Kerry Washington's Best Beauty Moments

01 of 20

2014 Emmy Awards

Kerry Washington beauty looks — Jennifer Graylock/Sipa USA

In a spur-of-the-moment decision, the actress debuted ombre highlights just moments before stepping out for television's biggest night. "When I saw Kerry, she just looked so young and fresh to me that I instantly thought of color and wanted to make her hair lighter," says her hairstylist Takisha Sturdivant-Drew. The star's makeup artist, Carola Gonzalez, drew inspiration from her gown's navy blue under-layer to create her smoky blue eye. "It was a very beautiful blue, and we agreed on complementing that with dynamic eyes," she tells us. Keeping the focus on her eyes, Gonzalez finalized the look with a nude beige lip.

02 of 20

Women In Film Awards

Hot mama! For her first post-baby red carpet appearance, the new mom flaunted sleek waves, metallic shadow, and a bold orange lip.

03 of 20

2014 Oscars

Washington amped up the drama with vampy lipstick and voluminous beachy waves. Pairing her stand-out pout with glowing skin and lush lashes, Gonzalez applied Neutrogena MoistureSmooth Color Stick in Rich Raisin ($9; neutrogena.com) over the star's dark lipstick to score a smooth, shiny finish.

04 of 20

Directors Guild Awards

For the Directors Guild Awards, makeup artist Autumn Moultrie focused on the eyes, building a layered look by combining several Nars creme shadows (in Cayenne, Zardoz, and Madagascar) on lids. Moultrie topped off the look with bronzed cheeks and a swipe of Tom Ford's Lip Color Shine in Nubile.

05 of 20

Scandal, Season 3

Washington complemented her Escada pantsuit with a subdued smoky eye and peach gloss for a look that the show's costume designer, Lyn Paolo, describes as "Olivia at her toughest."

06 of 20

2014 SAG Awards

Washington's look for the SAG Awards was all about pink, from her Prada crop top to her bold pout.

07 of 20

Entertainment Weekly's SAG Awards Pre-Party

Beauty rules are meant to be broken! Washington went for bold eyes and lips with this dramatic cat eye and berry-stained pout for a SAG Awards pre-party.

08 of 20

2014 Golden Globe Awards

The glowing mom-to-be stunned with flawless skin, shiny strands, and shimmery eyeshadow for the Golden Globes.

09 of 20

2013 Emmy Awards

To achieve the starry-eyed look, Gonzalez sprinkled sparkly shades of mauve and eggplant on her lids and along the lower lash line. The finish touches? Velvety matte skin and a rosy nude pout.

10 of 20

Scandal, Season 3

For the season premiere, soft pinks on Washington's lids and lips added a delicate touch to the structured Burberry coat that Paolo likened to Pope's "suit of armor."

11 of 20

2013 Teen Choice Awards

With "rock-n-roll glam" in mind, makeup artist Carola Gonzalez paired Washington's perfect waves with a subtle lavender eye, lush lashes, and a statement-making lip.

12 of 20

Premiere of Peeples

No stranger to switching things up, the star debuted edgy red highlights at the premiere of Peeples. She swiped on her go-to berry lip to complement her new look.

13 of 20

2013 Met Gala

From the navy cat eye to violet highlights, Washington added punk flair to her edgy Vera Wang gown in honor of the "PUNK: Chaos to Couture" exhibition at the Met Gala.

14 of 20

2013 Human Rights Campaign gala

Kerry Washington — Jerod Harris/WireImage

Straying from the obvious updo, Washington accessorized her blown-out strands with a cool, studded headband instead. A pretty pink makeup palette completed the effortless look.

15 of 20

Scandal, Season 3

Neutral makeup, like Pope's coppery lids and bare lips seen here, paired with a structured trench, act as the crisis manager's signature look for the series.

16 of 20

24th Annual Producers Guild Awards

Washington made quite the style statement with eyebrow-grazing fringe and trendy berry lips.

17 of 20

2013 Golden Globe Awards

The actress paired her sleek locks with a jewel-toned smoky eye for the big night. To get the look, Gonzalez used a bold purple hue on her inner corners, then balanced the color using tawny neutral shades, all by Lancome. "In order to achieve the depth of her eye shadow, I wet the brush before picking up the color," she tells us. "Then, I applied it to Kerry's eyelid and blended. It makes the pigment of the shadow more dense, and it appears darker."

18 of 20

2012 American Music Awards

The hairstyle chameleon turned heads at the musical event with a wavy faux bob. "It's an easy way to get a dramatically different style without committing to a chop," says Marcus Francis, who did Washington's look.

19 of 20

Caramel Tones

The tones in her barely-there makeup, including a light swipe of taupe shadow and ballerina pink nails, complemented her character Olivia Pope's camel-colored blazer.

20 of 20

2011 Emmy Awards

Before Scandal premiered in the spring of 2012, the beauty attended the Emmys emanating old-school glam, complete with doe-eyed lashes and a classic red lip.