The weather outside was Alaska cold for Los Angeles, but it was the over 40 ladies who gave some heat on the red carpet.
On a night when those younger types like Anne Hathaway and Lena Dunham of "Girls" talked about their insecurities, it took the red carpet strut of a Julianne Moore, Naomi Watts or even Lucy Liu in her floral mess to teach that confidence is indeed the best red carpet accessory.
Who shined before, during and after the Golden Globes were handed out? And what beauty and fashion lessons did we learn from the red carpet?
- Shoulders are in. And they're bare. Connie Britton from "Nashville" in sparkling white gold and Salma Hayek in a dazzling black proved that all that extra time in the gym doing arm weights and push ups have paid off. The lesson is that you actually can have great guns at any age.
- If you got it, flaunt it. Jennifer Lopez isn't exactly shy when it comes to fashion. If you have the body at any age, you can pour it into some semi-nude, figure-cutting dress. It doesn't hurt if you bring your young dancer boyfriend along as an accessory. Over 40 Nicole Kidman also dared to bare her midriff in her Alexander McQueen dress. She beat out J. Lo in the sass with class department here proving it's good to flash a little, but flashing everything is overwhelming.
- Gorgeous, glam, old Hollywood hair is always an "ah" moment. Again, we have to look at Connie Britton with her blonde-reddish tresses that were styled in a way that made her look like a vintage star with a slight wave and curls. Gorgeous! Her stylist Rod Ortega says that he put it up in hot roller and smoothed it with Leonor Greyl Serum de Soie Sublimateur. Or try a ponytail like Julianna Margulies did when she slicked it all back into a long pony held together with Elnett Satin hairspray.
- Sultry eyes make a statement. No one beat out Claire Danes in the sultry eye department with her smoked eyes created with three different Laura Mercier liners. Add layers and layers of mascara. Yes, you can even do it at home.
- Make sure the dress fits. I love Jessica Chastain and think "Zero Dark 30" is one of the best films of 2012. I even loved the gorgeous sea foam shade of her Calvin Klein dress. But that low plunge and flimsy fabric made me worry that she could easily have a wardrobe malfunction. Each time I looked at her, I winced and hoped she wore fabric tape. In the end, it looked as if the dress simply didn't fit.
- Even stars have to put down that cookie. I loved Amy Poehler's line about fitting into her dress when she said, "The Life of Pi" would be how she would live after this awards show was over. Special nod to Amy and Tina for doing a great job hosting.
- Prints aren't always your friend. Just ask Lucy Liu who has mentioned that she thought her floral Carolina Herrara dress was "beautiful and romantic." Even though she looks good in everything, a powder blue dress with flowers all over it reminded me a little too much of grandma's curtains. Even Halle Berry had problems with too much print. Her Versace dress showed off her gorgeous shoulders and even a section of her toned abs, but the many colors left me reaching for the Tylenol.
The good news is that there is always Oscar…just a few weeks away.
