Monochromatic Makeup Officially Ruled the Oscars Red Carpet—6 Looks I'm Copying ASAP
A moment for matchy-matchy eyes, lips, and gowns.
When it comes to award-show glamour, I drink up every detail of the looks that make our best dressed lists. Though every event plays host to a showstopping assortment of red carpet ensembles, from the stunning gowns to the trendsetting hairstyles, the stars save their best for the Oscars, and the 2026 show is shaping up to have some of the best beauty looks I've seen in a minute.
Don't get me wrong. I love a classic updo and perfectly manicured hands. However, the one thing that sets my soul on fire is red carpet makeup—so much so that I asked my fellow beauty editors to fan-cast our favorite nominees' makeup looks for the evening. The one thing we didn't see coming was the monochrome-makeup trend that suddenly yet swiftly took center stage, and I'm simply itching to re-create these looks myself. Below, see the matchy-matchy lip and eye moments from Jessie Buckley, Emma Stone, Renate Reinsve, and more that played oh so perfectly with their Oscar-worthy gowns.
Not to toot my own horn, but I did predict Buckley's red-lip look. The Best Actress nominee matched her scarlet lips to her two-toned Chanel gown, making this look an instant classic. I theorize that the vermillion accents could be a sweet nod to her character Agnes Shakespeare's signature red frock, but that's just me.
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Wunmi Mosaku's deep-sea turquoise gown caught my eye immediately, but her shimmering shadow made me stay. The Sinners star matched her sparkling custom Louis Vuitton gown with a pop of reflective teal eye shadow on the inner corners of her eyes, which happens to be one of 2026's top red carpet trends, according to our senior beauty editor Jamie Schneider's robust reporting. If you want to replicate her exact look, pick up Louis Vuitton's La Beauté LV Ombres Eyeshadow Palette in Beige Memento and Force of Nature.
According to Chase Infiniti's makeup artist, Amber Dreadon, the actress's custom Louis Vuitton dress was the ultimate source of inspiration. Dreadon describes the look as "whimsical, light, and effortlessly youthful," according to a press release, and kept skin and subtle pops of color at the center. She used the LV Ombres Eyeshadow Palette in Cosmic Dreams to craft Infiniti's soft lilac eye before accenting her pillowy pout with the LV Rouge Satin Lipstick in Kiss the Sky.
Do my eyes deceive me, or did Emma Stone match her shimmering, floor-sweeping Louis Vuitton gown with a frosted eye? According to a press release, the star's gown was hand-embroidered—which, by my logic, requires a makeup look with the same painstaking detail. The Bugonia star wears the LV Ombres Eyeshadow Palette in Beige Memento, which features an icy ivory shadow that I'd bet my next paycheck she slathered all over the eye.
Sinners' Li Jun Li has been taking the 2026 award season by storm with her extravagant red carpet looks, though I'm particularly entranced by her matching red moment tonight. Perhaps inspired by the fiery aesthetic of her heavily nominated film, the actress tied in her red Gaurav Gupta dress with cherry-colored glam, including bright-red lips and berry-hued blush.
Renate Reinsve has been dominating award season in the style category, but my eyes were on her red lip (and sculptural hip-high slit) tonight. Perfectly matching her custom Louis Vuitton gown is her matte LV lipstick in orange-red Vuittamine, which I'm adding to my cart as we speak.

Alyssa Brascia is an associate beauty editor at Who What Wear. She is based in New York City and has 3+ years of industry experience. Brascia has personally tested more than a thousand beauty products and services—from the hottest new eye shadow palette to the buzzy manicure sweeping New York Fashion Week. Brascia graduated with a BS in apparel, merchandising, and design from Iowa State University. She was formerly a shopping writer at People.com. Her earlier work can be found at InStyle, Travel + Leisure, Shape, and more. When Brascia isn’t writing, researching, or testing new beauty products, you can find her watching the latest movie to generate Oscar buzz, taking a workout class with friends, or updating her wardrobe post-shopping spree in her beloved city.