The Oscars Are the Pinnacle of Award Season (and so Are the Beauty Looks)—22 Standouts

Well, folks, we’ve made it to the pinnacle of award season. It all started with the Golden Globes, followed by the Grammys, the SAG Awards, and now, the Oscars. That's right—tonight, the 97th annual Academy Awards take place in Los Angeles.
Films like Wicked, Emilia Pérez, and A Complete Unknown have been nominated, as have celebrities like Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Mikey Madison, Zoe Saldaña, and Demi Moore. So, yeah, we knew the red carpet would be full of sensational beauty looks, but we didn't know just how sensational. Keep scrolling to see all the best beauty looks from Hollywood's most glamorous night.
Selena Gomez is the epitome of elegance with fluttery lashes and a full face of monochromatic peach makeup (all Rare Beauty products, we're sure!). Look closely to see her ever-so-slight, super-dainty winged eyeliner. The detail!
Ariana Grande gave her Wicked character, Glinda, a run for her money with fluttery eyelashes and petal-pink eyes, lips, and cheeks. Yep, it's official. She won our award for the "most magical" red carpet makeup look.
Cynthia Erivo's maximalist manicure is everything, but don't let that distract you from her glowing complexion and her thick, winged eyeliner. Gorgeous.
Demi Moore's long, black hair cascaded down her back in loose waves. Add petal-pink lips and a bold inner-corner highlight, and you have a winning look.
The glossy hair! The sculptural updo! The berry-stained lips! In our opinion, everything about Margaret Qualley's look is pure and utter perfection.
Miley Cyrus's look is '80s grunge meets '90s supermodel.
If anyone will convince you to *finally* book that hair appointment for a long-awaited pixie cut, it's Emma Stone. Her 1920s-esque style is so chic.
Elle Fanning always nails a red carpet beauty look. This one is no different. She went with a timeless look—winged eyeliner, rosy lips, and chic updo included.
Sure, Lisa's hair and makeup are stunning, but we can't help but look at her gradient nails. They're further proof that maximalist manicures are *it* for 2025.
Ana de Armas subbed classic crimson lipstick for an unexpected brick color.
Mindy Kaling makes the case for abandoning so-called "clean-girl makeup" for something bolder and more glamorous. Her silver eyes and glossy lips are so good.
Zoe Saldaña's red carpet beauty equation involves glossy lips and loose waves.
H.E.R. embodies the TikTok-viral "cloud-skin" trend; her complexion has a lit-from-within, velvety matte finish. That, paired with her shine-free lipstick, is making the case for matte makeup products.
Black-cherry lipstick is trending, but Lupita Nyong'o's raspberry lip color has us contemplating a switch-up. It looks so sophisticated, especially with a shiny finish. And those pearl hair accessories? So good.
We can all agree that cobalt blue is Michelle Yeoh's color, right? We can also all agree that her hair and makeup are utterly timeless.
Halle Berry is proof: Flipped ends will never go out of style.
Penélope Cruz looked like a Greek goddess with her flowing side part.
Felicity Jones is sleek and sophisticated with glowing skin and soft-pink lips.
Bruna Marquezine proves the sun-kissed skin is in, whether it's on the Academy Awards red carpet or otherwise. Excuse us while we go find our bronzer…
Charlotte Lawrence's light-pink lip color is giving soft and elegant vibes, while her black eyeliner is giving us bold and edgy vibes. We love the dichotomy.
Storm Reid's hair and makeup are so sleek. Her winged eyeliner, glossy lips, and slicked-back hair just might be our new favorite red carpet beauty combination.
Julianne Hough channeled Old Hollywood vibes with a voluminous bob, red lipstick, and a blinding highlight. To us, it's giving a 1940s aesthetic.
Get the Red Carpet Look
Kaitlyn McLintock is a Beauty Editor at Who What Wear. She has 10 years of experience in the editorial industry, having previously written for other industry-leading publications, like Byrdie, InStyle, The Zoe Report, Bustle, and others. She covers all things beauty and wellness-related, but she has a special passion for creating skincare content (whether that's writing about an innovative in-office treatment, researching the benefits of a certain ingredient, or testing the latest and greatest at-home skin device). Having lived in Los Angeles, California, and Austin, Texas, she has since relocated back to her home state, Michigan. When she's not writing, researching, or testing beauty products, she's working through an ever-growing book collection or swimming in the Great Lakes.
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