Gal Gadot | thebrightblush

Wooooooo!

New year, new red carpet. I’d barely realized until just this week that awards season is upon us, and it’s definitely bringing a little sunshine into my single-digits-temp world these days.

Before I share my favorites, it’s worth making note that the fashion choices at this year’s Golden Globes have been unilaterally affected by the Time’s Up movement, which seeks to bring awareness of and legal protections for women dealing with sexual assault, harassment, and inequality in the workplace. Time’s Up is meant to be a unified call to action stemming primarily from women in the entertainment industry, for women everywhere. In solidarity with Time’s Up, this year’s attenders of the Golden Globes elected to wear black. So all of that to say, this particular red carpet featured absolutely no color (at least as far as I saw in all my research) and that’s no mistake! I’ve not found a single photo of someone wearing anything other than black.

Alright, now that we’ve got that down, on to my picks …

Zoe Kravitz in YSL

Like you’ve heard me say before, it’s all in the styling. Zoe’s pixie cut is giving me Josephine Baker vibes, and the Lorraine Schwartz deco-cut emeralds are stunning. They make me think of Minas Morgul – an odd association, I know. But what can I say? I’m a Lord of the Rings fan and its images are floating through my brain. I love Zoe’s red lip paired with her enviable beauty mark, as well. It’s all giving me retro feels, and you know I’m a sucker for anything pre-1970s.

Margot Robbie in Gucci

I really, really love this dress. Even with the plunging neckline it’s still modest enough for my personal taste with the exaggerated shoulders and all that. And those sequin appliqués are dreamy. Alessandro Michele, the creative director at Gucci, has been consistently knocking it out of the park at the luxury powerhouse since taking the helm in 2015 with his whimsical and glittery creations (unicorns! so many colors! sequins and butterflies and flowers ALL the time!). Margot seems to share a special relationship with Gucci, so we can always trust that she’ll turn up in one of Alessandro’s designs looking beautiful. And of course, I always enjoy Pati Dubroff’s makeup choices for Margot, though as I’ve said it is kind of hard to make her look bad.

Tracee Ellis Ross in Marc Jacobs

I love Tracee’s styling because she makes selections that are a bit off-beat, and there’s usually a nod to her black heritage or to her mother in particular … and that would be Diana Ross, in case you weren’t sure. I had the privilege of seeing Diana Ross in concert two summers ago and let me tell you, that woman’s style is the very definition of unapologetic glamour, with no signs of toning it down at 73. So anyhow, Tracee seems to be a reflection of Diana for the twenty-first century. I’m loving her turban, and the way her gown’s neckline ties in a large, loose bow. The whole design from the runway is actually Pepto Bismol pink in its original form! And if you can find an close-up shot of her Irene Neuwirth earrings, they’re equally stunning- gettin’ me with the art deco styles again.

Diane Kruger in custom Prada

Undeniably, my favorite. I love the draping, I love the neckline, I love the beaded details and the delicate fabric. And it has a cape! And a box clutch! Ah, I’ve missed Diane on the red carpet. I adore gowns that seem flowy and watery, with plenty of movement. The whole silhouette feels so effortless. I honestly don’t have much more to say about this look- I love it, and that’s about it! Simple hair, simple makeup, perfect styling.

Black never has to be boring, and along with the gowns there was an abundance of beautiful hair and makeup tonight to complement all the blank canvases. A worthy mention, here:

This is Jessica Biel’s hair, styled by Adir Abergel. I live for little unexpected details like this. And if it’s not a throwback look, I’m equally a fan of strong, modern, minimal touches. You can’t help but think that this hairstyle belongs on a runway slightly influenced by Mad Max. I’ll have to find out whether this is leather, fabric, etc.

Any standouts to you this year among the sea of black? Let me know in the comments, and on to the SAG Awards! xo, MR

All images credited to Getty Images. Jessica Biel photo credit to @hairbyadir .

Glamour isn’t a magazine I usually pick up, but when I noticed that Gal Gadot was slated to be on their April 2016 cover, I figured I’d snag a copy considering it was Wonder Woman’s first American cover and she kicks major Super-butt. However, a fun little surprise waited for me inside that had me squealing: a step-by-step-how-to-get-the-makeup-look-feature thingy.

Yes, I live for step-by-step-how-to-get-the-makeup-look-feature thingies. Even though the “products used” typically aren’t accurate and they usually feature some celebrity with perfect skin, I still love coming across features like this because I like the challenge of recreating the makeup on myself (even if their skintone is completely different; it’s still fun to try and at least emulate the color portions). Sometimes these written “tutorials” turn out great and involve some kind of makeup trick that I keep stashed away in my brain forever; other times, it’s just discouraging seeing how your ~~face in general~~ cat-eyeliner doesn’t turn out quite as stunning as Margot Robbie’s, even after adhering to the instructions.

So, last Friday night, I opened up to page 97 of the April issue of Glamour (on stands now, btw) and got to work recreating this smokey purplish-bluish eye as seen on Lily-Rose Depp. And yes, that’s Johnny Depp’s kid. Makes you feel a bit old, don’t it?

For my foundation, I used Lancome’s Teint Idole Ultra Longwear Foundation Stick in Bisque W (which I’m pretty sure stands for “warm”). I stuck with the advice of placing four dots of foundation on the face and then spackling it out with a BeautyBlender, but I ended up needing more like six or dots. I think this method would work seamlessly with liquid foundation and mine was a stick, so I’ll try liquid next time. Stick foundation just doesn’t blend outward as easily as a liquid.

For my cheeks I used MAC’s Mineralize Skinfinish powder in Soft And Gentle, and their Mineralize Powder Blush in Warm Soul. I would’ve preferred a matte blush for this look, but I discovered that I don’t have a matte blush that I’d consider “peachy nude” as suggested by the makeup artist. I do love Warm Soul in general, though. It’s great for a casual daytime look, though I’m not sure if it would complement every skin tone so I’d sample it first.

It’s when I got to the eyes that I really parted ways with the article’s recommendations. I used a NARS eyeshadow duo that I’ve had for some time, called Marie-Gallante. I thought it matched the product suggestions well, but in the end I wasn’t quite on the money. I’ve often used Marie-Gallante as a liner, but this time I layered both shadows on thick as suggested. The result was a lot more pastel than I was hoping for, though the purple still looked nice. Turns out the blue shade in this duo is deceptive; it’s a lot lighter than it looks and it just isn’t deep or navy enough to create that dark, smokey effect I desired, so I ended up with something that ultimately felt very springtime as opposed to, well, nighttime. Oh well. And for my lips I used Lancome’s Color Design Lipstick in Natural Beauty. That turned out just as I wanted; I love that shade.

So as you can see, the eyes don’t really match at all but the skin turned out rather nicely! I need to break into my Urban Decay eyeshadow in Perversion again- it’s a super concentrated, smokey blue-black that probably would’ve worked better for this look overall, minus the purple tones.

Any off-the-beaten-path looks you like to try when going out, or just when you’re feeling bored with your same ole’ black eyeliner? Teach me your ways! And I’m really one to talk, anyhow- every time I try to break out of the black smokey eye rut, I find my hand once again reaching my MAC kohl liner. I’m a creature of habit; what can I say? xo, MR