The British Fashion Awards is, of course, all about the fashion [1]. But secondary to that, (or first, if you're more of a beauty buff) is the attendees' hair and makeup. And there was no shortage of inspiration from the night with plenty of celebrities trying out some of the hottest beauty trends of the past year and trying some new ones that we hope will carry through to 2020.
The dark, chilly London evening brought with it some of the most glamorous bright makeup of the year — as they say, save the best for last. Model Sara Sampaio and Nathalie Emmanuel got us excited for festive party makeup [2] with their vibrant red lips, and Chiara Ferragni had us starry-eyed over her metallic emerald-green winged eye shadow — a shade we predict to be everywhere this season. The hair was an equally vibrant affair; Zara Larson wore a dreamy pastel peach blunt bob and you couldn't miss the music duo Ami and Aya Suzuki with matching hot pink hued hair. Then there were the gorgeous braided looks, from stars like Tracee Ellis Ross and Rihanna [3].
Read on to see all of our favourite beauty looks from this year's British Fashion Awards.
Additional reporting by Sophia Panych
Rihanna's Monochromatic Matte Makeup
Rihanna [4] was the most anticipated guest of the evening, and she didn't disappoint. While her mint-green dress and diamond-studded choker (which actually connected to her gauze-y jacket) was certainly the focal point of her look, we couldn't help but notice her flawless makeup, which involved mostly matte textures and subtle contours on the eyes, cheeks, and lips.
Rihanna's Gorgeous Fulani Braids
A look so nice we had to show you twice. Rihanna [5] wore her hair in braids that formed a circular pattern around her head, with more that started at the crown of her head and fell down her back — mimicking the crystal-studded chains of her coat.
Rita Ora's Asymmetric Blue Swirls
Never one to step out with a snooze-y beauty look, Ora won the most extra makeup look of the evening with her graphic-and-glittery blue eyeliner look. [6].
Nathalie Emmanuel Classic Crimson Lip
The Game of Thrones star kept things classic (and incredibly festive!) with red lips, feather brows, and a low chignon with a clean side-parting.
Zara Larsson's Pink-Gin Fizz Bob
The singer chopped her peachy-pink hair into a blunt lob [7] for the occasion, tucking the front pieces behind her ears to show off her shoulder-grazing earrings. As for her makeup, Larsson got conceptual with floating eyeliner that was placed just above the creases of her eyes.
Adut Akech's Shimmering Teal Lids
The Model of the Year winner looked positively radiant with rose-tinged highlighter and deep, sparkly green lids, courtesy of makeup artist Keita Moore [8].
Naomi Campbell's Luminous Eyes and Lips
With twinkly shadow all over her lids and a shiny lip gloss, Campbell's makeup was a sparkly as her gown, which featured crystal-and-sequin appliqués attached to a sheer bodice. Look closely and you can also see a classic Campbell makeup trick that the model has been doing for years: a two-toned lip that, in photos, ensures lips looks full and pouty.
Emilia Clarke's Simple Cat Eyes
The Last Christmas star [9] — who presented the Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator to hairstylist Sam McKnight — kept her hair and makeup clean and simple to not compete with her electric-yellow Schiaparelli gown and earrings. Makeup artist Lynsey Alexander applied black winged liner and lip gloss — and left Clarke's complexion as luminous as a Christmas bauble.
Julia Roberts' Bouncy Beachy Waves
It may have been freezing outside, but Roberts looks like a true California girl with natural-looking makeup and easy, tousled waves styled by Serge Normant — the hairstylist behind Meghan Markle [10]'s perfectly-imperfect wedding chignon [11]
Little Simz' Charcoal Shadow
Little Simz's full-on Gucci ensemble was full of colour, which meant she kept her makeup fairly neutral — shimmery grey eyes, a gorgeous toffee-coloured lip — and her hair hanging lose under her bright orange hat.
Sara Sampaio's Neon Red Lipstick
Sampaio added shock of colour to her beige-and-crystal gown with a swipe of red lipstick so bright, it bordered on the neon. The colour in question? Giorgio Armani Beauty Lip Maestro Matte Liquid Lipstick in 409 [12].
Chiara Ferragni's Jewel-Tone Shadow
Makeup artist Manuele Mameli [13] matched Ferragni's lids to her sparkly emerald Etro gown. A touch of gold shadow placed at the inner corners of her eyes offered a highlight — and made this look feel extra festive for the season.
Nicole Scherzinger's Sleek Black Bob
It's been a busy few weeks for Scherzinger. First she and the Pussycat Dolls announced a 2020 tour, followed by a reunion performance on reunion performance on the X Factor: Celebrity [14] and the debut of a new song. She also found time to try out a new hairstyle. We love the chin-grazing blunt bob, which she paired with sultry smoky eyes and the most perfect shade of taupe-tan lipstick.
Cate Blanchett's Pretty Pink Lip
Legendary makeup artist Mary Greenwell swiped on a petal-pink lipstick from Giorgio Armani Beauty (Blanchett is a face of the brand), while hairstylist and colourist Nicola Clarke styled her hair into a gorgeous French twist — the better to show off those amazing chandelier earrings.
Arizona Muse's Ode to the Eighties
We're getting major Robert Palmer vibes from the model/activist with her slicked back bob, winged liner, and vampy red lips.
Clara Amfo's Wine-Coloured Lipstick
The BBC Radio 1 presenter often rocks a gorgeous dark lip, and tonight was no exception. We love the bordeaux hue and how it both contrasts and complements her peach off-the-shoulder gown.
Lily James's Gilded Winged Shadow
The big gold bow on her dress certainly stole the show, but James and her makeup artist made sure to find a way to tie her makeup in with her ensemble, blending bronze and gold shadows onto her lids and shaping them into sharp feline-esque wings.
Dina Asher-Smith's Springy Ponytail
The sprinter (and fastest British woman in recorded history, NBD) stepped out in a sparkly ensemble for the evening. And while she kept her makeup low-key, we love how she tied up her braids into a high ponytail, which then cascaded down her neck in shiny, springy ringlets.
Tracee Ellis Ross's Looped-Up Braids
The standout of Tracee Ellis Ross's look was, of course, her incredible hair. The owner of haircare brand, Pattern Beauty, wore two braids styled in two large loops on either side of her head — which hairstylist Nai'vasha created by wrapping her around wires — making her look even more angelic than usual. Makeup artist Kay Montano completed the look with Twiggy-style mascara drawn onto Ellis Ross's lower lashes.
Lady Mary Charteris's Rose Gold Waves
Lady Mary Charteris isn't bored of rose gold yet and after seeing her coloured beach waves, neither are we. For her makeup, she wore a matching shimmer shade across the lids, topped off with a matte rose lip colour.
Pixie Geldof's Red Satin Headband
Oversized Alice bands have been all the rage this year, but we love that Geldof chose to go with this exaggerated satin number, which added something extra to her pale gown and subdued makeup.
Barbara Palvin's Onxy Smoky Eyes
Inky black smoky eyes with touches of silver at the inner corners made for some seriously smouldering smoky eyes on Palvin. She kept things simpler when it came to her hair, choosing to leave it down in soft waves.
Cindy Bruna's Chic Head Topper
We'e seen a lot of statement-making hats recently (here's looking at you Ellie Goulding [15]), and we love the flat top of Bruna's combined with the gold hardware. To keep all the focus on the accessory and keep it from looking too costume-y, we love the choice of keeping her hair straight and sleek, and her makeup glowy and natural.
Raye's Voluminous Bob and Bold Green Wings
Light pink and green are our new favourite festive shades thanks to Raye rocking them on the red carpet with a voluminous bob.
Clara Paget's Winged Shadow
From far away, it looks like Paget's wearing your basic black winged liner. But look closer, and the sharp-as-a-knife cat eye is actually brown eye shadow that starts at the inner corners of her eyes, follows along the creases, and extends out past the tails of her brows. A neatly-parted low chignon allows the eye makeup — and her epic earrings — take centre stage.
Ami and Aya Suzuki's Matching Magenta Bobs
Just when we thought the music sister duo Ami and Aya Suzuki made their hot pink blunt bob the standout of their look, we zoomed in on the double winged liner. They didn't stick to just a regular cat eye, instead they added a red sparkly wing over the top, creating a bold double liner.
Elsa Hosk's Monochromatic Makeup
With a graphic ponytail and taupe eyes, cheeks, and lips, Hosk's beauty look was as sculpted as her abs, which she showed off in a sequin co-ord.
Bella Thorne's Green-and-Pink Pairing
Thorne loves to have fun with her makeup and she did just that for the BFAs. We love the unexpected combination of teal under-liner and fuchsia lipstick, and how she also made sure to put her freckles on display.