34 Iconic Beauty Moments From Cannes Film Festival

For more than half a century, cinephiles and silver-screen darlings have flocked to the Cannes Film Festival, which debuts the biggest and most boundary-pushing new films of note. Wardrobe choices have run the gamut throughout the event’s 72 years—who can forget the epicene effect of Aymeline Valade’s Pallas tuxedo, worn at the premiere of 2014’s Saint Laurent biopic with a freshly platinum dye job?—while hair and makeup have trod a similarly versatile line between glamour and ease.

Perhaps it was Elizabeth Taylor, with her glittering diamond tiara, who started the festival’s tradition of decorative hair accessories in 1957—followed by Catherine Deneuve’s white headband and Sophia Loren’s slim-brimmed hat. In 1974, Jane Birkin brought a distinctively French insouciance 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 heightened by a tangle of waves and a subversively chic leather jacket and jeans.

In makeup, Brigitte Bardot’s artful flick 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 that minimalism hasn’t made a memorable impact: Selena Gomez proved she needed only a swipe of red lipstick to look photo-ready. Still, the element of surprise can’t be overrated—just ask Kristen Stewart, whose platinum crop and daring makeup were an electrifying presence at 2016’s festival, or Susan Sarandon, whose bombshell poitrine and daring leg reveal the next 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 carpets at Cannes Film Festival, which kicks off today.

Grace Kelly, 1955

Grace Kelly

Grace Kelly, 1955
Photo: Corbis
Brigitte Bardot, 1956

Brigitte Bardot

Brigitte Bardot, 1956
Photo: Getty Images
Ingrid Bergman, 1956

Ingrid Bergman

Ingrid Bergman, 1956
Photo: Getty Images
Elizabeth Taylor, 1957

Elizabeth Taylor

Elizabeth Taylor, 1957
Photo: Getty Images
Sophia Loren, 1959

Sophia Loren

Sophia Loren, 1959
Photo: Getty Images
Catherine Deneuve, 1966

Catherine Deneuve

Catherine Deneuve, 1966
Photo: Everett Collection
Diana Ross, 1973

FRANCE-CINEMA-DIANA ROSS

Diana Ross, 1973
Photo: Getty Images
Jane Birkin, 1974

Jane Birkin

Jane Birkin, 1974
Photo: Getty Images
Princess Diana, 1987

Princess Diana

Princess Diana, 1987
Photo: Getty Images
Salma Hayek, 1999

52nd annual Cannes International Film Festival

Salma Hayek, 1999
Photo: Getty Images
Björk, 2000

Cannes 2000 - The Red Carpet

Björk, 2000
Photo: Getty Images
Penélope Cruz, 2000

Penélope Cruz

Penélope Cruz, 2000
Photo: Getty Images
Aishwarya Rai, 2003

Actress Aishwarya Rai

Aishwarya Rai, 2003
Photo: Getty Images
Audrey Tautou, 2006

Audrey Tautou

Audrey Tautou, 2006
Photo: Getty Images
Angelina Jolie, 2008

Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie, 2008
Photo: Getty Images
Kerry Washington, 2009

Face Premiere - 2009 Cannes Film Festival

Kerry Washington, 2009
Photo: Getty Images
Charlotte Gainsbourg, 2009

Charlotte Gainsbourg

Charlotte Gainsbourg, 2009
Photo: Getty Images
Léa Seydoux, 2013

Léa Seydoux

Léa Seydoux, 2013
Photo: Getty Images
Blake Lively, 2014

Blake Lively

Blake Lively, 2014
Photo: Getty Images
Marion Cotillard, 2014

Marion Cotillard

Marion Cotillard, 2014
Photo: Getty Images
Aymeline Valade, 2014

Aymeline Valade

Aymeline Valade, 2014
Photo: Getty Images
Lupita Nyong'o, 2015

lupita_nyongo_n1b1251.jpg

Lupita Nyong'o, 2015
Photo: Getty Images
Kate Moss, 2016

"Loving" - Red Carpet Arrivals - The 69th Annual Cannes Film Festival

Kate Moss, 2016
Photo: Getty Images
Kristen Stewart, 2016

Kristen Stewart

Kristen Stewart, 2016
Photo: Getty Images
Susan Sarandon, 2017
Susan Sarandon, 2017
Laura Harrier, 2018

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Laura Harrier, 2018
Photo: Getty Images
Selena Gomez, 2019

72nd Cannes Film Festival, Opening Ceremony and 'The Dead Don't Die' screening

Selena Gomez, 2019
Photo: Getty Images
Margot Robbie, 2019

72nd Cannes Film Festival, Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood Photocall

Margot Robbie, 2019
Photo: Getty Images
Andie MacDowell, 2021

FRANCE-FILM-FESTIVAL-CANNES

Andie MacDowell, 2021
Photo: Getty Images
Jodie Turner-Smith, 2021

FRANCE-FILM-FESTIVAL-CANNES

Jodie Turner-Smith, 2021
Photo: Getty Images
Bella Hadid, 2021

74th Cannes Film Festival, Three Floors Premiere

Bella Hadid, 2021
Photo: Getty Images
Julia Roberts, 2022

"Armageddon Time" Red Carpet - The 75th Annual Cannes Film Festival

Julia Roberts, 2022
Photo: Getty Images
Viola Davis, 2022

"Top Gun: Maverick" Red Carpet - The 75th Annual Cannes Film Festival

Viola Davis, 2022
Photo: Getty Images
Elle Fanning, 2022

"Top Gun: Maverick" Red Carpet - The 75th Annual Cannes Film Festival

Elle Fanning, 2022
Photo: Getty Images

Originally Appeared on Vogue

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