If you think of a list of iconic women in the acting business, Nicole Kidman probably features pretty high. Breaking onto the big screen in the late 80s, it wasn’t long until she was one of the highest-paid screen stars in the world.
With a slew of hit films under her belt, from Moulin Rouge! to Eyes Wide Shut, as well as stars in binge-worthy shows like Big Little Lies and The Morning Show, the star has picked up an Oscar and six Golden Globes during her career – as well as a coveted AFI Lifetime Achievement Award.
Naturally, a career in the spotlight means many a public appearance and, with a little added gleam from her glam squad, Nicole always looks fantastic on the red carpet. So, whether you require some hair and makeup inspiration for an upcoming event, or you simply want to take a browse through the beauty history books, we’ve collated some of Nicole Kidman’s best looks here. Let’s dive in…
Nicole Kidman's best beauty looks from over the years
Soft wave and smokey glam
Pairing loose and flat waves with soft glam makeup, we love these warm tones on Nicole for the GQ Men Of The Year Awards 2024.
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As these gorgeous flat waves were created by legendary hairstylist Sam McKnight, there's a good chance that his Cool Girl Mist helped create that lived-in body.
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Nicole's lip colour here looks pretty similar to the iconic Pillow Talk shade from Charlotte Tilbury, an ever-so-slightly peachy nude pink. The Matte Revolution formula has a comfortable soft matte finish.
The lob
Long bobs will always be on the style agenda and we love this shoulder-skimming style on Nicole, featuring layers towards the ends of the hair for rounded movement. Paired with a glossy lip and fluttery lashes, she wore this style to the Oscars back in 2015.
Wine red lips
First of all, we love the striking deep wine lipstick on Nicole, providing a striking contrast with her paler features at on the red carpet of the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. This updo is also super chic; by keeping some hair around the front loose and tonging in a loose wave, a curtain bangs effect is created.
Extra long hair
With a bit of volume and lift at the roots and around the crown and the slightest of waves, Nicole stepped out with this ultra-lengthy hair for the 2023 Met Gala, where the theme was "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty".
Fluttery lashes and a red lip
There are so many shades to choose from among the best red lipsticks, from muted hints of red and deeper brick or rust tones, through to true and blue-toned options. We love this vibrant and eye-catching red, which Nicole paired with extra-long lashes and a low side bun for the 2022 Oscars.
Ultra high pony and glossy lips
This pink glossy lip feels typically '00s, doesn't it? We love the way this slicked back high ponytail draws attention to Nicole's features, pictured on the red carpet at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival.
Old Hollywood curls
Hairstyles that are reminiscent of the "Old Hollywood" era go hand in hand with special occasions and events, including (for celebrities at least!) red carpet appearances. We love the way these vintage curls framed Nicole's face for the 2002 Vanity Fair Oscar Party.
Muted metals
To us, it's always satisfying when a celebrity matches their makeup to their outfit and/or accessories, which is exactly what Nicole did for the 2016 Met Gala – the theme of which was "Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology" – with this steely-toned jewellery and eye makeup pairing.
Flushed cheeks and a red lip
Going back several decades, we love Nicole's natural curly hair in this headshot from the late '80s, paired with a matte red lip, peachy blusher and dewy skin.
The side ponytail
A low side ponytail manages to be both effortlessly cool and chic without requiring too much effort on your part in the styling department. A peachy lip and soft smokey eye makeup were the final touches to this look for the 2025 National Board of Review Gala.
Soft winged eyeshadow
Just look at that soft eyeshadow wing and dress-matching pink lipstick. Nicole paired this soft glam makeup with a chic updo featuring loose curled tendrils for the premiere of The Paperboy at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.
Bold hot pink lip
Proof of the chic statement made by a bold lip, we love this hot pink-meets-magenta shade on Nicole, paired with a classic liquid eyeliner look and a wash of blusher for the UK premiere of The Perfect Couple in 2024.
The tight high bun
This predominantly slicked back high bun has a real "balletcore" feel to it, showcasing Nicole's gorgeous features and bone structure. A rosy pink lip, fresh and dewy skin and a bit of shimmery eye makeup finished off this look for the 2017 amfAR Gala in Cannes.
Curved layers
Featuring lots of curved layering and framing her face perfectly, we love this mid-length hairstyle on Nicole at the Giorgio Armani Privé Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2019 2020 show, paired with a dark red lip. If you find using a round brush and hair dryer tricky, one of the best hot brushes makes the curving process that bit easier at home.
Barely there flat waves
With a bit of a beachy feel to them, we love these flat waves on Nicole's lengthy, shiny hair. A smokey eye and sheeny beige lip colour offset this gorgeous look for the 2024 Governors Awards.
The side bun
A bun can be such a power look, which is why many celebs opt for a variation of the style for evening events. Nicole's eyes were also perfectly defined with a bit of smokey liner and shadow, paired with peachy tones for the 2010 Golden Globes.
.The rock chick look
In our opinion, these sparkly and smokey shades give Nicole's overall makeup look a bit of rock-chic energy, pairing brilliantly with the heightened, centre parted ponytail. The star stepped out with this look for an LA premiere in 2024.
The beachy waves
We love the beachy and air-dried look of this curly wavy hairstyle, which looks like it was created with Nicole's natural texture. A classic smokey eye and generous application of blusher were the perfect pairing at the Annual Hollywood Film Awards in 2018.
The full fringe
Many of us have experimented with a fringe at some point in our lives – and celebrities are no exception. Nicole stepped out with this thick full fringe, the rest of her long hair styled with rounded ends, to the UK premiere of Happy Feet in 2006.
The low face-framing ponyail
With a bit of added height, no doubt created with a good texturising spray, we love this low ponytail on Nicole – not to mention those ultra-fluttery lashes. Grab a pair of the best fake eyelashes if you want to recreate her look from the LA premiere of Babygirl in 2024.
The low side bun
This side positioning makes for a nice twist on the classic low bun, further accentuated by the side parting. Nicole's makeup artist for the occasion seemed to utilise tightlining to define her eyes, too, for the 2008 Oscars.
The curled high updo
We love the mix of sleek hair and curled tendrils in this voluminous, piled-high updo on Nicole here, which frames her face beautifully. This was worn by the star to a film screening in Sydney in 2023.
The face-framing low ponytail
We love the long loose sections of hair, styled in a rounded shape to frame Nicole's face, with the rest swept back into a loose ponytail. She also opted for her signature wash of blusher for a screening for Paramount+'s Special Ops: Lioness in 2023.
The bow-accessorised bun
We love a good hair accessory, don't you? Nicole elevated her undone-yet-polished bun for the 2019 Golden Globes with a classic black ribbon, oozing red carpet glamour in the process.
Disco headband
We love when a hair and makeup look calls back to a bygone era, and we get big '70s disco energy from these tight curls paired with a retro-feeling headband. Complete with a rich pink lipstick, Nicole stepped out with this party-ready look for the 2004 Golden Globes.
'60s volume
With all this added height to this headband-accessorised 'do, we can't help but think of the voluminous '60s hairstyles that popularised that decade – which Nicole wore to a photocall during the 2024 Venice International Film Festival.
The short curled bob
With her shorter length hair curled to sit around the cheekbones and parted heavily to one side, this hairstyle reminds us of those that were popular around the Roaring Twenties. Nicole stepped out with this look for the Grammys back in 2010.
The partially-plaited updo
There's a kind of undone, festival feel to this partially plaited updo, which worked brilliantly to frame Nicole's face, with her features enhanced with peachy-toned makeup. She stepped out with this particular look for a photocall during the 2017 Cannes Film Festival.
Big beachy waves
Bringing serious volume to this particular party, we love these big and bodified undone waves on Nicole's hair, complete with eyeliner and sheeny lipstick for the 2008 CMT Music Awards.
The 'prom-like' updo
We don't know about you, but this hairstyle reminds us of 'prom' style updos – in the chicest way possible, of course – with its pinned up curls. Nicole wore this to the 76th Oscars back in 2004.
The 'puff' with vintage curls
A nice take on the "puff" hairstyle that dominated the early '00s, we also love the chic vintage-esque curls in Nicole's hair here. A bold red lip finished the look for this photocall in 2014.
The loosely curled lob
We're loving this throwback to 90s hairstyles with Nicole's loosely curled long bob, paired with a brown smokey eye for the Golden Globe Awards back in 2001.
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