners, these with strapless dresses, are Naomi Watts, Gina Rodriguez, and Katie Holmes. I loved Naomi Watts’ classic red lip with a defined eye and beachy waves. It’s simple and stunning, and versatile – if she didn’t have that bling, she could pull this look off for lunch! I wasn’t previously familiar with Gina Rodriguez, but she looks incredible (and follows the hair and makeup trends I have pointed out ad nauseum above), and I fell in love with her after hearing her speech! And Katie Holmes was married to Tom who? She is bouncing back higher than before. I adored the long, sleek ponytail, and the way she really maxed out the drama of her eyes!

These ladies in red, Jane Fonda and Helen Mirren, made aging gracefully almost laughable. They are completely sexy and flaunting what they’ve got, and I find it truly inspirational! A skin-tight, and even peek-a-boo dress after age 40 could seem like trying too hard, but not in either of these cases. They are WERKING it, and I absolutely LOVE it. I hope to look as good at their age!

I know the whole adage “if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say it at all,” but I must say that it is possible to be on trend, but still miss the mark, in my opinion. Sienna Miller, Rosamund Pike, and Kate Hudson are beautiful ladies. I adore their makeup, and (again with the exception of the center part updo) their hair. But to me, their dresses were not as great as I’d hoped! Sienna Miller’s dress just hangs on her body, and doesn’t flatter it as much as another style would. I feel like the proportions of Rosamund Pike’s dress make her torso look shorter and wider than it should, although I do like the strappiness! I adore the bottom of Kate Hudson’s, but thought that her other red carpet choices that embrace more of a classy, elegant look suited her (and my preferences) much better! She does have a great body to show off, though!

 Kerry Washington is another who I felt missed the mark. Her hair and makeup are perfect, but I can’t say the same for the dress. I am not a fan of pink, so that may bias me against the color scheme. I don’t understand the choice in the two tones – it almost looks like it is an intended optical illusion to slim her, but she doesn’t need that.

One thing I will hand to Ms. Washington, Ms. Miller, Ms. Pike, and Ms. Hudson is something that needs to be credited to almost all who hit the “worst dressed lists,” and that is that they took a risk, and were brave to choose the dresses they chose! Kudos for that and not playing it safe, but they are still not doing it for me this time, which is sad since Kate Hudson and Kerry Washington are among my favorite actresses!

What were your favorite looks? Least favorite? How are you going to apply these trends to your everyday (or formal) looks?

xoxo,

Mandie

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