Cornucopias for the beauty-obsessed, red carpets often give way to out-of-the-box beauty looks that leave us feeling undecided in the best way, but last night’s Oscars presented us with more archetypal than divergent; classic red lips and slick middle partings reigned supreme, leaving experimentation and avant-garde to the fashion. Despite the preference for classic over contentious, the looks were were still out-of-this-world stunning, so we’ve rounded up our favourite 2023 Oscars beauty looks, alongside our fave formulas to help you replicate them.

The Iconic Red

Lady Gaga, Versace, Academy Awards, Oscars
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 12: Lady Gaga attends the 95th Annual Academy Awards on March 12, 2023 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images )

Proving that red lipsticks are always a good idea, we spotted the classic hue on a number of celebrities. Think: Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Michele Williams, Malala Yousafzai and more. Gaga paired her red lip with heavy black eye makeup – playing on the goth trend that we’ve seen spiralling since Wednesday debuted on Netflix last year.

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Speaking of red, Cara Delevingne sported a delicious berry tone on her lids, and it’s giving Charlotte Tilbury The Vintage Vamp vibes.

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Up, up and away

Rihanna

Whether swept up into a high bun and accessorised with wispy tendrils (Rihanna); tight, low, slick with gel and parted down the middle (Rooney Mara and Elizabeth Olsen); or half-up, giving you the best of both worlds (Mindy Kaling), an updo can do no wrong. Also, you heard it here first: the side parting is back, if Cara Delevingne’s side-swept style is anything to go by.

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Here come the curls

Oh hello there natural textures, it’s nice to see you! Refusing to conform to westernised beauty standards, celebs like Ruth E Carter, Winnie Harlow and Angela Bassett were seen celebrating their natural textures.

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Pretty in plaits

Who knew plaits could be so glam? We’ve gone quite literally gaga over Gaga’s spellbinding French plait, while we’re simply speechless over Halle Bailey’s braids, and Ludwig Goransson’s pigtails have us happily reliving our schooldays. We love that they aren’t perfect – when replicating his style, leave bits of hair poking out for a ‘perfectly undone’ look.

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