All the best Cannes beauty looks from across the years

While the annual Cannes Film Festival is primarily an event to showcase the best upcoming films and talent, it's not only film buffs who delight in following the coverage.

It's also a chance for Hollywood's finest to don their glitziest gowns, wear their best diamonds and pull out all the stops for their hair and makeup.

We revisit our favourite beauty looks from the event, from sleek bobs to a plethora of glam red lipsticks and smokey eye looks. Some of them are pretty easy to replicate too - just grab your best lipstick and invest in a brilliant volumising mascara.

The best beauty looks we've spotted at Cannes from across the years

Amal Clooney’s signature look

With her va-va-voom waves and bright red lipstick, Amal Clooney looked every bit the part when she attended the Money Monster premiere at Cannes 2016. The human rights lawyer eschewed diamonds for a pair of red earrings in a complementary tone to her scarlet lippy, creating a warm and glamorous effect.

Demi Moore’s return to Cannes

Demi Moore is no stranger to the red carpet, but 2024 marked her first return to Cannes in 30 years. While all eyes were on her gown (a black off-the-shoulder dress with an oversized bow), it was our makeup that caught our eyes. Her warm smokey eye makeup and flick of liquid liner really made her green eyes pop. She completed the look with glowy pink liquid blusher.

Cate Blanchett’s berry pink lip

Red lipstick is synonymous with the red carpet, but Cate Blanchett proves a more subtle tone can be just as impactful. We love her soft pink lippy, which complemented her loose curls and understated makeup.

Scarlett Johansson’s bright red lip

As any red lipstick enthusiast will know, there are literally hundreds of different shades of red, each creating a completely different effect. This warm orange-toned red lipstick that Scarlett Johansson wore to the Asteroid City Cannes screening in 2023 is super striking and a bit more playful than the rich reds we often see on the red carpet. We're also saving this picture for eye makeup inspo - the inner corner highlight opens up her eyes, adding another dimension of brightness to her look.

Jane Fonda’s wavy bob

Jane Fonda's layered bob, pictured on the red carpet of Le Deuxième Acte is giving us serious bob envy. Voluminous, shiny and impeccably waved, her silvery grey hair tone also complements her red lipstick and cobalt-grey shimmering eyeliner perfectly.

Nicole Kidman’s rosy pink lipstick

This picture-perfect look from Nicole Kidman was spotted at The Paperboy premiere in 2012. She matched her rosy-pink lipstick to her gown (just in shot) and opted for a soft, fresh-faced look with a slick of soft, shimmering eyeshadow.

Jessica Chastain’s slicked-back waves

Jessica Chastain's side-swept curls have become something of a signature look and we can see why. For the premiere of Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, she oozed old Hollywood glam, with coiffed curls, a deep side part, bold red lippy and dangly diamond earrings.

Helen Mirren’s blue hair

Who could forget Helen Mirren's tie-dye blue hair that she premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival? The celebrated actress went full mermaid glam with her blue, turquoise and lavender waved tresses, piled up in a glam updo.

Andie MacDowell’s emerald gems

Andie MacDowell opted for a more theatrical makeup look at Cannes 2022, dotting bright emerald gemstones below her eyes in a shade that matched her dress. She kept the rest of her makeup understated, allowing the statement jewels to truly shine.

Eva Longoria’s glam smokey eye

This is a textbook red carpet look from Eva Longoria, where literally every part of her makeup is flawless - from the frosty pink lip to the perfect smoky eye, matte base and soft, tousled waves.

Naomi Campbell’s sultry cat-eye look

All eyes were on Naomi Campbell at the Jeanne du Barry screening at the Cannes Festival in 2023. The supermodel opted for a soft flicked liner, shimmery eyeshadow and a soft pink lip that complemented her silver sequin-adored gown perfectly. Replicate the look at home with a blendable cream eyeshadow.

Angelina Jolie’s statement lip

While Angelina Jolie's red lip was undoubtedly the star of the show in her Cannes 2009 makeup look, can we also take a moment to appreciate her dewy, sun-kissed base? The actress kept her contour and blush minimal for a glowy, natural look.

Cameron Diaz’s noughties look

Sometimes the best makeup looks aren't the most timeless ones, but the ones that truly represent their era. Take this look from Cameron Diaz, pictured at the Cannes Film Festival in 2004. Her thick kohl liner, silver eyeshadow, thin brows and pompadour style scream early noughties - and we still love it to this day!

Celine Dion’s purple eyeshadow

Celine Dion's purple-toned eyeshadow that she wore at Cannes 2008 really makes her chestnut-brown eyes pop. She finished the look with an ultra-glossy pink lip and face-framing layers.

Gwen Stefani’s high-drama look

This punky look from Gwen Stefani was spotted at the This Must Be the Place premiere at Cannes 2011. Her super dark eye shadow and liner, and ruby-red lips contrasted beautifully against her icy white cropped haircut.

Sandra Oh’s frosted lippy

We love this soft, girly makeup look from Sandra Oh that comprises of a soft pink lipstick and rose-toned eyeshadow. Her cropped haircut with tendrils of curls adds a bit of a carefree edge to the overall look.

Penelope Cruz’s picture-perfect makeup

Penelope Cruz never puts a foot wrong when it comes to red carpet dressing and beauty looks. From her healthy, highlighted brown locks to her peachy lipstick and soft copper eyeshadow, what's not to love?

Viola Davis's cropped bob and glossy lip

Viola Davis always nails red carpet dressing (and makeup) and isn't afraid to experiment with her look either. For the closing ceremony of Cannes 2024, she opted for a cropped bob, glossy pink lip and sultry smoky eye for an impeccable, glamorous look.

Pamela Anderson’s minimalistic look

Pamela Anderson was praised for her toned-down look at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017 - but that doesn't mean she didn't look super glam. With slicked-back locks, a soft pink lip and minimal eye makeup (no falsies in sight), she cut a demure, but sophisticated figure.

Sienna Miller's beachy waves

Sienna Miller always gives us hair envy with her perfect beachy waves, and things were no different at the Cannes Festival in 2024. Spotted on the red carpet of Horizon: An American Saga, she rocked an ethereal look with a long flowy dress, loose blonde waves and soft, glowy makeup complete with a pink lip.

Kelly Rowland’s graphic liner

We're big fans of Kelly Rowland's eye makeup here, spotted on the Le Comte De Monte-Cristo red carpet at Cannes 2024. By tightlining, her eyes look super defined and really pop.

Julianne Moore’s warm eyeshadow

Pictured here at the screening of Les Miserables at Cannes in 2019, Julianne Moore opted for subtle, bronzy-toned makeup and a soft, powdered brow style. Her red-toned eye makeup really made her green eyes pop.

Salma Hayek’s peachy lipstick

Salma Hayek oozed red carpet glam at the Emelia Perez event at Cannes 2024. Her peachy lipstick complemented her smouldering ombre eye makeup look flawlessly.

Jennifer Lopez’s fluttery lashes

Jennifer Lopez sported these enviable fluttering falsies at the Cannes Film Festival in 2010. Complete with a slicked-back 'do, statement earrings and flawless base and contour, the star looked every inch the diva.

Natalie Portman's smouldering glitter-lined look

We love this demure look from Natalie Portman that she wore to the May December premiere at Cannes 2023. Her sparkly silver smoked out eyes matched her diamond earrings impeccably.

Catherine Zeta-Jones's vampy look

Having starred as Morticia Addams in the Netflix series Wednesday the previous year, Catherine Zeta-Jones's vampy makeup look at the 2023 Cannes Festival felt very appropriate. With a pale full-coverage base and soft brows, offset by a plum-red lippy and red-toned smoky eye, she channelled goth-glam.

Princess Diana's blue waterline

Princess Diana turned to her signature makeup look of a swipe of blue eyeshadow and liner at the Cannes Film Festival in 1987. Her soft makeup look complemented her eyes and powder-blue Catherine Walker gown perfectly.

Cher’s high drama lashes

Cher's doe-eyed makeup look turned heads at Cannes in 2024. Her laminated brows and lifted lashes draw attention to her expressive eyes while we're always envious of her trademark long black locks.

Katie Holmes's glowy skin

We love this youthful, glowy look from Katie Holmes, spotted at Cannes 2023. The actress opted for a dewy base and glossy lip for a fresh faced look that would work just as well during the day as it would for a glam red carpet event.

Emma Stone's understated glam look

Emma Stone's pink lipstick complements her porcelain skin tone and auburn tresses to perfection. Pictured here on the Kinds of Kindness red carpet at Cannes 2024, the actress opted for a natural, feminine makeup look.

Octavia Spencer’s pink blush and waved bob

Octavia Spencer knows how to command a red carpet, always showing up in show-stopping looks and impeccable makeup - but her 2013 Cannes look really sticks in our mind. We love her gently waved bob, fringe and pink blush, finished off with a subtle glossy lip.

An old-school Hollywood moment from Sophia Loren

The strong arched brow, black liner, fluttery lashes, beauty spot and bold lip, Sophia Loren epitomised old-school screen glamour at Cannes Film Festival 1955.