Festival season is back and better than ever — it really does feel like every celebrity and their glam squads have been dying to make it back on the red carpet, because from the minute the it started for the 2021 Venice Film Festival, it felt like we haven’t been able to rest. It’s not often I describe something as “jaw-dropping,” but Law Roach may owe me in dental bills for the work he’s done for Zendaya this season.
This year, our favorite celebrities are letting the style do the talking, and keeping their makeup very soft and effortless. Clean skin, not a lot of extras to take away from the beauty of the fashion. Jessica Chastain delivered red, on red, on red, wearing strawberry red hair, orange-red lips, and a red gown, easily explaining why Oscar Isaac… sniffed her armpit; while we’ve also seen a lot of throwback vintage styles such as Pénelope Cruz’s low bun with a deep side-part, giving us Audrey Hepburn wearing Chanel Haute Couture; or Sara Croce’s snatched high ponytail, giving us a very Barbie doll look. It will take a lifetime to recover from the pairing of a wet-looking wave on Zendaya accompanied by a slightly disheveled smoky eye like she just took the sexiest bath and happened to stumble on a red carpet looking incredible.
The two most notable trends from the Venice Film Festival red carpet, though, are the abundance of jeweled accessories — Kiki Layne’s locks being secured in a beehive with stunning brooches and jewels, Cynthia Erivo’s signature nose ring — as well as the rise of the dark lip liner/lip gloss combination, as seen on Tiffany Haddish and her white-blonde pixie cut and model Tina Kunakey. It also must be said that we welcome all the variations in hair styles and textures celebrated on this year’s red carpet.
A warm welcome to the return of the dark lip shade, as well —whether it’s a gentle wash of color like Helen Mirren or MariaCarla Boscono’s, or a bold, semi-matte lip like Barbara Palvin or Cruz, it’s been a while and we love to see it.
Oh, while we mentioned her, an honorable mention must be extended to Palvin, who was easily the most daring attendant of the red carpet. From her long braided ponytail to the princess-style bun that was pinned into a bow, all the way to the gorgeous negative space cat eye that accompanied it — thank you, we needed this after the last year.
Jessica Chastain
