Transformation

Acting chops plus a close-cropped cut? That's Carey Mulligan's recipe for success. The English actress makes a few inches of hair seem like the most versatile style out there, transforming it into a neat pixie, a sparkly red-carpet coif, and a punky schoolboy look. Is there anything Mulligan—and her hair—can't do?

The then 22-year-old had her breakout role in The Seagull. "It doesn't look like she's wearing a stitch of makeup," says Gregory Arlt, a makeup artist who often works with Mulligan. "Just a stain of mascara and a soft cheek works for her youthful face."