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At the 2012 Academy Awards, each celebrity came out looking her personal best. “Gwyneth Paltrow was elegant, Meryl Streep’s look said ‘I’m a movie star,’ and Viola Davis was powerful and majestic,” says InStyle Fashion Director Hal Rubenstein. Each woman dressed the way we want to see them and their confidence really shined through. The night wasn’t dominated by a singular designer, silhouette or trend, but amazing earrings were the finishing touch on the diverse looks, says Rubenstein. Check out the nights greatest gowns in the gallery!

Oscar night is here! And the leading ladies up for the ultimate prize of the night—the Best Actress Oscar—are Glenn Close for Albert Nobbs, Viola Davis for The Help, Rooney Mara for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Michelle Williams for My Week With Marilyn, and Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady. So, who do you think should walk away with the statue? Let us know in the poll below! More

This year’s crop of Oscar hopefuls talked about the thrill of getting a nomination and the rigors of awards season when they gathered for lunch at the Beverly Hilton Hotel yesterday. “I spent so much time on this film naked,” Rooney Mara said of stripping down to play the lead role in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. “Between the piercings and the tattoos and the make-up and the hair and my body being a little smaller—it always felt like I was in costume.” Read more of the best celebrity quotes from the 2012 of Academy Award nominees luncheon in the gallery. Then, tune into ABC on Sunday, February 26th at 7e/4p to see who takes home the trophies, and make sure to check back to InStyle.com for all of your pre-show and night-of red carpet updates.

— Bronwyn Barnes, with reporting by Lindzi Scharf

It’s not just the actors and actresses we watch movies for—it’s the hair, makeup, and costumes, too! See which movies earned Academy Award nominations for Best Makeup and Best Costume Design now.