SAG Awards ’11: Smokin’ eyes! Pink lips! Sexy hair! The celebs busted out their best beauty looks and I’m (mostly) impressed

February 2, 2011 - 4:55 am No Comments

Here we go again! Another Sunday in January, another awards show for our celebrity-gawking pleasure: this time, the SAG (Screen Actors Guild) Awards, held yesterday in LA.

At the SAGs, the vibe, and therefore the fashion, is a little more casual than the Globes and the Oscars. So maybe that’s why—surprise!—I have far more praise to dole out today instead of my usual “constructive criticism.”

No really. Maybe it’s because there’s less pressure for the SAGs than the Globes—or maybe all the celebrity hair and makeup artists just returned from a lengthy hiatus?—but for the most part, everybody looked pretty pulled together. And I’m LOVING that a few of ‘em even busted out some of my fave beauty trends: hot pink lips (on Claire Danes and Amber Riley) and Gucci Westman-style black eyeliner (on Kate Mara).

So! Let’s take a look at the greatest hits (and a few rare misses) of the night…

BEST LOOSE WAVES: A tie between Mila Kunis…

…and Hilary Swank

Does Mila Kunis ever look bad? I really don’t think so. Last night, she was sporting what one might call her “signature eye”—a triumph of brown shadows and liner that defines without overpowering. Great brows, and then… The Hair. A really splendid (read: sexy but just slightly imperfect) execution of flat iron waves here. Hilary rocked the same look, but in a shorter length. Now THIS is the hairstyle that Sofia Vergara and Angelina Jolie should have channeled at the Globes.

BEST BLUSH: Natalie Portman

I’m a blush lover. I can’t help it. I just think everyone looks prettier, healthier, BETTER, with rosy cheeks. Not sure if Nat’s flush comes from a compact or the bébé in her tummy, but either way, it looks fab. (So does the $2 million of Tiffany jewelry.) Her hair, on the other hand, could use less gel. Looks a bit crunchy on top there!

SULTRIEST EYE MAKEUP: Christina Hendricks

Yay! After a disappointing ‘do at the Globes (her voluminous red hair fought with the voluminous red shoulder of her dress), my girl Christina made a red carpet comeback. (At least from the neck up—didn’t love the dress all that much.) But how deliciously sex kitten-ish is she with these smoky eyes? Paired with the pale pink gloss, they set off her creamy, porcelain skin to perfection. The hair is good too: softly curled but not too “done.”

MOST IMPROVED: Lea Michele

Lea Michele should always dress this way. As in: sexy ’70s girl, not a poufy pink princess like she was at the Globes. (Nobody wants a repeat of Gwyneth Paltrow’s 1999 Oscars look.) I REALLY like her hair here: like Mila’s and Hilary’s, it’s been waved with a flat iron, but the ends were left straight and it has tons of (slightly messy) volume. Now if only the girl could quit it with the fakey air kiss blowing.

SLEEKEST PONYTAIL: Amy Adams

Not too many people can pull off a) a body-con white dress and b) a super-slick high ponytail. So props to Amy Adams, because I think she looks great. Wearing tons of makeup with this would’ve been the absolute wrong move, so I’m super-happy that she went for a fresh face. Bonus points for the fuller brows too.

BEST BRIGHT LIP: A three-way tie between Claire Danes…

Amber Riley…

…and Diana Agron

Oh. Mah. Gawd. I’m just delighted to see all of these pink lips in varying shades of brightness. Claire obviously pulled out all the stops with a fluoro hot pink. Amber’s shade was equally bright, while Diana went for a muted pink that worked surprisingly well with her brown smokies (because a nude lip would’ve been WAY predictable).

BEST SOFT LIP: Rosario Dawson

Meanwhile, Rosario bucked the bright lip trend by going with a soft peach (and not much on the eyes either). I admire how good she looks with not much makeup, but just wondering if this is a bit too casual?

BEST BROWS: Angie Harmon

Not a fan of the dress choice, or even the super-slick hair on her. (Again, it’s too sweet, too young, too Gwyneth Paltrow circa 1999. Also: are you seeing a lighter-coloured regrowth at her part line?) But there is redemption: Angie has one of the best pairs of brows in the biz.

BEST SLICKED-BACK ‘DO: Julianna Margulies

Okay, so I didn’t love the tight-to-the-head, super-slicked hair on Angie. But on Julianna? Maybe it’s the shape of her face (more round), maybe it’s the earrings, or maybe it’s just her big, genuine smile… I don’t know, but I actually like this.

BEST BLAST FROM THE PAST: Winona Ryder

Like Alyssa Milano, Winona is one of those stars who just doesn’t seem to age. Still looks good, no? If any work has been done, it’s been with an expert hand. Like we saw at Valentino the other day, the plummy eye makeup is terrifically flattering. But why—WHY?—do her eyes have the look of a crazy person? Is it just me?

MOST AGE-APPROPRIATE: Hailee Steinfeld

Seeing girls who aren’t yet old enough to drive/drink/vote wearing layers and layers of heavy makeup is reeeeeeally off-putting. (Think Miley Cyrus back in the day. Or, uh, last week. Whichever.) So it’s a pleasure to see Hailee here—who is a wee 14 years old—wearing nothing but tinted lip gloss and perhaps a bit of mascara. Sweet.

And here’s where things start to go south…

WORST HAIR ACCESSORY (BUT POSSIBLY THE PRETTIEST MAKEUP): Kate Mara

Kate Mara is a doll, an absolute doll. Gorgeous red hair, a peaches ‘n cream complexion and wow, I think she even watched my vid with Gucci Westman on how to DIY black eyeliner. Everything was so perfect here, which is why the addition of that headband (is it made of feathers?) is such a crime. Take. It. Off.

MOST MAN-REPELLING HAIR: January Jones

Oh January, you’re so hit and miss. I know I told you that I love you best when you do the retro thing, but sometimes you go too far with it. This hair, for example. Sure, you could call it elegant, but I would also call it man-repelling. Also? I know you’re trying to copy ScarJo with the gold eyeshadow at the inner corners of your eyes. But with everything else so formal, it ain’t workin’.

ODDEST LIPSTICK: Sofia Vergara

I don’t know why, but Sofia Vergara’s lipstick continues to bother me. I read a story about her recently where she’s quoted as saying that she always wears lipstick, never gloss—I think because she feels like she needs to be more womanly what with her va-va-voom type of figure. And I’m okay with that. I just feel like her choices could be a bit more modern in both texture and colour. Are you with me? (Then again, based on the cut of her dress, I doubt too many people were looking at her face…)

MOST IN NEED OF SOME BLUSH (AND A HAIRBRUSH): Kim Kardashian

I feel like we should give Kim a few points here for taking our concerns on board and going with a slightly lighter makeup job here. Sure, the base is still thick, and the gloss is still goopy, and don’t even get me started on those spidery eyelashes—but at least we don’t have a smoky eye or heavily contoured cheek to contend with on top of all that. Still, if anyone could use some blush, it’s this woman. Also hair serum.

MOST FRUMPY: Jenna Fischer

Casting Jenna Fischer in The Office was genius, because she has the rare talent of ALWAYS LOOKING LIKE AN UNHAPPY OFFICE WORKER. Even on the red carpet. No offense to office workers everywhere, but come on! A low pony, boring makeup and an ill-fitting grey dress? Zzzzzzzzzzz.

REPEAT EYEBROW OFFENDER: Julia Stiles

Not much to add to my previous rant about Julia Stiles’ eyebrow colour. They are still too light—in fact, greyish—and really ruining her whole look.

WORST INNER-EYE HIGHLIGHTER: Eva Longoria

She’s cut from the same cloth as Jennifer Lopez, this one. But while J. Lo’s white highlighter transgression occurred on the brow bone, Eva’s is happening at the inner corners of the eyes. I’m not opposed to a bit of highlight work, but this is just TOO MUCH. PS: Kim Kardashian called and she wants her eyelashes back.

WORST SMOKIES: Jennifer Lawrence

Loved the dress, but it’s time to fire your makeup artist, Jen. This was a smoky eye #fail of the worst kind (and by that I mean the overdone, heavy-handed kind). Find out who did Christina Hendricks’ (above) and copy her. Always.

MOST MEH: Nicole Kidman

Nic’s red carpet glory days are over. She looks decent, sure, but the hair is boring and so is the makeup, and I’m extremely bothered by the fact that she’s wearing a necklace with that high neckline.

So tell me—

Who do YOU think looked the best at the SAG Awards? Who needs a new makeup artist and/or hairstylist? Do you agree that the celebs stepped it up, beauty-wise, for this show? It’s SO nice of them to take our feedback to heart, isn’t it?

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