We talk to a few of the industry's top pros to get the lowdown on how some of our favorite stars got gussied up for the Oscars red carpet.

Naomi Watts

The look: The best actress nominee was slinky and stunning in an asymmetrical Giorgio Armani that had an Art Deco vibe, as did her makeup, with a powerful eye and understated lip. "We wanted a strong, powerful woman who's architectural. She was the beautiful woman version of the Chrysler Building," says celebrity makeup artist Pati Prema Dubroff for CHANEL Beauté, who's worked with Watts for 10 years.

How she got there: Dubroff had three separate makeup kits ready depending on the final dress the actress chose to wear. "There were a lot of conversations before I got there, a lot of texting going on. I got to virtually participate in the fittings and the choice of the dresses and see images as they were being vetted and was able to offer my opinion," says Dubroff. "It was nice to be able to participate. Family means everything to Naomi. It's what she keeps close. I feel honored to be included in that circle."

Lip service: Dubroff says Watts' mouth was the final point of discussion. "She didn't want her eye to be too strong. It was really finding that perfect balance of making the eye strong and impactful and balancing it with the dress. The lip color, we tried on five different shades in the same family in pale and nude and rose pink," she says, before opting for CHANEL's Rouge Coco in Mademoiselle.

Anne Hathaway

The look: The best supporting actress winner, who chopped off her hair for her turn in Les Miserables, kept her short tresses elegant and sleek to complement her ladylike yet sexy pink Prada gown and the "timeless beauty" of her face.

How she got there: With the help of her longtime go-to hair genius, Fekkai stylist Adir Abergel, and her cosmetics guru, CHANEL celebrity makeup artist Kate Lee. "Everyone shows up a few hours beforehand and we have a conversation about how she's going to look and we get to work. There wasn't an awful lot of planning we could do because we didn't know what she was wearing until the last minute," says Lee.

Tress-tastic: The vibe when working with Hathaway is "chill. She has family and friends around," says Abergel. "It's been years of us working together. I ask her what she's wanting and I kind of take it and make it my own. There are no mirrors involved." This time, he says, " I want her to see these images 30 or 40 years from now and enjoy them. I wanted to soften the bangs and not make them so heavy and modern. I wanted her hair to have movement and texture. I rough-dried it with my hands and parted it where I wanted it to go, using Fekkai wax. I was there for two and a half hours total." Hathaway's only request? "She wanted the sides of the hair to be pushed back."

Dress debate: Hathaway and her team didn't decide on her Prada gown until the last hour before she walked out the door, reports Lee. "Although the makeup was not determined by the dress and it was more about her complexion and natural features, it did play a role in the color I chose for her lips. We tried a couple of shades of lipstick and in the end I went with a very pretty sugar pink," says Lee, who chose CHANEL's Rouge Allure Luminous Intense in Sèduisante

Zoe Saldana

The look: The always-striking actress was a welcome breath of ultra-modern air in her Alexis Mabille gown, so she kept her hair sleek, clean and simple, says celebrity stylist Mara Roszak for Moroccanoil. "We've all worked together for so many years. It's fun. We chat, we hang out. Zoe is so fun to work with and so fun to be around. There's a great rhythm. It's a collaboration. She has great taste. She's a big part of it," says Roszak.

How she got there: She started by using Moroccanoil on Saldana's wet hair, and gave it loose waves with a styling iron. "My inspiration was the dress. It all started there for me. I'm always inspired by what she chooses. In this case, it was how simply chic it was. I loved the color, the way it flowed on her body. It had a little of edge to it but super-elegant," says Roszak. "I knew I wanted the hair to be shiny and healthy and beautiful but clean."

Coiffure confirmation: Saldana had no doubts about what dress she'd be wearing, which made the styling process that much more streamlined. "We had the look set beforehand. I was lucky enough to get to see the dress on her a couple of days before and we were able to chat then. This one was definitely the one that stood out," says Roszak . Saldana altered looks for the Vanity Fair party later that night. "I put her hair up for that because she changed her dress," says Roszak.

Charlize Theron

The look: The actress could be the poster child for short hair. After shaving her head for Fury Road, Theron has never looked sharper or more modern, especially in her Dior Oscar gown.

How she got there: Theron's youthful glow was courtesy of Dubroff, who used all Dior products on the brand's spokeswoman. In keeping with the trend of subdued lips, Dubroff capped it off with Dior Addict Lip Glow in Indiscrete. But the real story here is Theron's fresh, choppy hairdo, styled for the evening by Enzo Angileri. "We decided to shape it in a way that looked precise. We wanted to make a statement out of it. It's a little androgynous with this super-couture dress. Everything worked amazingly well proportion-wise," says Angileri. "After showering I applied a little mousse. Then I used a diffuser to dry. Then you brush it and then I applied a little of a product called Shape Shift by Wella."

Coiffure confirmation: Theron and Angileri wanted her hair to work with both a pair of jeans and the stunning gown she wore last night. The actress is so smitten with her locks that she has no plans to change anything up. "I can tell you, she loves it. She's going to be a trendsetter. Women need to have a little more life and a little less hair. I'm pretty sure we're going to keep it short for a while," he says.