Vibrance took a backseat to fresh-faced glam as Hollywood’s finest let skin and subtlety do the talking
Call it the quiet power of color. At the 2025 Critics Choice, beauty transgressed the usual gaudy glam, opting for a muted palette. Vibrant cheeks took a backseat as nudes, warm browns, and barely-there bronzes kissed the skin, allowing the healthiness of the skin to take control. The result was a successive parade of picture-perfect minimalism, and naturally, cinema’s finest wore it like second nature.
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Ella Hunt
The Dickinson actress arrived in Fendi couture with makeup so subtle it was almost a secret. Her brows lightened, lips in a muted rose, and cheeks sculpted by the faintest shadow. But beyond that? Hunt’s bold beauty move for the night was barely making one at all.
Leighton Meester
Look closer at Leighton Meester, and three things catch the eye: her taupe ensemble, micro bang moment, and the barely-there beat. A pinkish-brown wash warmed her cheeks and eyelids, paired with a pink lip and gloss for a healthier look. Monochrome never looked so good.
Hannah Einbeinder
Hannah Einbeinder took home her first Critics’ Choice Awards trophy in a Louis Vuitton piece scrulpted like a trophy. With all that drama in the dress, she kept her beauty criminally understated—barely-there cheeks, an MLBB lip, and a sharp bob.
Angelina Jolie
Angeline Jolie is always one to make an impact. Dressed in sheer nude and punctuated by a vibrant vermillion lip, she played with contrast like only she can. The rest of her makeup was kept nearly imperceptible, leaving us to assume that she deliberately left the skin to its own luminous devices.
Moeka Hoshi
Moeka Hoshi, freshly minted Best Supporting Actress for Shōgun, let her red Louis Vuitton look do the talking while keeping her makeup as light as a breath. Call it contrast or confidence—either way, the choice was deliberate, keeping her makeup very simple, natural, and fitting.
Demi Moore
Forever the subject of “does she even age?” debates, Demi Moore kept it simple. While a dark liner framed her eyes, she let soft, warm pink tones wash over her lids and cheeks—just enough to bring more life. With a waist-cinching Schiaparelli doing the heavy lifting, she let restraint in makeup be her extra baggage.
Zoe Saldaña
Zoe Saldaña knew exactly where to dial it back. She sported a slicked-back ponytail to clear the stage for her features, tinted her lids and lips with pink, and let a soft bronze quietly structure her face. There was no room for theatrics in the face area; pulling back was the power move.
Caitríona Balfe
The Best Actress Drama nominee for Outlander worked the red carpet with minimal makeup. It was almost as if she didn’t have anything on at all, with subtly shaped brows and a nude everything else. It was simple and natural—not that she needed anything more.
Ariana Grande
The Wicked star played it neutral, but the impact was anything but. Dressed in a wheat-colored Dior fresh of the SS25 couture runway, she kept her makeup just as subdued. Her lips had a natural pink sheen, with everything else kissed with the softest hint of nude.
Featured Image and Photos: 21 MET GALA, SERIES BRASIL (via X)
