Millennial Pink Took Over the Oscars Red Carpet

In my personal opinion, we should be thinking pink every single day. But alas, that’s not the way of the world—and certainly not the way of the black or neutral or cover-in-rhinestones-and-call-it-a-day award season dressing circuit. It’s such a good color, but we live in a universe where a pop of pink is still newsworthy… until the 2025 Oscars red carpet began, anyway.

Early on in the evening, it was obvious that the sweet, sweet shade was having a moment. Singer Charlotte Lawrence showed up in a bedazzled and ruffled millennial pink Valentino dress, followed by Rita Wilson in a flowy, off-the-shoulder tulle number and Connie Nielsen in a pale Grecian gown. Other celebs, like Brandi Carlile and Bowen Yang, accessorized with the color in a big way, with the former tacking a hot pink bow to her suit and the latter choosing it for his ruffled undershirt.

Ahead, everything to know about the famous shade’s big night—and how the stars made it their own.

Ariana Grande’s Ballerina Pink Dress

Perhaps least surprisingly, Ariana Grande arrived to the show wearing a fresh-from-the runway, champagne pink Schiaparelli gown that paid tribute to Glinda the Good Witch. Her makeup was similarly rose-toned, with shimmery pink shadow from r.e.m. beauty (the shades Normal is Overrated and Perfectly Pink from the babydoll eyeshadow palette and the Wicked Ozdust eyeshadow palette made it happen).

“We wanted the makeup to complement the Schiaparelli gown, with soft pinks and shimmers on the eyes, cheeks, and lips—that are as much classic Ari as they are Glinda,” her longtime makeup artist, Michael Anthony, told Byrdie.

Selena Gomez’s Soft Pink Style

Selena Gomez also went rosy, although the thousands of crystals dripping from her custom Ralph Lauren gown gave the whole thing a more neutral tone (sounds weird, but it’s true). Her manicurist, Tom Bachik, painted a similar peachy pink shade on her fingers with one coat of CND’s Shellac in Rule Breaker and one coat of Silk Thread, a beige taupe that features a hint of pink shimmer.

It’s also worth noting that the 32-year-old’s dress was a tribute to Sophia Loren, whose hair towel look in Arabesque is one of the most iconic pink moments in the universe. Influences are always in conversation with each other, you know.

Mikey Madison’s Pink-and-Black Colorblocking

While we missed the hair tinsel, Mikey Madison’s look was special in its own way. For her first Oscars nomination, the Anora star wore a black-and-pink empire-waisted Dior gown that was tied with a pretty satin bow.

Her Tiffany & Co ring—just one piece from an impressive collection of jewels she wore for the evening—also included a giant pink tourmaline stone that was surrounded by diamonds.

Monica Barbaro Paired Her Pink with Sparkles

More Dior! In a very non-Joan Baez move (and that’s okay! you don’t always have to method dress), Monica Barbaro opted for a custom ballet-pink gown that featured a full skirt and extra-sparkly, bedazzled top.

And while she’s been loving a naked nail all awards season, she chose to polish things up for the big night. Celebrity manicurist Emi Kudo painted on a custom mix of Aprés Nails gel polish in the shades Winter Aurora and Spring Sigh.

Rachel Sennott’s Pink Rhinestones

Though she’s not an Oscar-nominated actress yet, Rachel Sennott seemed to get the pinkalicious memo from Monica and Mikey. Her sheer, rhinestone-covered strapless gown was a deep pink color that I only wish she also paired with a matching manicure—I’m still riding the high of seeing Addison Rae in Chanel’s Diva shade.