Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow's storied red carpet history is practically a testament to the power of simplicity, the eloquence of minimalism. Back when she was dating Brad Pitt, she held his hand at the 1996 Academy Awards, wearing a floor-length, slip-like, free-flowing Calvin Klein gown in a pink charmeuse gown that came to define her effortlessly sensual yet elegant personal style. For the 2011 Oscars, Gwyneth Paltrow once again turned to CK, donning a shimmering white gold gown from the Calvin Klein Collection. The sleeveless gown featured a deep narrow slit along the bodice, revealing just a hint of the chest area without going into cleavage-bearing mode, while the floor-length skirt hung in a straight, column-like fashion, creating a statuesque effect. The understated dress fit Gwyneth so perfectly that the white gold color practically looked like it had been molten onto her body. Paltrow also donned gold Brian Atwood pumps and earrings from the Louis Vuitton L'Ame du Voyage collection that framed her face with their undulating shape, which seemed to resemble floral bouquets, and added a hint of color to the look thanks to their multi-colored stones.
To complement her demure gown choice, Paltrow's hairstylist Harry Josh sought to create a similarly unfussy yet glamorous look. Josh, John Frieda's International Creative Consultant, cited Paltrow's effortless sophistication, her innate elegance, as his inspiration, choosing not to overshadow her natural beauty with an overly complicated look and instead opting for something sleek and simple.
To create the look, Harry started out by spraying on the new John Frieda Frizz-Ease 3-Day Straight, a humidity-blocking treatment featuring a blend of polymers with keratin protein that wrap around each strand, preventing frizz from emerging and lengthening the lifespan of straightened looks. Next, he started blowing out her hair with a Mason Pearson brush (the Rolls Royce of brushes), straightening her mane one section at a time. Josh then divided the hair into small sections, running a comb through each part and flat ironing the hairs therein for a pin-straight effect.
For a modernized take on Aly MacGraw's preppy-meets-Boho hair look in the classic 1970 film Love Story, Josh gave Paltrow a center part, spraying on the new John Frieda Full Repair Touch-Up Flyaway Tamer and combing hair to make sure no flyaways would tarnish the flawless look.
Since the Touch-Up Tamer comes in a travel-sized tube and features a mascara-style wand that users can run through any unruly sections of hair, we can assume the product will be safely tucked inside Paltrow's clutch throughout the evening.
