Oscar red carpet make-up trends

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Oscar Red Carpet Make-Up Trends 2012

In many ways, the Acadamy Awards are a truly pivotal in terms of trend setting for the year ahead.

But this year, the Oscar red carpet make-up trends on these red-carpet beauties seemed to fall flat and pale in comparison to Hollywood starlets of the past.

Let’s review, actress by actress…

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Jennifer Lopez

With the exception of Jennifer Lopez‘s big sexy eyes and double set of lashes, the trend this season leaned heavily toward clean skin with very little luster. The choice of lip stains went from Lopez’s pale rose to Rooney Mara’s deep shade of Crimson. Shades of brown shadow with a classic black liner dominated the look.

There were no surprises this year or full-on, Dior-style glam appearances! Although the runway and the red carpet are very different venues, they serve the same purpose: to present the best of the best, to inspire, and to make us dream the many possibilties of beauty.

emma stone

Fashion and make-up go hand in hand, and must be coordinated. Although my fellow FoS members loved it, I think the Giambatista Valli dress Emma Stone wore overwhelmed her beautiful face with that huge bow and barely-there make-up.

Gwyneth Paltrow

Gwyneth Paltrow was divine in Tom Ford, but she needed to channel Joan Crawford with her hair and make-up.

Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and her right leg

Angelina Jolie rocked in her Atelier Versace black velvet gown, but lacked a stronger eye contour and her hair needed to be up and done! A lot of the fashions seemed half-baked where the gown’s top didn’t match the bottom.

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My make-up award goes to Rooney Mara for her flawless pale skin and wicked sexy cat eyes. What makes her so appealing is that she dares to be original.

All in all, this year’s red-carpet make-up played it safe, and set no trends that inspired me. I guess it’s a sign of the times!-- Brad Boles

Published on February 27, 2012

Brad Boles

Brad Boles landed in New York in the early eighties at the height of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" and worked his way up the make-up artist ladder to fame with his work being featured on the cover's of countless fashion magazines, as well as editorial spreads. MTV was his playground working with the most celebrated artists of the time from Pat Benatar to Grace Jones.

When Hollywood came calling, he landed his first film doing Kim Cattrall’s make-up and went on to work with Reese Witherspoon, Gina Gershon, Sandra Bernhard, Karen Black, Billy Zane, Andrew McCarthy and more.

Brad was the creative director for Denise Rich for 12 years as her stylist and make-up artist, as well as designing her legendary parties for such luminaries as President Clinton, Patti Labelle, Natelie Cole, and Richard Avedon.

Later, Brad opened a store of exotic interiors in NYC in 2002 and then opened a store in Moscow! Brad also designed the Zarin Fabrics showroom with Jill Zarin thus leading to being on the “The Real Housewives of New York City” seen as Jill Zarin's gay husband. Brad is currently working globally on interior projects and has been busy doing interiors in New York City, The Hamptons, Moscow, Morocco, and Dubai.

He has shot the pilot for his own TV show produced by Nancy Glass Productions. Look for his coffee table book, "The Art of Extravagant Luxury" coming soon. Brad and Sharon Haver are developing a style book and series.