A new awards season is on the horizon, which means the red carpet will soon be filled with fresh beauty inspiration. But before we start tracking the next wave of makeup and hair trends, there are plenty of standout looks from the 2026 awards season worth revisiting.
Last season brought a varied approach to red-carpet beauty, from luminous complexions and softly sculpted makeup to statement lips, intricate braids, and polished vintage-inspired hair. Some stars went all in on drama, while others kept things refined, allowing glowing skin, beautifully defined features, or a striking hairstyle to carry the look.
And because beauty inspiration doesn’t have to belong to one particular moment, revisiting these looks as we enter a new awards cycle is a good way to refresh your own beauty mood board. Whether you’re looking for ideas for an upcoming event, a new makeup routine, or a hairstyle to save for your next salon appointment, the 2026 red carpet offers plenty to borrow.
Ahead, we’re breaking down eight standout red-carpet beauty looks from the 2026 awards season, along with simple ways to adapt the details that made them memorable for your own beauty routine and beyond.
Check out 8 standout red-carpet beauty looks to recreate from the 2026 awards season…
#1. The Luminous Skin: Jennifer Lawrence at the Golden Globes
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Jennifer Lawrence made a case for radiant, understated beauty at the Golden Globes with a luminous complexion, soft pink tones, and makeup that enhanced rather than masked her features. The result was polished without looking overly constructed, proving that a beautifully prepped complexion can do much of the work.
The key to recreating this look is keeping the base lightweight and focusing on skin that looks fresh and naturally radiant. A cream blush can add a soft flush to the cheeks, while a subtle liquid highlighter brings light to the high points of the face without creating an overly metallic finish.
Keep the eyes softly defined with neutral shadow and mascara, then finish with a pink, rosy nude, or sheer berry lip.
- Get the Look: Start with well-moisturized skin, followed by a lightweight foundation or skin tint. Apply cream blush to the cheeks and a small amount of liquid highlighter to the cheekbones. Keep the eyes neutral with mascara and finish with a soft pink or rosy nude lip.
- Best for: Brunches, weddings, date nights, and anyone who prefers skin-like makeup with a subtle glow.
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#2. The Brown Smoky Eye: Teyana Taylor at the SBIFF Virtuosos Awards
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Teyana Taylor leaned into rich, warm tones with a smoky brown and bronze eye that complemented her couture look without competing with it. The makeup had enough depth for an evening event while remaining wearable enough to translate outside the red carpet.
Brown and bronze are particularly useful alternatives to a traditional black smoky eye. They create definition while giving the makeup a softer, warmer quality, especially when paired with bronzed skin and a glossy neutral lip.
- Get the Look: Sweep a warm brown through the crease, then deepen the outer corner with chocolate or espresso shadow. Add bronze or champagne shimmer to the lid and define the lash line with liner before finishing with mascara or wispy lashes. Warm up the complexion with bronzer, then use brown lip liner with nude or clear gloss.
- Best for: Evening events, parties, date nights, and anyone who wants a smoky eye with a softer finish.
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#3. The Classic Red Lip: Jessie Buckley at the Oscars
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Jessie Buckley proved that few beauty choices have the staying power of a classic red lip. Rather than relying on an elaborate makeup look, the bold lip became the focal point, giving her beauty look a timeless quality that worked beautifully for the Oscars.
The secret to making a red lip look polished is preparation and precision. Smooth, hydrated lips provide a better canvas for color, while a coordinating lip liner helps define the shape and keep the lipstick in place.
The rest of the makeup can remain relatively restrained. A softly perfected complexion, lightly sculpted cheeks, groomed brows, and defined lashes are enough to balance the intensity of the lip.
- Get the Look: Exfoliate and moisturize the lips before applying a matching red lip liner. Fill in the entire lip with the liner, then layer your red lipstick over it for greater definition and staying power. Keep the complexion softly perfected and the eyes relatively understated.
- Best for: Formal dinners, weddings, special occasions, and anyone who wants a beauty look that never feels dated.
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#4. The Goddess Braids: Chase Infiniti at the Oscars
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Chase Infiniti’s goddess braids offered a beautiful example of how a protective style can become the centerpiece of a red-carpet beauty look. Long braids were paired with loose, curly pieces, creating a contrast between structure and movement.
It’s a particularly useful style to save if you’re looking for a protective hairstyle that still has a sense of occasion. The combination of neat braiding and softer curls gives the style versatility without sacrificing its sculptural quality.
The beauty look surrounding the hair can remain simple. Luminous skin, softly defined eyes, and a neutral or glossy lip allow the hairstyle to remain the focus.
- Get the Look: Ask your stylist for long goddess braids with loose curly pieces throughout. Define the edges and keep the finish polished without making every strand overly rigid. Pair the style with glowing skin, softly defined eyes, and a neutral or glossy lip.
- Best for: Protective-style lovers, weddings, vacations, and special occasions where you want your hair to make an entrance.
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#5. The Sleek Side Part: Georgina Rodríguez at Venice
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Georgina Rodríguez took a more restrained approach to glamour at the Venice Film Festival with sleek, straight dark hair, a clean side part, and softly luminous makeup. The overall effect was polished without relying on excessive styling, allowing the combination of hair, makeup, jewelry, and tailoring to work together.
For the beauty look, the focus is on refinement. A natural or satin-finish complexion, pink blush, neutral eyes, groomed brows, and a pink or rosy nude gloss create an understated base. The hair then adds structure through its smooth finish and precise part.
- Get the Look: Begin with a moisturized complexion and natural or satin-finish foundation. Add pink blush, neutral eyeshadow, mascara, and a pink or rosy nude gloss. For the hair, create a clean side part and straighten the lengths before finishing with a shine serum.
- Best for: Dinner dates, formal occasions, weddings, and anyone drawn to understated glamour.
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#6. The Vintage Pin Curls: Selena Gomez at the Golden Globes
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Selena Gomez brought a distinctly vintage quality to the Golden Globes with deep oxblood lips and polished pin curls. The combination nodded to old-Hollywood glamour while the rich lip color gave it a modern edge.
This is a particularly easy look to adapt because the vintage influence can be as subtle or dramatic as you want. The hair can take the form of defined waves rather than tightly structured curls, while the lip remains the statement.
- Get the Look: Start with a deep side part and use a curling iron or rollers to create defined curls. Once the hair has cooled, brush through gently to create smooth waves and finish with shine spray or hairspray. Pair the hairstyle with a wine, burgundy, or oxblood lipstick and matching liner, keeping the rest of the makeup soft.
- Best for: Formal dinners, black-tie events, weddings, and anyone who loves a vintage beauty reference.
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#7. The Sculptural Braid: Audrey Nuna at the Golden Globes
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Audrey Nuna took a more architectural approach to beauty with a sculptural braided updo and a bold black lip. The hairstyle transformed braiding into something closer to a piece of design, while the dark lip reinforced the look’s dramatic character.
This is one of the more adventurous ideas from the 2026 red carpet, but the individual elements can easily be adapted. A sleek braided ponytail or bun can capture the same structured quality without requiring an elaborate updo.
- Get the Look: Pull the hair into a sleek ponytail or bun and create one or more braided sections, securing everything with a strong-hold gel. For the makeup, try a deep plum, black cherry, or near-black berry lip. Keep the skin softly perfected so the hair and lips remain the focus.
- Best for: Fashion events, parties, concerts, and occasions where you want your beauty look to make a statement.
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#8. The Polished Glow: Anne Hathaway at the Oscars
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Anne Hathaway offered another interpretation of understated red-carpet glamour with radiant skin, polished hair, and softly defined makeup. Rather than centering the look around one dramatic feature, the effect came from how seamlessly all the elements worked together.
This approach is particularly useful for anyone who wants makeup that photographs well without appearing overly heavy in person. The goal is a fresh complexion with strategic definition rather than layers of obvious product.
- Get the Look: Start with well-moisturized skin and a natural or satin-finish foundation, using concealer only where needed. Add cream blush high on the cheeks and a subtle highlighter, then define the eyes with neutral shadow, mascara, and groomed brows. Finish with a rosy nude lip or gloss. For the hair, opt for a smooth blowout, soft waves, or a polished low bun.
- Best for: Weddings, dinners, work events, date nights, and any occasion where polished but understated beauty is the goal.
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The Red-Carpet Beauty Moments Worth Taking Into the New Season
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The beauty looks that stay with us aren’t always the most complicated. Sometimes it’s a luminous complexion, a perfectly defined red lip, a dramatic braid, or a hairstyle with just enough vintage influence to change the entire mood of a look.
That’s part of what makes revisiting the 2026 awards season worthwhile as we enter a new awards cycle. The next round of red carpets will inevitably introduce new trends, but last season already gave us plenty of beauty ideas that can be adapted rather than simply copied.
Take the element that speaks to you and make it your own. A full red-carpet look isn’t necessary to borrow the inspiration—a new lip color, a different way of styling your hair, or a little more attention to your complexion can be enough to refresh your beauty routine for the season ahead and beyond.
Featured image: @amberdmakeup/Instagram
