Sarah Pidgeon’s Actor Awards Look Was All About “Minimalist Romance”

There’s been a lot of talk about what Carolyn Bessette Kennedy might wear/do/like in 2026. That’s silly—we already know exactly what she liked in the ’90s and so much of it is still around to appreciate.

Instead, perhaps we can focus on the tastes of someone who embodies her charm today? Obviously, I’m talking about Love Story star Sarah Pidgeon. She’s gorgeous, she’s chic, and she has the ability to tell us what products she’s currently loving.

On Sunday, March 1, Pidgeon appeared at the 2026 Actor Awards with her cashmere blonde hair softly framing her recently incredibly famous face. Ahead, discover all the details on how her modern-yet-classic glam came to be.

Sarah Pidgeon’s Actor Awards Look

According to makeup artist Emily Cheng, the inspiration for the look was “minimalist romance.”

“We talked about still looking herself,” the beauty expert exclusively tells Byrdie. “Fresh skin and flushed rosiness throughout for makeup to go with her dress.” (A baby pink, strapless Balenciaga balloon number, by the way.)

Before she got going with makeup, Cheng sculpted Pidgeon’s face with her NuFace Trinity+ device.

“A pre-makeup sculpt is my ultimate game changer. When the face is already lifted and de-puffed, you can take a much lighter, more modern approach to contour,” the artist explained. “It created the perfect high-shine lifted canvas for a ‘minimal romance’ look—soft, dewy and effortless to complement the pale pink of her dress and the quiet sophistication she’s channeling as Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy.” 

How to Get Her “Sleek and Sculpted Glow”

After cleansing, Cheng spread a generous layer of NuFace’s Aqua Gel Activator all over Pidgeon’s face with the brand’s Clean Sweep Applicator Brush. Then, she got to work with the device’s microcurrents.

“I focused three minutes on the jawline and another three minutes sculpting her cheeks, then lastly another three lifting the temples area,” she noted. “After the facial, I wiped off the activator with a hot towel and continued on with skincare.”

Said skincare included Rhode’s Glazing Milk all over the face followed by Peptide Glazing Fluid for “pillowy hydration.” They also made use of the Peptide Eye Prep masks, new Caffeine Reset Sculpting Cream Mask and Peptide Lip Boost Plumping Lip Mask, Barrier Restore Cream, and Barrier Butter Intensive Moisture Balm.

Sarah Pidgeon’s Fresh Makeup

Then, it was time for makeup—a moment marked by a Rhode new launch teaser like no other.

Before she hit the red carpet, Cheng added “a little bit of powder on the T-zone” and buffed out the actress’s lip with Rhode Peptide Lip Shape in the warm taupe shade Twist, plus a dab of a not-yet-released lippie that completed the softer-than-soft blurred lip effect. Her cheeks also received a soft flush courtesy of a top-secret Pocket Blush shade and Cheng’s trusty Beautyblender.

Would CBK be a Rhode and NuFace girl? Who’s to say! But Pidgeon is, and that’s information we can do something with.

Sarah Pidgeon’s Easy Updo

More information we can do something with? The exact breakdown of Pidgeon’s effortless wavy ponytail. “The dress inspired everything,” says her hairstylist David von Cannon. “Clean up top, then all that gathering happening low—I wanted the hair to live in that same silhouette.”

To get the look, von Cannon used a full suite of Nexxus products. He started by prepping the actress’s hair with the Medium Hold Mousse and used his fingers to “build natural movement throughout the hair.” He then dried her hair, using flat pins to guide face-framing pieces into his desired shape and allowed them to set.

Once her hair was dry, he applied the Keraphix Liquid Crystallizer Treatment to add shine and create a “soft, piecey texture.” He misted on some Air Shape Workable Hold Texture Spray  for light grip, then gathered Pidgeon’s hair into a low, loose knot. The final touch was perfecting those face-framing pieces, and then spritzing with the Comb Thru Flexible Hold Hairspray to keep the style in place all night long.