If you want to know what makeup will look like this spring, this year’s Oscars red carpet pretty much laid it all out: blurred lips, rose-dusted cheeks, and, frankly, not a heavy hand in sight.
There were still a few bolder moments mixed in, but overall, the makeup felt lighter and more wearable than the full-glam looks that used to dominate awards season.
According to Annabelle Taurua, beauty expert at Fresha, that shift is exactly what will carry into spring.
“It is not about getting everything to look perfect anymore,” Taurua says. “If anything, the looks that stand out now are the ones that feel a bit softer and less worked on. Which, realistically, just means blending a bit more, using a bit less, and not overthinking it.”
Soft, tonal makeup was everywhere
One of the biggest themes on the carpet was color harmony. Instead of strong contrast or lots of competing shades, many of the standout looks stayed in one color family from eyes to cheeks to lips.
Emma Stone’s makeup was one of the best examples. Her rosy cheeks and lips worked together without feeling too matched or fussy, and it gave her that fresh spring glow that a lot of people will probably be trying to copy soon. (Emma’s hair was also a hot Oscars’ topic.)
Anne Hathaway took a similar route with nude-pink tones across the face, adding just a bit of depth at the waterline. It looked polished, but not overdone.
That kind of tonal makeup makes a lot of sense for spring. Once the weather starts warming up, heavier makeup can feel like too much. Softer pinks, peaches, and warm nudes tend to look fresher and easier.
Blurred lips may be the easiest trend to copy
Of all the looks from the Oscars, this is probably the one most people can actually recreate without much stress.
The blurred lip is softer around the edges and less defined than a traditional lipstick look. Instead of aiming for a crisp outline, the idea is to let the color look a little diffused and imperfect.
Taurua recommends using a small flat brush to sweep a powder color up to and slightly over the lip line, then building a deeper shade into the center and blending a lighter tone toward the edges.
Thankfully, it is not supposed to look too precise.
“Your hand slips? Good,” Annabelle says. “That is the whole point of the blurred lip. You cannot really get it wrong, which is why it is one of the easiest trends to recommend.”
A little shimmer can wake up the whole face
If there is one simple eye trick to borrow from the carpet this spring, it is this one.
Taurua recommends adding a shimmer shade at the inner corner of the eye. Pinks, mauves, and warm golds can all work, and the placement is what really matters.
“It’s most effective if you place it just above the socket line, so the shimmer catches the light when you look straight ahead,” she explains.
Blush is looking softer this season, too
The blush trend coming out of the Oscars also feels much lighter and less fussy. Instead of dramatic sculpting or a heavy-handed application, the look is softer and more natural.
Kate Hudson’s makeup fit that mood well. A baby pink blush paired with a matching lip was enough to make an impact without looking overloaded. Taurua also notes that cream formulas tend to work best for this kind of finish because they blend more easily and do not sit as flat on the skin.
“You can work them in with your fingers and build them up slowly, rather than trying to fix things after going in too heavy.”
That softer blush look fits with the larger direction of spring makeup, too. It is less about sharp definition and more about looking fresh.
Bold makeup is still in the mix
Not every Oscars beauty look leaned soft and minimal. There were still stronger, more dramatic moments on the carpet, too, whether that meant a thicker kohl-lined eye or a deeper lip.
But the trick, according to Taurua, is not trying to make every feature compete at once.
“Bold colour isn’t something you can just slap on every feature and expect it to work,” the expert says. “Strong lip, soft eyes. Or the other way round. Not both.”
That balance is what kept even the bolder looks from feeling too heavy.
The clean girl aesthetic is back — just less polished
If the Oscars red carpet is any indication, the clean girl aesthetic is back again this spring, just in a slightly softer form.
This version feels less rigid than the ultra-polished take that dominated before. It is still minimal, but not so perfected that it feels stiff. The overall mood is lighter, easier, and a little less worked on.
“It is not about getting everything to look perfect anymore,” the expert says. “If anything, the looks that stand out now are the ones that feel a bit softer and less worked on. Which, realistically, just means blending a bit more, using a bit less, and not overthinking it.”
If the hair trends caught your eye too, I also broke down the biggest hair looks from the 2026 Oscars and how to wear them in real life.
