Oscars 2014: Neutral makeup and pushed-back hair top the best beauty statements from the red carpet

by Paige Dzenis March 3, 2014

See all the beauty looks from the 2014 Oscars »

Simplicity was key when it came to hair and makeup at the 2014 Oscars. Natural texture, neutral makeup and glowing skin made for the biggest beauty statements of the night, with just a few punchy lip colours and smoky eyes appearing on the red carpet.

For hair, the trend of the night was a tie between the deep side part and no part at all. Jennifer Lawrence, Amy Adams, Portia de Rossi, Naomi Watts and Lupita Nyong’o were just a few of the stars to opt for the pushed-back look, keeping hair off their faces. For Lawrence, her finger-combed, almost-bouffant gave a grown-up feel to her fresh pixie cut while still being a hairstyle that wasn’t overly fussy. Adams had one of the more structured hairstyles on the Oscars red carpet, but the slight bump at the front of her very-lacquered updo gave it playful appeal, while Watts’ Grace Kelly-inspired hair made us want to run our fingers through our own throughout the night. Rounding out the pushed-back looks was Nyong’o, who wore a delicate headband that anchored her dramatic style.

As for deep side parts, Cate Blanchett, Kate Hudson, Jennifer Garner and Sandra Bullock all rocked this classic red carpet style and they all also swapped out the usual Old Hollywood red lip for neutral tones. Blanchett’s light-pink makeup palette complemented her opalescent earrings—a strong contender for best accessory of the night!—with a light touch of mascara and rose-coloured lipstick to balancing the look out. Bullock also matched her makeup to her dress, making a subtle colour statement with teal eyeliner. It was just bright enough to add visual interest against her smoky eyeshadow but didn’t look too over the top on the red carpet. Also a lifelong fan of the smoky eye is Angelina Jolie, who amped up the look last night with some dramatic false lashes and shimmering taupe shadows.

And, while neutral makeup reigned supreme at the 2014 Oscars, there was some colour to be had. Emma Watson‘s burnt red lipstick suited her complexion so well we wouldn’t be surprised to find out that it was a custom mix. But the best colour of all goes to Kerry Washington: Her deep berry lip and matte makeup was a departure from the shimmering, glowing look that Washington usually wears while playing Olivia Pope, which made it an excellent option on the red carpet.