Red Hot Carpet

The holidays may be over, but in my book this is the most wonderful time of the year.....award season!  Time to hide away from the dreary winter days and bask in the glow of the (TV) tube, watching celebrities radiate shiny hair and tan skin as they parade down the red carpet in the California sunshine.  It's also the time of the year when our May and June brides start booking their wedding appointments, so naturally we are all checking out hairstyles at the award shows for inspiration.  A few of my favorite looks so far this season:

Ladylike waves - feminine and elegant, with a touch of old Hollywood glamour.  But I saw a few celebs who didn't pull this off so well because the hair looked too stiff, and it made me realize that the key to this look is a soft finish.

So far, there hasn't been much in the way of up-dos that has wowed me, with the exception of one.  I absolutely loved Jennifer Lawrence's hair at the Golden Globes.  It looked like a simple chignon, yet in detail had such great texture and complexity.  She looked beautiful.

I love when someone surprises me by pulling off a look that I normally would not care for, and this year that was Katherine McPhee at the Golden Globes.  I'm not a big fan of the bun on top of the head - it's a little too "I overslept for my exam" for me, but in this case the hair totally worked with her outfit and makeup.  She looked hot.

I have to also mention how much fun Anne Hathaway is obviously having with her short 'do.  Or perhaps her radiance comes from being able to sleep in on red carpet mornings now that it doesn't take so long to style her hair.  While she looked very sweet at the Golden Globes, her SAG awards style was so fresh and cool.  It's my favorite Anne look.

There were a few trends on the red carpet that got some attention but didn't work for me.  I don't find the slick hair look flattering unless you're on the beach or in a Robert Palmer video, and while there is tons of fashion inspiration to draw from Downton Abbey and Boardwalk Empire, finger waves are best left in the 1920s.  But there's still one award show to go - the granddaddy of them all.  Here's hoping all the celebrities look great at the Oscars, but that at least one gives us a breath-taking look and maybe more than one gives us a shocking look to talk about Monday morning.