If I’m being entirely honest, I was starting to worry that Oscars beauty — the first time we’ve had a full-blown red carpet in what feels like a million years — was going to be kinda boring this year. I started watching the arrivals at 5 p.m., but while the stars were all looking unsurprisingly gorgeous, it took until 7:30 until someone really wowed me with their hair and makeup. Who, you ask? To quote Adele — ladies and gentlemen, H.E.R.
Nominated for Best Song — she wrote and “Fight for You” for Judas and the Black Messiah — H.E.R. showed up to the red carpet as a full-blown vision in purple, and not just her sheer, sparkling, hooded, violet outfit. Her thick, upper-lid eyeliner is a near-perfect match for the pants and draped top. It transitions into a plum wing with just a hint of blending in the crease. Makeup artist Marissa Vossen made sure that plum shade is picked up by not only the lenses of her glasses but also by her satiny lipstick.
Even though H.E.R.’s hair is almost always looking super long, there was something especially Rapunzel-esque about her Oscars ‘do. Gathered all on one side, the smooth waves reached well past her waist, and were topped off with long, side-swept bangs. The icing: Stylist Nina Monique gave her the perfect single baby-hair swoop.
Whether or not she wins the Academy Award for which she’s nominated, one thing is clear: H.E.R. is definitely one of the night’s red-carpet beauty champs.
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