Nicole Kidman’s beauty evolution over the years

Nicole Kidman debuted officially as an actress in 1983, when she threw herself into a series of film and television projects. She even made appearances in music videos for local Australian music acts. The then fresh-faced 16 year old kept things natural when she attended film premieres, embracing her naturally curly hair texture, and sticking to a simple makeup look of eye liner and lipstick.

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By 1989 Kidman had already appeared in over a dozen film projects for television and the silver screen. But despite the success of her career, the Sydney native's iconic look remained relatively untouched. By the end of the decade, the 22 year old had started wearing a bit more makeup and was opting for a refined colour palette that flattered her naturally red curls. 

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By 1993, Kidman, now 26, had already starred opposite the likes of Tom Cruise, Michael Keaton and Dustin Hoffman. Suffice to say, the actress hit the ground running when she landed in Hollywood. Despite her success in America, Kidman retained the charm of her natural beauty, and began to experiment with new styles both on and off the red carpet.

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By 1995, Kidman was truly cementing herself as a leading lady with range. She starred in Batman Forever alongside George Clooney and Jim Carrey, and in Gus Van Sants' To Die For opposite Joaquin Phoenix. A regular at International film festivals such as Cannes, the 28 year old started to embrace her more glamorous side in the hair and makeup department.

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After blessing us with projects like Practical Magic and Eyes Wide Shut in the late '90s, Kidman premiered Moulin Rouge (which she received her first Oscar nom for) and The Others, and somehow even found time to release a duet version of 'Somethin' Stupid' with Robbie Williams in 2001. The 34 year old embraced the new millennia by straightening her now strawberry blonde hair, and dabbling in the frosted finish makeup products that were so popular at the time. 

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In 2003, Kidman was nominated for and won her first Oscar for her portrayal of Virginia Woolfe in The Hours, which had been released the year prior. Kidman also premiered the film Cold Mountain in 2003, which garnered her an Oscar nomination in the dramatic leading actress category. At this point in her career, Nicole had officially said sayonara to her naturally red hair, embracing a full head of blonde tresses. It was at this time that her makeup and face started to change too, with Kidman frequently sporting minimal amounts of makeup and a subtle lift around her eyes, brows and temples.

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In 2008, Kidman, (now 41) became a mother to daughter Sunday Rose. Whether it was pregnancy hormones or the makeup she was wearing, the Australia actress was glowing by the end of the '00s. Kidman had allowed her brows to grow in a bit fuller after wearing them pencil thin throughout the '90s, plus, her pout started to look a bit more plump through the centre of her lips too.

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After welcoming the arrival of her second daughter, Faith Margaret, in 2010, Kidman released a barrage of critically acclaimed films like Rabbit Hole, which scored her the third Oscar nomination of her career. By 2014, the 47 year old was really testing her acting chops, embodying Grace Kelly on screen and flexing her comedic abilities as a villain in Paddington. Life reflected art for the actress at this time, with many of her red carpet looks clearly influenced by Grace Kelly's regal take on old Hollywood glamour.

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In her 50th year, Kidman worked her bum off. After gaining another Oscar nomination the year prior for her appearance in Lion, the actress premiered Yorgos Lanthimos' The Killing Of A Sacred Deer, Sofia Coppola's The Beguiled, and Jane Campion's television series Top Of The Lake. Potentially, her packed calendar was the culprit for her youthful glow, although personally we suspect her lifelong dedication to wearing SPF had greater implications on her appearance at this milestone age.

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While the rest of us were weathering a global pandemic between 2019 and 2022, Kidman was busy wrapping up the final season of Big Little Lies, appearing alongside Charlize Theron and Margot Robbie in Bombshell, securing herself another Oscar nom for Being The Ricardos, and scaring us senseless in Robert Eggers' The Northman. So while the rest of us emerged from our homes feeling weathered and a few kilos heavier, Kidman showed us just how good 56 could look with every red carpet event she attended.

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The face of Balenciaga, and star of Babygirl, Kidman has been debuting some of the best red carpet and editorial moments of her career as of late. The 58 year old has enlisted the expertise of a glam team full of seasoned professionals (read: celebrity hairstylist Adir Abergel and Westman Atelier founder Gucci Westman) for the 2025 awards season. With a Golden Globe nomination under her belt so far, we're excited to see how she'll fare over the next few months, but we're even more excited for the beauty moments to come.

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