By Bryanne Salazar
8:31am PST, Feb 7, 2018
Award season 2018 kicked off on Jan. 7 with the Golden Globes and since then, we've enjoyed a near non-stop parade of celebs looking their finest. While discussing celebrity fashion is fun, Wonderwall.com wanted to also take a look at the best and worst celebrity beauty moments that have graced the award season red carpet this year… starting with the lovely Jessica Chastain at the Golden Globes. Rocking an Old Hollywood look with soft, supple waves and a crimson lip, Jessica was the picture of movie star glam. She gave us all major redhead inspiration (and those giant diamond earrings? Sigh-worthy). Keep reading to see more of the best and worst award season hair and makeup looks this year…
RELATED: Red carpet fashion trends of award season 2018
Don't mind Cardi B, she's just hitting the Grammys "Dripping in Finesse" (yeah, we said it). Her soft, shimmery makeup and dramatic cat-eye liner gave the Bronx-born hip-hop star a sexy '60s vibe that was accentuated by her lavish updo with wispy, face-framing tendrils. We think Cardi's got a sexy-kitten vibe and we dig it.
RELATED: Cardi B and more breakout stars of 2017
We adore Kelly Clarkson and loved her stunning embroidered black gown by Christian Siriano at the 2018 Grammys, but we weren't so crazy about her messy updo and makeup. Kelly's ash-blonde locks are gorgeous but we wish her style had more structure. And while her overall makeup look is flattering, there's way too much contour on her temples that needed to be blended. Instead of giving her face dimension, it actually made her cheeks appear fuller than they are.
"Havana" singer Camila Cabello brought the va-va-voom to the Grammys red carpet. From her red silk gown to her perfectly styled mane with all kinds of volume, plus her flawless black eyeliner and soft rose lips, she had us fanning ourselves with envy. Rumor has it that Camila's look was inspired by the dancing woman emoji!
Millie Bobby Brown might only be turning 14 on Feb. 19 but she's already one of our biggest beauty and fashion icons. Her 2018 Golden Globes look was no exception. The "Stranger Things" star turned it all the way up with dramatic cat eyes, a natural pink lip and the coolest braided bun that seems to feature two straight plaits in the back (possibly referencing her character Eleven?!). Her hair and makeup perfectly complemented her black dress featuring a heavy front ruffle and a plunging open back. Not pictured: her to-die-for sparkly silver heels. Millie's fashion game is no joke.
R&B superstar SZA took "Go big or go home" to heart at the 2018 Grammys. Could she look any more amazing?! With a luscious, full mane with just a peep of some soft bangs and a glossy nude lip, SZA went full goddess on the red carpet. The only thing we weren't loving was the bronze-colored blush that seems to be fighting her lips for attention. A rosier or even coral color would have provided the right contrast to pull this ethereal look off to perfection.
OMG. Katherine Langford from "13 Reasons Why" blew us away with her sultry 2018 Golden Globes look. Her long, chocolate locks were primped and glossed to wavy glory, and her look was only made more incredible by the shimmering star jewelry she wore and (not pictured) the star clips she used in the back to hold her hair in place. Then there's her smoky eye, which had hints of iridescent blue that sparkled like (you guessed it) more stars. Her blush game was hands-down the MVP of the night though, giving her a gorgeous rosy contour that amplified her perfect cheekbones. To keep the look balanced, Katherine opted for a nude lip which really worked. We're just over here singing her praises.
It's really hard to not like anything about Katie Holmes (she's basically perfect), but we just weren't feeling her finger-wave pixie 'do at the 2018 Grammys. Not only does her hair look solid (like we'd break a nail if we touched it), but it actually ages Katie (who's not even 40 yet). Look, we're all for women rocking their ages without shame, but we definitely don't think someone as young and vivacious as Katie should wear a hairdo that's circa "Golden Girls." P.S. We do love Katie's makeup color choices (roses and plums are totally her jam) but the decision to add shadow to her lower lids made her look like she was recovering from two black eyes.
Platinum in the house thanks to Bebe Rexha. The pop singer repped a major style trend at the 2018 Grammys with her long bob and nearly white-blonde locks. While we wish she'd ditch the self-tanner, we do dig her thick black lashes and pink-hued eye makeup.
At the 2018 Screen Actors Guild Awards, Goldie Hawn and daughter Kate Hudson proved that sometimes, beauty is all in the genes. The two women looked stunning. Goldie's warm blonde layers had a playful bounce and we loved the way her bangs framed her face and played against her sultry dark eye makeup. Kate, on the other hand, was in full-on pixie mode with side-swept platinum-blonde bangs and elegantly soft makeup in brown and pink tones that made her look earthy and natural.
There was a lot going on with six-time Grammy nominee and actress Janelle Monae's red carpet look at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards in 2018. In solidarity with the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, Janelle didn't simply carry a white rose (as so many of her peers did) but instead made herself a floral vision. From her sleek two-tone platinum-and-black hair to her purple and teal eye makeup, diamond flower barrettes, earrings and heavily embroidered suit, Janelle embodied female empowerment and beauty. Plus she's known for standing out and setting trends, not just following them. We're definitely taking notes.
Lady Gaga has a reputation for slaying the red carpet. If we're only talking about her bold makeup at the 2018 Grammys — those dramatic smoky kohl eyes, creamy smooth skin and the faintest kiss of rose color on her lips — we'd have to agree that, once again, Gaga hit it out of the park. Her hairstyle, however, was another story. Meant to look like it was trussed up in a corset, the back of Gaga's head also looked like stitches ripping open, which gave her hair (and head) an air of the grotesque. Maybe we're just so used to Gaga floating down the red carpet in a glittery blaze of glory that this style caught us off-guard.
"Lady Bird" star Saoirse Ronan was a vision of elegance at the Golden Globe Awards. Her braided chignon was made edgier by slicked-back sides (giving them the appearance of being shaved) with some extra volume on top that contrasted beautifully with her softer makeup application. Playing up her impossibly clear blue-green eyes, Saoirse opted for extra definition on her brows and lots of mascara while keeping the rest of her look natural with a pop of peachy color on her cheeks and lips. We're in awe.
Saoirse Ronan's Critics' Choice Awards look, on the other hand, wasn't giving us the warm fuzzies. Her decision to pair a bold, dark crimson lip with a nude face washed her out completely. We especially don't like that copper shadow around her eyes (it sort of makes her look sickly). Since Saoirse is such a natural beauty, it's clear that the culprit is the dark lip color — she'd have looked a lot more radiant and healthy with a dramatic eye and soft lip.
There is nothing we don't love about Viola Davis' Golden Globes look. From her full, natural hair to her glowing, warm makeup (bronze blush works amazingly well on her), Viola was like a ray of sunshine on the red carpet. She accentuated her gorgeous eyes with a heavy application of black mascara and liner but softened it with a glittery rose shadow that made her eyes sparkle. We're especially digging those layered necklaces that plunge into her décolleté and show off all her greatest assets. Viola might be 52, but she's all kinds of fabulous.
Very few women could pull off red eye makeup, but model-actress Emily Ratajkowski did it so well, we can't help but sing her praises. Opting for a natural face with dramatic crimson eyes and just a touch of warmth on her cheeks for balance, Emily stood out on the red carpet at the InStyle and Warner Bros. Golden Globes afterparty in the best way possible. Her loose, wavy locks with a simple, sleek center part gave her a total "I woke up this hot" vibe. It's important to note that, just like red lipstick, red eyeshadow has to complement your natural skin tone to work — otherwise it can look garish.
We've long loved Giuliana Rancic and usually, she's the epitome of red carpet style. At the Grammy Awards, she rocked beautiful cascading wavy blonde locks, but we aren't so fond of her heavy black eye makeup. For some faces, a dramatic eye like this can give them an edgy pop, but because Giuliana's face is so slender, it actually overpowers her entire look and washes out the rest of her face. The nude lip doesn't help either. While it's traditional to never match a bold eye with a bold lip, a soft pop of color would have given Giuliana some much-needed balance.
"The X-Files" star Gillian Anderson channeled Marilyn Monroe at the Golden Globes and did it like a pro. Showcasing her gorgeous platinum-blonde locks in a messy updo, Gillian found a style center with her fuchsia lip and complementary rose blush. She kept her eye makeup simple with some chocolate liner and mascara to play up her baby blues. Adding structure were her perfectly shaped brows, which, thankfully, she kept their natural color.
Independently, the elements of Lana Del Ray's Grammys look aren't terrible. Her center-parted hair is sleek and shiny, her cat-eye liner is perfectly executed (and we know how hard that is) and her makeup is dewy and healthy-looking, but the addition of that ridiculous star crown on her head kind of ruined it all. The eye makeup and crown play against each other for drama and end up making the rest of her look seem disjointed. The good news is that Lana is naturally beautiful and doesn't have to do much to make us see stars.
Debra Messing is one of those actresses who feels like your best friend when you're watching her on-screen. Because of that, we were horrified that we weren't at the Golden Globes with her to perform the obligatory best-friend duty of warning her about her heavy-handed makeup application. The ravishing redhead had way, way too much teal and green eyeshadow and black eyeliner (and mascara) on, which gave her normally gorgeous eyes a Tammy Faye Baker appearance. While we think her blush choice (a reddish bronze that played up her stunning hair) and apricot lip were on-point, her eye makeup proved that there is such a thing as too much.
To be fair, singer-songwriter Andra Day has long had an eccentric sense of style, so while we may not be fans of this '90s-inspired look (that many feel makes her look strikingly like Ivana Trump from the same decade), she still managed to turn all the heads at the 2018 Grammys. From her bouffant hair to her violet-blue eyeshadow and striking crimson lip, Andra disappeared behind the costume, so we didn't get a chance to actually see her on the red carpet, just her loud look. We do give her props, however, for finding the exact matching shades of makeup to coordinate with her tuxedo dress. That couldn't have been easy.
Yes to everything about Vanessa Hudgens' amazing black bob with wispy bangs! The actress, who's long been known for having long, flowing dark hair, nailed an entirely different look at a Golden Globes afterparty with this defined cut that amplified her gorgeous cheeks while framing her face. Staying with the current makeup trend of a dramatic eye with a natural lip, Vanessa added a pop of warmth by choosing a coral-peach lip stain. She brought the entire look together with dangling pearl drop earrings that added a touch of playfulness.
Missi Pyle arrived on the Golden Globes red carpet looking like a stunner. Her dramatic eye was perfectly paired with a soft rose lip tint that gave her face (and prominent cheekbones) balance. Add to that her sigh-worthy loose updo with tousled curls and you've got one of the most beautiful red carpet looks of the season. Missi, you looked amazing!
Jazz musician and singer Jazzmeia Horn showed us all how beautiful it is to own our heritage. Wearing traditional West African clothing — including a gorgeous V-neck dress and matching head wrap — to the 2018 Grammys, Jazzmeia (who performed her hit single "Moanin" during the pre-telecast ceremony) opted for complementary blue and grey eyeshadow with a touch of gold on the inner corners to give her a pop of radiance. Her cheeks were dusted with a light application of warm rose blush and her lips featured a light gloss, giving her an overall perfect look for the night.
