(Celebrity)
The Golden Globes Perfectly Balance Fun and Glamour—And These All-Time Beauty Looks Prove It
Over half a century of icons.
As time marches on, institutions evolve, and the Golden Globes are not immune. Though the awards have certainly faced ups and downs, one fact has remained true through it all: The Golden Globes are fun. The Grammys and VMAs might be more outrageous, and the Oscars and the Met Gala might be more glamorous, but the Golden Globes deftly combine the two. And that extends beyond the fashion and red-carpet relationship debuts to the beauty looks.
Priding itself on being one of the star-studded nights on television — helped by the fact that both television and film actors are rewarded — Golden Globes Sunday guarantees adventurous looks from style risk-takers. Think Cher with heavy lashes at the 1973 ceremony, or Lucy Boynton’s futuristic eyeliner in 2020. But it’s also a great night for effortless beauty inspo, too, with stars like Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston wearing the kind of low-key soft glam that (with the right hot tools and a little patience) actually feels DIY-able.
Ahead of the 83rd awards, we rounded up some of our favorite Golden Globes hair and makeup from ceremonies past. Keep scrolling to see them.
Marilyn Monroe, 1962
Monroe’s signature look from the '60s is still on trend, and likely won’t ever go out of style. The cat eye, arched brows, and opaque lipstick are just so good — not to mention her big, bombshell hairstyle.
Cher, 1973
Beauty icons don’t get much bigger than Cher, and her award show style always delivers. At the 1973 event, she wore bold, spiky lashes just beneath her perfectly fluffed-up brows.
Donna Summer, 1979
Summer’s disco diva vibe electrified the 1979 Globes. Her trademark larger-than-life dance floor curls were in full form, as was her soft indigo eyeshadow.
Brooke Shields, 1985
An enduring icon for 40-plus years, Shields’ star was cemented around the mid-80s. With her lash-skimming bangs and legendarily full eyebrows, it was an inevitability.
Meryl Streep, 1989
All the hallmarks of ‘80s style are present in this glam Streep look. Gold lamé suit set? Check. Big, voluminous bangs? Check. A frosty shade of brick-red lipstick? Cheeeeck.
Whoopi Goldberg, 1991
A dark lip and long, glossy braids were a stunning combination on Goldberg, and an early sign of the '90s beauty trends that would come to define the decade.
Nicole Kidman, 1996
In the ‘90s, regardless of age, it was all about the prom-perfect updo at award shows. Kidman’s one of the ultimate examples, with dramatic bangs and a big, looping bouffant in the back.
Angelina Jolie, 1998
The short hair! The gray eyeshadow! The tattoo! Jolie stepped onto the red carpet in 1998 in this Golden Globes look, and forever changed the definition of “cool girl.”
Halle Berry, 2000
And speaking of short hair — few pixie cuts throughout history have had more of an impact than Berry’s. Spiky and chic, it only highlighted her incredible bone structure.
Cate Blanchett, 2005
From the cherubic blush to the clean eyeshadow to the dreamy lashes, this 2005 Blanchett look is worthy of recreating more than 15 years later.
Beyoncé, 2007
Rich, warm blonde has always been a Beyoncé favorite, and this bronde shade from 2007 is still on trend to this day. Coupled with her shining décolletage and gold sequined gown, she absolutely glows.
Reese Witherspoon, 2007
The 2007 awards show wasn’t the Penelope star’s first foray with fringe, but there was just something about her choppy bangs and long, face-framing layers that makes that particular hairstyle still so memorable today.
Jennifer Aniston, 2010
Rachel who? Aniston charged into the 2010s with a new, equally enviable hairstyle, proudly shown off at the decade’s first Golden Globes ceremony.
Lupita Nyong’o, 2014
Nyong’o’s classic red lip and cat-eye harken back to Old Hollywood glamour. The shiny lid is an extra-sleek touch, as is her deep side part.
Dakota Johnson, 2015
Johnson secured breakout star status in 2015 with the Fifty Shades series, bringing curtain bangs into the mainstream. Another notable component? This petal-soft, matte plum lipstick.
Janelle Monáe, 2017
Books could be written about Monáe’s hairstyles, including this pearl-dotted beehive-style updo. It’s the perfect extension of her bespoke retro-meets-modern aesthetic.
Lady Gaga, 2019
Leave it to Lady Gaga to add a little edge to even her most princess-y look. The Star Is Born nominee accepted her “Best Original Song” award with a uniquely folded, periwinkle bun that perfectly matched her strapless Valentino gown.
Lucy Boynton, 2020
Boynton boldly goes where few beauty fans have gone before, and this futuristic silver eyeliner stunned editors and fans alike. The sparkle continued into her platinum blonde bob, a burst of metallics through the side.
Angela Bassett, 2021
Bassett’s brand of revved-up glamour would be a hit in any era, but special attention must be paid to her 2021 Golden Globes look. Her shimmery aubergine eyeshadow is incredible, underscored by the thigh-skimming braid draped elegantly over one shoulder.
Michelle Yeoh, 2023
It’s impossible to pick a standout component from Yeoh’s wildly elegant Globes look — how can you choose between her reflectively shiny hair, glowing cheeks, and delicate satin lipstick?
Viola Davis, 2023
A big fan of wearing her natural texture to awards shows, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes star attended the 2023 ceremony with her chin-length bob styled into fluffy, voluminous curls. She paired the bouncy hairstyle with colorful, metallic eye makeup for an even more bold beauty look.
Helen Mirren, 2024
As a L'Oréal Paris ambassador, Mirren’s skincare and makeup is always on point, but this combo of soft pink lips and cheeks plus a sleek silver bun made for one of her most glamorous beauty looks to date.
Billie Eilish, 2024
Eilish, who took home her second Golden Globe for Best Original Song, donned bushy brows and red and black two-tone hair (styled into a spiky updo) to accept her award for Barbie’s “What Was I Made For?”.
Zendaya, 2025
You know a hairstyle is one for the books when it makes as many headlines as the wearer’s new engagement ring. That’s exactly what happened at the 2025 ceremony, where Zendaya’s chin-length copper bob was as eye-catching as the sparkler on her left hand. Hairstylist Coree Moreno went “method,” so to speak, using rollers and an old-school wet set to create soft, vintage waves.
Margaret Qualley, 2025
Indeed, the 2025 Golden Globes were replete with vintage-inspired beauty looks. Along with Ariana Grande’s homage to Audrey Hepburn and Selena Gomez’s ladylike curls, Nicole Kidman and Qualley opted for bouncy high ponytails that looked straight out of a mid-century movie.
Elle Fanning, 2025
The throwback beauty vibes extended beyond hair. Fanning — who attended the ceremony in support of her 1960s-set film A Complete Unknown — wore clean cat-eye liner and frosted champagne eyeshadow, courtesy of her longtime makeup artist Erin Ayanian Monroe.
This article was originally published on
