34 iconic beauty moments from the Cannes Film Festival

For more than half a century, cinephiles and film buffs have come together at the Cannes Film Festival, where the biggest and most groundbreaking new films are screened. Clothing choices have run the gamut over the event’s 72 years — who can forget the epic effect of Aymeline Valade’s Pallas tuxedo, worn at the premiere of the 2014 Saint Laurent biopic with a freshly dyed platinum runway? – while hair and makeup straddle an equally versatile line between glamor and ease.

Perhaps it was Elizabeth Taylor, with her glittering diamond tiara, who started the festival tradition of decorative hair accessories in 1957, followed by Catherine Deneuve’s white headband and Sophia Loren’s narrow-brimmed hat. In 1974, Jane Birkin brought quintessentially French carefreeness to the red carpet with natural makeup and air-dried hair that felt like a sign of the times — a tactic her daughter Charlotte Gainsbourg embraced more than 30 years later with a fresh complexion. which was enhanced by a tangle of waves and a subversively chic leather jacket and jeans.

In makeup, Brigitte Bardot’s crafty swipe of black liner paved the way for a number of sultry eye moments — from Penélope Cruz’s kohl-rimmed gaze to Jodie Turner-Smith’s dark gold-flecked smoky eyes. That’s not to say minimalism didn’t make a memorable impression: Selena Gomez proved she needed just a swipe of red lipstick to look photo-ready. Still, the element of surprise can’t be overstated – just ask Kristen Stewart, whose platinum crop and bold make-up were a rousing presence at the 2016 festival, or Susan Sarandon, whose bombshell poitrin and bold leg reveal the following year instantly immortalized her in the proverbial Cannes hall of fame.

From Diana Ross’s polished waves to Angelina Jolie Pitt’s pregnancy glow, these are 34 iconic beauty moments worth remembering from the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival, which kicks off today.

Originally appeared in Vogue

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