Secrets behind the hottest Oscars hair and makeup

"We wanted to balance Angelina's makeup with her elegant Atelier Versace dress," makeup artist Toni Garavaglia told InStyle.com. "We decided that a red lip paired with a soft, clean smoky eye was the way to go." Garavaglia lightly applied Jolie's eye shadow, added a dash of liquid liner, then pulled the entire look together with a generous sweep of MAC’s Russian Red lipstick, a true cherry with blue undertones.

Jennifer Lawrence had an expert glam squad for her Oscars outing: Dove hairstylist Mark Townsend and Avon makeup artist Jillian Dempsey. "Jennifer looked in the mirror after she put on her dress and said, 'Mark and Jillian went to work today!'" Townsend, who was inspired by ad campaign images of the '70s and '80s, told us. "She was so pleased with her look." Dempsey accentuated Lawrence's fresh and natural beauty. "Her eyes were the focal point," Dempsey said. "I played them up with lots of mascara and sultry black liner." (A sweep of Avon Eyeshadow Quad in Blushing Raisins on her lid had a sculpting effect.)

Nominee Kristen Wiig added sunny, blond highlights to her mane pre-awards show, thanks to Amy Huson at Marie Robinson Salon in New York City. "When Kristen walked into the room and I saw her gorgeous new hair color I was so inspired," said hairstylist Mark Townsend, who created her style for the big night. Townsend told InStyle.com that he gave Wiig an "edgy wave" by wrapping sections of hair around a 1-1/2 inch curling iron. He raked two pumps of Dove Style + Care Frizz Free Shine Cream Serum through the waves to break them up and add shine and hold. As to why he opted for such a low-key look on such a high-wattage night? "Kristen is gorgeous and sexy. We didn't want her to look overly done. We wanted her true personality to stand out," he said.

Delicate layers framed Jessica Chastain's face; soft, piecey waves tumbled down her back. "I wanted the whole look to have an easy, romantic feel with a slight, sexy bump in the crown," Suave Professionals hairstylist Jenny Cho told us.

Best Actress nominee Michelle Williams paired her burnt orange Louis Vuitton dress with a perfect peony-toned lipstick. "My inspiration was a flower!" Chanel makeup artist Angela Levin told us of creating Williams's look. "Michelle looked so gorgeous and delicate in her dress, it made me think of a rose I have in my garden in that very same color." Levin blended Chanel Rouge Coco Lip Colour in Paradis, a French rose color, and Destinee, an amaranth tone, together to create the unique lipstick shade.

This ponytail was a triple threat: extra-high, extra-glossy, and extra-long. "I wanted to showcase Sandra's long, shiny, and natural mocha brown hair," hairstylist David Babaii told us. A few drops of his new Miracle Oil Hair Elixir were the shine-boosting secret ingredient.

According to Suave Professionals hairstylist Jenny Cho, who created the style, the diamond Fred Leighton headband was the starting point for the nominee's entire look. "It made Hailee feel perfectly young, precious and graceful," said Cho. As for the high, chunky bun, Cho wanted Steinfeld to look one part Audrey Hepburn, one part ballerina. Mission accomplished!

Stacy Keibler's loose blond waves stayed on one shoulder thanks to a neat roll along the back of her neck. "I wanted to create a look that was soft and glamorous," Couture Colour hairstylist Peter Savic told us.

Sometimes beauty trumps fashion! "We decide her hair would look like this no matter what dress she wore," hairstylist Laini Reeves said of Amy Adams's Veronica Lake curls. Working a few drops of Couture Colour Pequi Oil into damp hair gave the actress's strands that "luxurious, rich feel." Reeves then set the head in 1-1/2 inch rollers, allowed the hair to dry, and brushed through the waves with soft bristle brush.

"I loved the shape of Gwyneth's dress and wanted to mimic the architectural lines in the hair," Frederic Fekkai hairstylist Adir Abergel told us of the star's low ponytail. "I wanted it to have a mirror-finish."