Blake Lively Beauty Horizontal - H 2014
AP ImagesThis story first appeared in the Nov. 21 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.
1. Blake Lively‘s Cannes Glam Slam
WHEN: Cannes Film Festival, May 14, 15 and 17
WHY IT MATTERS: At the festival known for being the height of glamour, rivaling the Oscars, Lively rocked three memorable back-to-back looks, wowing Hollywood and beauty insiders alike.
MUST-HAVE PRODUCT: L’Oreal Elnett Satin Hairspray
“Blake has distinct taste and she had a strong vision of how she wanted to look each night in Cannes,” says hairstylist Stephane Lancien, who put his skills to work turning 27-year-old Lively’s ideas into three standout styles. The L’Oreal ambassador was a red-carpet chameleon, going from a playfully sexy braided ponytail with smoky eye at the opening ceremony’s Grace of Monaco premiere to voluminous, beachy waves that radiated California cool at the following evening’s Mr. Turner premiere. Lancien used Elnett hairspray both times to keep Lively’s locks in place: “It’s the first and final step for every style I do.” The grand finale was a classic red lip, sleek side-part and exaggerated bun topped with 180 carats in diamonds for husband Ryan Reynolds’ The Captive debut — the ultimate display of Hollywood glamour on La Croisette. Says Lancien: “Cannes is one of the most intense moments in beauty each year.”
2. Emily Blunt‘s Daring Pink Lips
WHEN: Edge of Tomorrow premiere in New York, May 28
WHY IT MATTERS: Three premiere looks in three cities (London, Paris and New York City) — all within 24 hours for her sci-fi thriller co-starring Tom Cruise — included a clashing lip color that upped the ante on red-carpet beauty risks.
MUST-HAVE PRODUCT: Blunt wore sold-out Nars Satin Lip Pencil in Villa Lante; Nars Audacious Lipstick in Marisa is a look-alike shade
When makeup artist Jenn Streicher began working with Blunt five years ago, she had to push the nude-lip-loving actress to try something bolder. “I never wore lipstick and even told her, ‘I don’t like lipstick,’ ” says Blunt, who was introduced to Streicher by her husband (then boyfriend), John Krasinski. Clearly those days are behind her as the British beauty, 31, boasts one of the year’s most daring lip looks — Pepto Bismol pink — spotted at the Edge of Tomorrow premiere in New York City. The reason it caused a stir? The lip color clashed with Blunt’s true-red Prada column gown. “You usually team a red lip with a red dress, or you do a nude lip,” says Blunt, who wanted something a little less predictable. Streicher says she tried out several shades of pink while en route from Paris to New York (“We did her makeup on the plane”) before deciding on Nars Satin Lip Pencil in Villa Lante, a highly pigmented, creamy hot-pink hue. “It got a lot of attention … there were probably some haters, but in the end, it was a risk that worked,” says Streicher, who’s opening Striiike, a hair, makeup and brow salon, with her sisters Ashley (a hairstylist) and Kristie (a brow specialist) in Beverly Hills on Nov. 18. Adds Blunt, “It’s my favorite red-carpet look, maybe ever.”
3. Gwen Stefani’s Virtuosic Style Range
WHEN: The Voice on NBC
WHY IT MATTERS: Two nights a week (Monday and Tuesday), more than 11 million viewers on average tune in to see the singer-judge’s trendsetting looks.
MUST-HAVE PRODUCT: Oribe Signature Moisturizing Masque
Fifteen years ago, Stefani, who was wearing pink cornrows at the time (she had just finished shooting the video “Ex-Girlfriend” for No Doubt), met rock-star hairstylist Danilo: “It was backstage at a Vivienne Westwood show in New York City — the first fashion show I’d ever been to — and Danilo was doing the hair,” Stefani tells THR. “Afterward, I begged to have him flown in for our ‘Simple Kind of Life’ video. He gave me this really big pink afro and I’ve been addicted to him ever since.” Danilo has been the man behind the trendsetting 45-year-old singer’s most iconic hairstyles, ranging from Smurf blue knots to a platinum pompadour. “In some ways, it gets harder and harder because Danilo and I have done so many looks,” says Stefani. “We want to keep evolving and always make things a little bit different.” Which is what he’s doing for The Voice judge, so far styling her in retro curls, stick-straight hair and a variety of top knots. “I didn’t expect to get so sucked in — I hadn’t watched the show prior to Gwen being on it, but we bring something new every day and I think that’s what the public is responding to. They also love getting to know her.” Luckily for Stefani, dressing up never gets old: “I feel like I am still playing Barbies, but I get to be the Barbie. It’s what I love — it’s like the reward that comes with the music.”
4. Keira Knightley‘s Smoldering Eyes Have It
WHEN: The Imitation Game premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, Sept. 9
WHY IT MATTERS: Knightley and her makeup artist Kate Lee conspired to create a layered eye look that has brought the dramatic eye — a red-carpet trope — to a striking new level.
MUST-HAVE PRODUCT: Chanel Les 4 Ombres Quadra Eyeshadow in Tisse Gabrielle
Whether teamed with a crimson, violet or nude lip, Knightley’s dramatic, feathery lashes and delicate flick of liner made a powerful impression at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. Busy promoting two films — The Imitation Game and Laggies — the British actress, 29, relied on her makeup artist of 11 years, Kate Lee (last year’s THR Beauty issue cover star), for impactful eyes. The Chanel celebrity makeup artist loved the “elongated eye” created with the deep velvet gray shadow from the new Chanel Quadra Eyeshadow in Tisse Gabrielle and a gentle winged line courtesy of Chanel Le Crayon Khol Intense Eye Pencil (and worn with ethereal, white Chanel Couture) for the Imitation premiere. Lee’s other must-have was Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour powder, which she used in multiple shades. “It’s a multitasker — I like to add luminosity to the base, highlights to the cheekbones and a little definition with two shades darker for bronzing,” says Lee. “It also helps to have such a beautiful canvas.”
5. Sarah Jessica Parker‘s Ode to Oscar de la Renta
WHEN: The Costume Institute Gala, May 5
WHY IT MATTERS: Every year, the Met Ball calls for fashion’s most fabulous red-carpet moments, and in 2014, SJP made the biggest splash, reminding all that she is still Hollywood’s top stylista.
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There was no holding back on glamour for Parker, 49, as she celebrated this year’s Metropolitan Museum Costume Institute Gala theme, “Charles James: Beyond Fashion.” It started with her now iconic black-and-white Oscar de la Renta ball gown with the designer’s signature scrawled across the bottom in red lettering (her idea). Parker, the event’s co-chair, and her makeup artist Leslie Lopez added to that a smoldering metallic eye with Nars Dual-Intensity Eyeshadow in navy Giove and Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner in gray Madison Ave. Parker’s longtime hairstylist Serge Normant created a dramatic ’50s-inspired updo (adding texture and thickness with his volumizing spray) with flowers cradling the bottom hairline. “We felt that adding the flowers in a different and unexpected way — not as a floral wreath or placed behind the ear — would work with the dress. Their nontraditional placement was important,” says Normant, who used three bold white blooms to make sure eyes were on the back and that “magnificent” cascading train. Says Normant: “The Met Ball is that one event where you should, when the theme allows, take a chance to have as much fun as possible.”
6. Kerry Washington‘s Midnight Blue Eyes
WHEN: The Primetime Emmy Awards, Aug. 25
WHY IT MATTERS: Already acclaimed by Scandal fans for her many flawless looks, new mom Washington proved she can still set — and rock — trends on the red carpet.
MUST-HAVE PRODUCT: Neutrogena Nourishing Eye Liner in Twilight Blue
Says Washington of her first time meeting Carola Gonzalez in 2004: “I was going to the NAACP Awards to support a girlfriend, but I needed my hair and makeup done. Carola was filling in for another makeup artist who was out of town. I looked at myself in the mirror [when Carola was finished] and that was it.” The 37-year-old new mom has since become a beauty icon both on- and offscreen (Neutrogena offered her a contract as a spokesmodel and creative consultant last fall). The duo agrees that this year’s Emmy Awards was a spectacular moment for the lead actress nominee, who fiercely rocked metallic midnight blue eyes inspired by the beaded inset on her tangerine Prada gown. “It was a really strong look,” says Gonzalez, who layered Neutrogena Crease Proof Eye Shadow in Forever Platinum (a semimatte sheer silver) with Diorshow Fusion Mono eye shadow in Cosmos (a metallic, iridescent navy) before lining Washington’s eyes with Neutrogena Nourishing Eye Liner in Twilight Blue and coating her lashes with volumizing mascara. “Carola is an artist. She looks at whatever I’m wearing and finds a way to have my face embody the whole look — it feels complete,” says Washington, who, after a decade of working with her, jokes that Gonzalez could do her makeup in the dark. “I want to blindfold Carola one day to see what happens. I really think she could do it.”
7. Cate Blanchett‘s Screen-Siren Glam
WHEN: The Golden Globe Awards, Jan. 12
WHY IT MATTERS: Blanchett affirmed her status as a queen of the red carpet by breaking out for the Globes an iconic look worthy of Oscar — a faux bob that was reminiscent of the screen legends who preceded her but felt utterly modern.
MUST-HAVE PRODUCT: Giorgio Armani Rouge Ecstasy lipstick in Scarlatto
The Blue Jasmine Oscar winner, 45, consistently delivered “wow” moments throughout the red-carpet awards season. A standout was her soft berry-stained lip and faux bob with sheer-effect Armani Prive lace at the Golden Globes. “It was timeless glamour,” says her makeup artist Jeanine Lobell, who added a hint of color to contrast with the all-black couture. “Twenty years from now, we won’t look back at photos and say, ‘That was sooo 2014.’ ” Lobell combined two Giorgio Armani Rouge Ecstasy Lipstick shades, Boudoir and Scarlatto, for a matte raspberry result. Hairstylist Robert Vetica drew inspiration from a photo of a young Grace Kelly for Blanchett’s pinned-under bob — he knew the look was a winner when his other clients (Salma Hayek, Marion Cotillard, Mila Kunis) texted him that night to offer praise. “We thought the hair would be best worn down to offset the strength of the black Armani dress,” recalls Vetica. “I set Cate’s hair and pinned it up while she was in makeup. We normally wait until the last minute to take it down. She got the dress on and loved the look of the hair up.” Vetica very quickly reshaped the hair into the final look seen on the carpet, saying, “The end result was quintessential movie star.”
8. Lupita Nyong’o’s Berry Pretty Lips
WHEN: The Producers Guild of America Awards, Jan. 19
WHY IT MATTERS: Event after event, Nyong’o was the stunner to watch through awards season; it’s no wonder a coveted beauty contract followed.
MUST-HAVE PRODUCT: Lancome Color Design lipstick in Fashion Forward
The Kenyan actress, 31, had a momentous year, and beauty played a big part in it. In April, Nyong’o was announced as the new Lancome ambassador with a rumored multimillion-dollar contract (joining Kate Winslet, Julia Roberts and Penelope Cruz) and was anointed People magazine’s most beautiful woman of the year. Before that, the 12 Years a Slave star had an astonishing awards-season run, with an Oscar trophy and “It” girl fashion status. Hairstylist Ted Gibson and makeup artist Nick Barose delivered many breathtaking moments for their client. One of Nyong’o’s standouts was the PGAs, dressed in nude bandage-like Stella McCartney, cropped hair coiffed to perfection and a daring ombre golden-metallic eye. Final touch? A deep, rich lip. “The dress was a light flesh tone so I wanted the lips to be bold but not too bright, so the plummy color added a focal point,” says Barose. “I love how sleek the end result was — it showed that you can wear bold makeup without the bright color screaming at you.”
9. Salma Hayek’s Modern-Bombshell Mane
WHEN: The LACMA 2013 Art + Film Gala, Nov. 2
WHY IT MATTERS: Hayek and her hairstylist have continually refined sexy hair with a range of regal updos and voluminous Bardot-esque locks.
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It’s one of Hollywood’s most enduring bonds: Hayek, 48, and hairstylist Robert Vetica, who met on a photo shoot long before her acting and producing career flourished and he became one of Hollywood’s most in-demand hairstylists and owner of his eponymous salon at the SLS Hotel Beverly Hills. “It was when she first came to America — I had also just moved here from Milan. Salma spoke broken English and lived in a small apartment behind a gelateria on Robertson Boulevard,” recalls Vetica. “I would go over to her place to do her hair and she’d do her own makeup.” Fast-forward more than 20 years to their current relationship (“It’s like a marriage and it really is a love,” says Hayek) and countless beauty moments ranging from glamazon updos to sexy Bardot-esque blowouts. “We are always trying to reinvent it,” says Hayek of the challenge to keep things fresh and exciting. Although the full, dramatic updo for this November’s LACMA Art + Film Gala was notable, Hayek’s beautifully highlighted, wavy tresses with a Gucci Premiere embellished beige gown at last year’s event showcased Vetica’s talent. He says it was a relatively simple look to achieve — a little leave-in conditioner for the blow-out and hairspray to finish: “Salma has amazing hair, which requires little or no product.” Hayek quickly credits Vetica for “taking really good care” of her ultra-thick, envy-inducing locks (all her own, thank you very much, no extensions). She says, “A lot of times, people come and do something with your hair and they don’t care if they damage it, but the hairdresser that knows in five or 10 years, they’re going to have to work with the same hair … they want to make you look good while also keeping your hair in good health.”
10. Beyonce’s Beauty on the ‘Run’
WHEN: The “Run” music video, released May 17
WHY IT MATTERS: The oversized ambition that went into casting the A-listers in this video, including Sean Penn, Don Cheadle, Jake Gyllenhaal and Blake Lively, was matched by the infinite parade of lavish, sexy looks on Beyonce.
MUST-HAVE PRODUCT: MAC Waterproof Mascara
Jay Z and Beyonce’s “Run” video is three minutes and 45 seconds of glamtastic, with the action-packed faux movie trailer — about a gangster trying to make it big and his accomplice lover — garnering more than 10 million YouTube views. Knowles, 33, dons more than a dozen looks ranging from a Bonnie and Clyde-inspired Faye Dunaway to an oxblood-lipped vampy bride. Her makeup artist of more than a decade, Francesca Tolot, created the looks using MAC kohl and liquid eyeliners, MAC lipstick in Diva (a deep burgundy shade) and plenty of MAC waterproof mascara, essential in the scene where Knowles floats in a swimming pool of money.
11. Jessica Chastain‘s Grecian Goddess
WHEN: The 28th annual American Cinematheque Award, Oct. 21
WHY IT MATTERS: Makeup artist Kristofer Buckle and hairstylist Renato Campora updated the red-carpet Grecian-goddess staple with a vivid take that gave the actress a refreshingly new edge.
MUST-HAVE PRODUCT: Christophe Robin Moisturizing Hair Cream
“I don’t like the red carpet,” Chastain confesses to THR. “I find it kind of uncomfortable, but when I work with Kris and Renato, they do their magic and I feel like a different character.” Most recently, the trio, together since 2011, has been working on Chastain’s Interstellar press tour, including the American Cinematheque Award, where she wore canary yellow Grecian-draped Givenchy Couture complemented by dewy makeup and hair pulled into a low ponytail. “The dress was elegant and rich, so I wanted to balance it with a more effortless hairstyle,” explains Campora, who used volumizing mist before blow-drying and finishing with Christophe Robin Moisturizing Hair Cream. Buckle, who keeps an assortment of YSL matte lipsticks on hand at all times (“We’ve used every single one of them”), says he and Campora deserve only partial credit for the rave results: “It really takes a special person to bring a look to life. Jessica’s not just a pretty starlet who doesn’t have the rest to back it up.”
12. Cameron Diaz‘s Effortless, Easy Glam
WHEN: The Other Woman London premiere, April 2
WHY IT MATTERS: Diaz, 42, defines natural beauty in a town where nobody over 30 is natural.
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Sexy and carefree is what Diaz is best known for and exactly what she delivered at the U.K. premiere for her latest romantic comedy. She sported a smokin’ black leather dress by The Row, raspberry lips (Flower Beauty Shine On Lip Gloss in Stop the Violets) and straight layered locks with a little lift at the roots (thanks to Rene Furterer’s dry shampoo). “I kept the hair straight to keep the seriousness and strength of the leather dress fresh,” says hairstylist Lona Vigi, half of the team that works with Diaz off- and onscreen, along with longtime makeup artist Robin Fredriksz, who has been with the actress since 2002’s The Sweetest Thing. Vigi joined the duo on 2003’s Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle. “They’re my go-to glam squad. I’m lucky to have locked them down,” says Diaz, who was referred to both women by mutual makeup-artist friend and Stila founder Jeanine Lobell. For the red carpet, Diaz says it begins with the dress, then “these two go away and get inspired and come back with something perfect to complete the look.” She adds: “We’ve lived together, we travel together, we go on vacations together … our days on set are 12 hours minimum, so it’s important to spend it with people who are fun. I wouldn’t want to be surrounded by any two other women with sharp objects in their hands. Hot, sharp objects coming at my face.”
13. Diane Kruger’s Twist on a French Braid
WHEN: FX’s The Bridge season two premiere, July 7
WHY IT MATTERS: Kruger proved yet again that she has a great eye for red-carpet style by debuting an innovative braid (thanks to hairstylist Kylee Heath) that worked with, not against, her intricate dress.
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Hairstylist Heath credits client Kruger, 38, as the “brains behind the idea” to do an intricate double-braid to complement Kruger’s elaborately embroidered lace Mary Katrantzou dress. “This wasn’t like anything I’d seen before,” says Heath. She braided a small center section of Kruger’s hair before pulling side panels into a loose low braid and combining the two. She secured it with hairspray to keep the look slightly structured and frizz-free. “It’s a classic hairstyle with a brave twist,” says Heath. “Lucky for me, Diane is always up for something new and she knows how to rock a high-fashion look.”
14. Reese Witherspoon’s Pink Lip Parade
WHEN: Toronto Film Festival, Sept. 8
WHY IT MATTERS: On the red carpet, which thrives on variety, Witherspoon created a unique signature with repeat wearings of attention-drawing pink lips that never grew old.
MUST-HAVE PRODUCT: Avon Ultra Color Bold Lipstick in Pink Punch
“Reese is a classic beauty, but she likes to have fun — and she loves a bright lip,” says makeup artist Lauren Andersen. Witherspoon, 38, was on a pink-lip kick in 2014: a vibrant rose for the Vanity Fair Oscar party in March from Chanel makeup artist Angela Levin; Revlon lipstick in Sultry Samba, a matte fuchsia that Gucci Westman applied for the Met gala in May; and a punchy rose Andersen used for the D.C. premiere of The Good Lie in September. Witherspoon’s new beauty philosophy is “more is more,” says Andersen, who painted the Wild actress and producer’s pout a shocking pink (Avon Ultra Color Bold Lipstick in Pink Punch) at the Toronto Film Festival. “I matted her lips with a bit of foundation before applying the lipstick with a brush for a perfect shape,” says Andersen. “Brights look great on Reese.”
15. Kirsten Dunst’s New Take on the Hitchcock Blonde
WHEN: The Two Faces of January, which premiered in September
WHY IT MATTERS: The film infuses sun-kissed warmth and youthful allure to the traditionally icy Hitchcock blonde.
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In Dunst’s dark thriller, the 32-year-old actress plays young wife Colette to Viggo Mortensen‘s Chester MacFarland, both based on the characters in Patricia Highsmith‘s 1964 book. Rather than re-create the trends of ’62, the film’s makeup and hair designer Daniel Phillips researched images from the late ’50s to “avoid slipping into the early Beatles period, which was slightly more garish.” Phillips opted for the “Hollywood glamour look” of a few years earlier to retain an innocence and youthfulness. The resulting ode to the Hitchcock blonde spools out via polished hairstyles under summery hats, coral lipstick (the sold-out Chanel Rouge Allure in Libertine) and Dunst’s sun-kissed glow from Vita Liberata tanning mousse. “The film takes place in a time that was shameless in its celebration of the female beauty,” says Phillips. “The sultry arch of the eyebrow, the voluptuous lips, a dress that follows the curves of the body — it’s all there.”
16. Jennifer Lawrence’s Oscar Day-to-Night Look
WHEN: Vanity Fair Oscar party, March 2
WHY IT MATTERS: The Hunger Games makeup artist Ve Neill cleverly layered nighttime smoky eyes on top of a beautiful Oscars look for a seamless transition from awards show to party glam.
MUST-HAVE PRODUCT: Make Up For Ever Aqua Seal
For three-time Oscar-winning makeup artist Neill (Beetlejuice, Mrs. Doubtfire, Ed Wood), just one look for Oscars didn’t feel right for client Lawrence, 24. “It’s the middle of the afternoon when actresses leave for the red carpet — a heavy eye seems too dramatic,” says Neill, who kept Lawrence’s initial look soft and understated. “I wanted to switch to a sexy, smokier eye in the evening. It set off that fabulous mirrored Tom Ford dress.” Rather than a time-consuming reapplication of makeup, Neill, who has worked with Lawrence on the Hunger Games films, topped off the American Hustle nominee’s daytime makeup with a combination of dark Dior shadows, Make Up For Ever eyeliner and Armani Eyes to Kill mascara. The key was Make Up For Ever’s Aqua Seal, a liquid product that locks in eye shadow and liner and keeps even the most dramatic eyes smudge-free.
17. Angelina Jolie’s Spellbinding Lips
WHEN: Maleficent, released May 30
WHY IT MATTERS: Jolie’s famous pout broke the fourth wall by helping to sell out the lipstick shade in the MAC Maleficent collection that was just like the one her character wore in one of the year’s top-grossing blockbusters, which earned more than $750 million worldwide.
MUST-HAVE PRODUCT: MAC Lipglass in Russian Red (a similar shade to sold-out Anthurium)
Jolie’s personal makeup artist, Toni G, who also is known for big-screen transformations (Charlize Theron in 2003’s Monster), decided Maleficent — the villainess from Disney’s 1959 animated classic Sleeping Beauty — needed a modern-day makeover. Toni G ditched the green skin and purple eye shadow in favor of a pale base and neutral tones. However, she did retain the bold lip and strong cheekbones (prosthetics applied daily by Rick Baker) from the original. It took about 20 tries to find the perfect red that was neither too pink nor too orange for the 39-year-old actress’ vengeful fairy: The winner was MAC Pro Longwear Lipglass in Anthurium. The glossy lip shade ended up being part of MAC’s limited-edition Maleficent collection (along with 13 other products) that debuted in May. The collection’s True Love’s Kiss lipstick (a matte red) sold out worldwide in just four weeks.
18. Lizzy Caplan’s Showstopping Emmys Look
WHEN: The Primetime Emmy Awards, Aug. 25
WHY IT MATTERS: Once or twice an awards season, one chic, smoldering look catapults an actress onto the fashion and beauty radar.
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“The Emmys. Period. That was a moment,” says Caplan of the evening that elevated her from television ingenue to a red-carpet style force. The Masters of Sex actress, 32, gives major props to her glam squad — stylist Ilaria Urbinati, hairstylist Marcus Francis and makeup artist Sabrina Bedrani — for the transformative black-and-white Donna Karan Atelier gown and equally dramatic beauty: “Everybody was working toward one uniform look instead of trying to make it about any specific element.” Bedrani says the idea for the makeup and hair stemmed from the simplicity and daring open back of the dress: “We wanted to take it further with slick hair and an extra-smoky eye.” Bedrani used Dior eye shadow in Hypnotique, a taupey-purple, along with ivory, copper and chocolate shades from the Dior 5 Couleurs Couture Eyeshadow Palette in Cuir Cannage to create the elevated cat-eye. Says Caplan, “I have never felt more beautiful.”
19. Zoe Saldana’s Softer Side
WHEN: Guardians of the Galaxy London premiere, July 24
WHY IT MATTERS: The actress is known for her ease with cutting-edge looks, but at this premiere, she surprised red-carpet observers by infusing whimsical femininity with her brand of confidence.
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Hairstylist Aviva Perea and makeup artist Vera Steimberg gave their longtime client Saldana, 36, a romantic “Bardot vibe” for the London premiere of Guardians of the Galaxy. Inspired by the fluttery sleeves and ethereal fabric of the mom-to-be’s Valentino dress, Steimberg kept makeup soft and glowing while Perea created a loose half-up, half-down hairdo with two small braids twisted into rosettes in the back. Perea spritzed Phyto Phytovolume Actif volumizing spray (“It isn’t sticky or tacky, just soft and clean”) at the roots before blow-drying Saldana’s hair for perfectly tousled waves. Mother Nature provided an assist, says Perea: “You could see in the pictures that there was a slight amount of wind giving movement to Zoe’s dress and hair as she walked the carpet.”
20. Downton Abbey‘s Jazz Age
WHEN: Season four of the PBS series
WHY IT MATTERS: The Emmy-winning looks in the drama successfully transitioned the characters from their definitive English-primrose aesthetic to a more contemporary, colorful era.
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Although Downton devotees relished the understated English beauty epitomized in the first three seasons of the PBS period drama, there was no lack of enthusiasm as Ladies Mary, Edith and Rose (Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Lily James, respectively) embraced the more colorful Jazz Age. “By 1922, it was more widely accepted for aristocracy to be made up,” says makeup and hair department head Magi Vaughan. Perhaps James’ fiery and fun-spirited Rose embraced it most with her debutante presentation to the royals in the season-four finale. “To ensure that she was the darling of London society, her hair was lightened and brightened and her skin glowed with pink primer [Make Up For Ever HD Microperfecting Primer] and delicately airbrushed makeup,” says Vaughan. Hollywood also lauded the beauty of season four: Vaughan and her team received this year’s Emmy for outstanding hairstyling. She says, “There’s probably not a moment in time that’s as glamorous and fun as the 1920s.”
21. Emma Stone’s Modern Bob
WHEN: The Birdman premiere at the Venice Film Festival, Aug. 27
WHY IT MATTERS: It was the year of the “lob,” aka a long bob, but Stone stood out with her super-chic, shaggy version of the hottest haircut.
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“It was something we had previously discussed, and the timing felt right,” says hairstylist Mara Roszak of the decision to cut Stone’s long locks into a shaggy, almost chin-grazing bob in Venice. “I don’t think you can ever expect the type of reaction we got.” The 26-year-old actress debuted her fresh crop to great acclaim at the Venice Film Festival premiere of Birdman. Halle Berry, Kristen Wiig and Kate Mara also cut their longer hairstyles into bobs in 2014. Roszak says the key is a “mussed-up” style, which can be achieved with a quick spritz (with L’Oreal’s tousle spray) and scrunch. Translation: messy and cool — nothing even close to a mom-bob.
22. Amy Adams’ Chignon and Chic Makeup
WHEN: BAFTA Awards, Feb. 16
WHY IT MATTERS: Black gown, red lip, hair up — check, check and check. But these red-carpet go-tos were combined in a subtly different yet stunning way with captivating results.
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The American Hustle actress, 40, makes a strong case for elegant simplicity. “It seemed too obvious a choice to do a dark eye with a dark dress,” says Adams’ makeup artist Stephen Sollitto. Instead, he focused on the lips, using Make Up For Ever’s Satin Bordeaux Red lipstick to punch up her black Victoria Beckham column. “It’s a wine shade a bit richer than what you’d wear every day,” says Sollitto. Adams’ hairstylist Laini Reeves styled an equally chic, slicked-side bun. Says Sollitto, “All of the elements were simple, but together the whole look was strong but feminine.”
23. Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s Breakout Beauty
WHEN: Beyond the Lights opening at the Urbanworld Film Festival in New York, Sept. 18
WHY IT MATTERS: Could she be the next Lupita? This newcomer is making a name for herself in Hollywood, both onscreen and on the red carpet — and she has locked in the same glam team Nyong’o used for her record-making 2013 run.
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The dynamic beauty duo — hairstylist Ted Gibson and makeup artist Nick Barose — responsible for Nyong’o’s most memorable looks has teamed with Mbatha-Raw, 31. The three collaborated for a screening of the British actress’ latest film, Beyond the Lights, in New York, where she garnered attention for her Sophia Loren-inspired sultry and feminine look. Gibson prepped Mbatha-Raw’s hair with Leonor Greyl products to smooth strands before pinning it under into a short faux bob. Barose, channeling “a glamorous Italian movie-star look,” used the new Gucci Beauty products, including a dusting of Golden Glow Bronzer “to achieve the soft, sun-kissed glow,” a flush of Sheer Blushing Powder in Pink Camelia and a swipe of Audacious Lipstick in Aegean Pink, dotted with Vibrant Demi Glaze Lip Lacquer in Breathless. Molto bellissima! Too soon to predict a beauty contract?
24. Rooney Mara’s Multidimensional Brunette
WHEN: Trash photocall at the Rome Film Festival, Oct. 18
WHY IT MATTERS: After seducing style insiders with her definitive dark goth, Mara sampled auburn before landing on a more versatile, role-friendly brunette with glossy, rich layers.
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After a year of sampling auburn-tinged medium-browns, Mara, 29, is back to a deep chocolate hue courtesy of in-demand colorist Lorri Goddard (she paints the tresses of Kate Hudson and Reese Witherspoon). Like Anne Hathaway, Elle Fanning and newly brunette Cara Delevingne, Mara’s hue is “not inky and flat” because Goddard “layered depth” throughout. To achieve the multidimensional effect, Goddard applied darker hues underneath with ribbons of softer shades in the same tonal family. For Mara, Goddard says the look “frames her flawless skin and beautiful features.” Although stars sampled “sombre” (a subtler ombre) and My Little Pony pastels earlier this year, the rest of 2014 will have a chocolate focus.
25. Felicity Jones’ 1960s Belle of the Ball
WHEN: The Theory of Everything, released Nov. 7
WHY IT MATTERS: Early Oscar buzz — and a fresh-faced Audrey Hepburn look — has anointed Jones one to watch.
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Makeup, hair and prosthetics designer Jan Sewell referenced many photos of Jane Hawking for Focus Features’ Stephen Hawking biopic, but she preferred to spotlight the glamour of the ’60s and her fresh-faced leading lady, Jones, 31. “It was more about heightening the look,” says Sewell. In the opening sequence of the drama that depicts the tumultuous relationship between Jane and the physicist (Eddie Redmayne), Jane is seen going to a ball at Cambridge in 1963. “I based Felicity’s look on Audrey Hepburn,” says Sewell, who used Make Up For Ever HD powder and taupe shadows from Cosmetics a la Carte with brown Laura Mercier liner for a soft, natural eye. “She’s young and beautiful, so we kept it simple before we had to age her for the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s.”
With additional reporting by Jane Carlson
