Introducing Awards Season 2015

THE BEST IN BEAUTY
FROM THOSE WHO KNOW BEST

VIOLET GREY began with our search for the best eyelash curler. To find the answer, we formed a band of inside-Hollywood experts and editors — from makeup artists to movie stars — to test every eyelash curler against our rigorous set of standards (the VIOLET CODE). We tested on film sets, on red carpets, and in the back of Jack Nicholson’s limousine — and once we learned which curler would make our lashes curve and not crimp (Utowa, it’s from Japan), we moved on to mascara, lip stain, dry shampoo, and everything else a girl needs in her cosmetic wardrobe. On any given day, we are discovering, testing, and approving best-in-class beauty. The result is a discerning curation of products, tips, and inspiration deemed essential — the Industry’s Beauty Edit.

A letter from the editorial director, Christina Han.

Introducing Awards Season 2015: A Letter From The Editor | #VioletGrey, The Industry's Beauty Edit

— Natalie Wood readies for the 35th Academy Awards in 1962. Photograph by Allan Grant/Getty Images.

Dear friends,
On a recent morning, walking into the office, I passed Effrey’s dry cleaners (New Yorkers, consider this the Madame Paulette of Los Angeles) on Melrose Avenue. I happened to glance inside and spotted a singular silk evening dress hanging near the front counter. Its long, ball-gown skirt hovered just inches above Effrey’s white-tiled floor, and the fabric’s blacker-than-black tone cut a stark but elegant silhouette in the bright, early California light. A sighting of such nature in the land where denim cutoffs and slouchy tees reign supreme only means one thing: Welcome to awards season 2015.

Over the next seven weeks, Hollywood will be in a veritable tizzy as it feels the eyes of the world watching and waiting to see who will ultimately bask in the glow of an Oscar at this year’s 87th Academy Awards in February. At VIOLET GREY, we will be chronicling the process from dressing rooms all over Tinseltown and introducing you to some of the nominated women along the way (including upcoming cover stories with two young women who starred in two of the season’s most talked-about films). We will also be preparing you for your own red-carpet moment, whether it’s the Oscars or date night, by offering the best beauty (and body) advice from veteran experts who are kind enough to offer their tips and tricks in between sessions with the likes of Keira, Julianne and Reese.

Finally, we will also be introducing you to our first-ever #VIOLETawards, a series of “best of” lists as nominated by VIOLET GREY and its handpicked community. From stars who walk the red carpet to the artists who beautify them and the stylists who dress them, the experts nominate their most necessary awards-season essential. With some persistent inquiries (thanks for your responses from Dubai, Jenn Streicher!), we found the ultimate powder-room touch-up tools and the secret to defining cheekbones (let’s find your best angle, shall we?). We inquired about their favorite black-tie shoe and how they are staying evening-dress fit. We even asked them for their most charming cocktail-party conversation starters to test as we attend this weekend’s gauntlet of Golden Globes events (first impressions involve more than just red lipstick).

We cannot wait to share all of these secrets with you, so follow the #VIOLETawards conversation to see what was nominated by whom. We will see you again when we come up for air after the last after-party, most likely in the quiet steam room at a detoxifying Korean spa.

Christina Han
Editorial Director