The 28th annual Critics Choice Awards marks an awards season well underway—head-turning beauty and all. If the Globes provided a classic kick-off to the year’s parade of red carpets, this evening’s awards saw actors vying for double-takes with looks that were less expected, a pleasantly funky vibe threading through the event’s welcome glamour.
Take, for example, Kelsey Asbille, who paired a slicked and swept raven coif with a merlot lip for a moment that made ‘90s-inspired beauty feel fresher than ever. Madelyn Cline went full-on Old Hollywood bombshell, kittenish liner, polished lengths, and all. Though, her over-lined pinkish nude pout felt entirely present tense. Then, Elle Fanning carried off an English rose aesthetic, making a solid case for more-is-more blush in the process. The red trend (ever-enduring) found favour with Britt Lower and Natasha Lyonne, the latter opting for a combination of full fringe, face-framing layers, and coordinated shadow that landed somewhere between comic book heroine and pop noir.
Sophistication found Anya Taylor-Joy whose blonde mane was lusciously swirled into a layered updo—revealing bronzed cheeks and a soft smoke on her lids. Of course, the classic red lip let no one down for the evening; Julia Garner, Amanda Seyfried and Amanda Midthunder all saw a vivacious cherry swatch prove worthy of their attention; the former making a statement by pairing it off with her equally bright frock, courtesy of Ferragamo. And as for Janelle Monáe? Her onyx-threaded cornrows and extended wings of liner proved to be a striking combination.
Here, the best beauty looks from the 2023 Critics Choice Awards.

1 / 15
Natasha Lyonne

2 / 15
Janelle Monáe

3 / 15
Elle Fanning

4 / 15
Krista Marie Yu

5 / 15
Britt Lower

6 / 15
Kelsey Asbille

7 / 15
Anya Taylor-Joy

8 / 15
Anya Taylor-Joy

9 / 15
Quannah Chasinghorse

10 / 15
Madelyn Cline

11 / 15
Julia Garner

12 / 15
Kerry Washington

13 / 15
Viola Davis

14 / 15