TIFF's Best Red Carpet Beauty Looks

Like any festival event, the fashion and red carpet looks can be just as important as the films themselves, and with many setting the bar for future trends and inspiration, each look is a glimpse into what we can expect from winter’s award show season.  TIFF is no exception, and as some of Hollywood’s finest descended on our fair city to debut their most recent films (and all of them to critical acclaim, as an aside), we’ve assembled some of the hottest looks to come out of the festival so far.

Natalie Portman
One of the most highly-anticipated stars to walk the TIFF red carpet, Black Swan’s Natalie Portman boasted the classic dark eye and neutral lips combination that epitomizes the striking elegance of her film’s aesthetic.  Looking to Dior’s legacy of timelessness and sophistication, the actress used white, grey and silver to achieve the cat’s eye look, with a pronounced liner blended in to create sexy smokiness. Nude lips (Spectacular Mauve from Dior’s Fall 2010 collection) completed her modern take on vintage Hollywood, with soft waves playing down the drama of Portman’s striking eyes, which provided the perfect balance to keeping things polished yet natural.

Alexis Bledel
Seemingly ageless, Alexis Bledel has maintained the fresh-faced look of youth while conveying a maturity not often found in younger actresses – and her appearance in support of The Contender was no exception.  With striking blue eyes, the star looked to YSL for a water-colour effect, boasting a combination of grey shadow on the lid swept upward, blended with a light pink to offset the dark liner and mascara.
Maintaining her “all-natural” trademark, a light blush was applied to her cheekbones and temples, and a dark pink gloss kept her aesthetic neutral and rejuvenated.  Perhaps one of the most underrated looks of TIFF thus far, Ms. Bledel’s beauty was not lost on us.

Kat Dennings
Successfully capturing the essence of old Hollywood, Kat Dennings brought drama to a whole new level at the premiere of Daydream Nation, with her black dress working perfectly alongside her crimson lips and darkly defined eyes.  However, while a smoky look would normally complement a dark ensemble, the actress opted instead to bring attention to her lips, using only a dark liquid liner to create a 60s cat’s eye that still highlighted her bright blues.
With a neutral eyeshadow offsetting her black dress and brown hair, a subtle blush was used to prevent a gothic look, as was her naturally tousled hair, worn off to the side like the movie stars of the 1940s.

Emma Stone
With her hair in a modern beehive, Easy A’s Emma Stone brought the 60s into the 2010s, showcasing a fresh-faced yet polished look that showcased her peachy complexion and sparkling eyes.  Using a black liner on the top and bottom lash lines and a blue-grey shadow on the lid, the actress achieved a sweeping, smoky look, but instead of conveying drama, she balanced the darkness with a lighter shade of shadow that blended in perfectly with each tone, maintaining a dreamy vintage aesthetic that complemented her hair.

Topping it off with neutral pink lipstick and a dewy blush on her cheeks, Stone embodied the subtle glamour of mod-era beauty, working to highlight her natural features as opposed to smothering them with too much colour.