Ana de Armas's Oscars Hair Was Inspired By Morning Dew and Cher

Oscar whispers surrounded Ana De Armas the second she signed onto Blonde, so her appearance on the red carpet tonight comes as no surprise. The film follows a fictionalized version of Marilyn Monroe’s life from her tumultuous upbringing to her devastating end, and the entire film is coated in a veil of tragedy. De Armas's standout, anxiety-inducing performance as Monroe landed her a spot amongst the nominees for Best Actress at the 2023 Oscars.

De Armas is one to arrive at awards shows wearing pale dresses and classic hairstyles, and this time is no different. She stepped onto the red carpet wearing a silver Louis Vuitton mermaid dress, which features a Monroe-like neckline and straps and gems sewn throughout (which De Armas says reminds her of "little drops of rain"). The dress has a fitted silhouette that trails into a skirt and train made from faux petals. Her stylist, Samantha McMillen, paired the dress with hoop earrings, a diamond bracelet, and glitzy rings.

To add even more sparkle, De Armas's makeup artist, Mélanie Inglessis, created a monochromatic pale pink glam, which features a wash of baby pink shimmer on her lids and a glossy pink pout. Her cheeks have a flush of rosy blush, and her lashes are accentuated with a subtle eyeliner wing.

Her hairstylist Jenny Cho used T3 and René Furterer products to create a soft and touchable blowout on the star. "Ana was wearing an ethereal custom dress with fallen flower petals embellishing the bottom," Cho tells Byrdie exclusively. "The dress inspired me with a 'morning dew' concept. I wanted to showcase Ana's beautiful brown hair and have the dark silhouette contrast with the lighter color of the dress. I decided on a soft, effortless wave worn falling behind her shoulders. Powerful yet soft, beautiful, and feminine."

Cho was also inspired by the spike of "natural beauty" looks that have been hitting the red carpet and social media lately. "We've seen a strong trend lately of embracing natural beauty," Cho mentions. "Ana has gorgeous hair, and I wanted to let it have its natural moment rather than over style it. 2023 is all about strong feminine energy."

After detangling De Armas's towel-dried hair with the T3 Detangling Duo ($30), Cho applied the René Furterer Style Blowout Balm ($34) to minimize frizz, and then misted the René Furterer Style Protect Thermal Protecting Spray ($36) to protect from heat damage. "I blow-dried her hair with the T3 Airluxe Blow Dryer ($200) and T3 Volume 3 Round Brush ($40), and turned on the Volume Boost Switch, adding a slight body and volume to the crown area and to smooth the tips," says Cho. She added in hair extensions for extra length, adding, "We had Cher in mind while this was happening."

To emphasize a relaxed-yet-sleek look, Cho created slight waves in De Armas's tresses. "Starting at the nape, I used my new T3 Switch Kit Curl Trio ($300) 1 ½ inch clip barrel iron to create soft, lived-in waves," Cho tells Byrdie. "I pinned each curl to cool in order to set for the night ahead. The CeraGloss Ceramic barrels are key to ensure smooth curls that hold throughout the entire night."

"The best part about this look is it can evolve over time because it's so natural. I added finishing spray to hold onto the wave, but the idea is to have hair that you can run your fingers through." Finally, Cho added a high shine finish with the René Furterer Style Shine Mist ($34) and locked the look in with the René Furterer Style Finishing Spray ($34)."