From Brigitte Bardot’s pin-curls in 1953 to Uma Thurman’s wine-stained lips in 1994.From Brigitte Bardot’s pin-curls in 1953 to Uma Thurman’s wine-stained lips in 1994.
Beauty at the Cannes Film Festival has spanned generations of starlets, from Grace Kelly to Uma Thurman, Isabelle Huppert and Emma Stone.
Among those revered for their early influence on the carpet, Brigitte Bardot inspired modern-day updos seen on the likes of Naomi Watts, Salma Hayek and Lady Gaga, when she fashioned her long brunette hair in a pin-curl updo at the festival in 1953. Later, Madonna set a statement-lip movement in motion, embellishing her visage with a crimson accent in 1991.
Ahead, WWD breaks down these legendary beauty moments and more.
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A trailblazer in cinema and style, Bardot was the picture of poised elegance at the Cannes Film Festival in 1953, celebrating the screening of “Manina, la fille sans voiles,” or “Manina, the Girl in the Bikini.” Here, she tied her wild ends in a pin-curl updo, with the front layers framing her face like micro-fringe. Her makeup was kept minimal, comprised of glossy lips and naked eyes.
Clad in a two-piece polka-dot vest set with wide lapels, Dorothy Dandridge arrived at the 1955 Cannes Film Festival to promote her new film, “Carmen Jones.” Complimenting her feminine fashion, Dandridge donned a textured pixie cut, lightly glossed lips, glass skin and full brows next to ad posters outside the festival. This, plus the occasional sunset lip, was her signature aesthetic — clean and simple, with a pinch of color.
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As part of the U.S. delegation, Kelly was tasked with promoting her film, “To Catch a Thief,” at the eighth annual Cannes Film Festival in 1955. At an interview with the Daily Mirror, the famed heroine styled her soft blond bob in a side part with delicate waves lining her face. Aside from a splash of shadow on her lids and a light blush on her lips, her glam was kept light and natural.
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Dressed in a V-cut rose Nolan Miller gown with floral embellishments, Elizabeth Taylor hit the 1987 Cannes Film Festival red carpet. To accentuate her bird’s nest pixie cut with gray highlights, the actress hollowed her eyes in a similar charcoal tone and filled her waterline with black liner. Her cheeks were dusted in bubblegm blush, while her lips boasted the exact shade of her dress.
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Promoting “In Bed With Madonna,” by Alek Keshishian, Madonna tied her then-inky hair in a not-so-quiet updo with a satin rocker bow. Her eyebrows were pencil-thin; her skin was porcelain; her lashes were curled, and her lips were dressed in a rich red hue. It wasn’t your modern-day no-makeup makeup, but it was considered natural for the time. Today, the red lip is often paired with a clean complexion or heavy glam.
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A remarkable moment in the festival’s history, Thurman attended the premiere of “Pulp Fiction,” with her costars John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson, in 1994. Outside the screening, Thurman was photographed in a pastel gown and an effortless updo. Her eyes boasted a neutral shadow that was smudged on her lids and around her undereyes as if she’d slept in it. At the same time, her lips were blushed in a deep rose hue.
“Pulp Fiction” wound up winning the coveted Palme d’Or that year.
