In pictures: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s complete beauty evolution

There aren't many people in the world who haven't heard of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan before—she's been making waves internationally since 1991—she won an international model hunt by global modelling agency Ford and was featured in US Vogue before crossover stars became commonplace. The former model and Bollywood actor then went on to win the Miss World title in 1994 and subsequently made her Bollywood debut with Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya opposite Bobby Deol in 1997.

Although she starred in a couple of movies since then, the film that really put her on the map was Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam in 1999 with Salman Khan, which was followed by other critical and commercial hits like Mohabattein in 2000, Devdas in 2002, Jodhaa Akbar in 2008. Recently, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil in 2016 and Fanney Khan in 2018 rounded it out. Whatever her on-screen avatar, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's beauty look off the screen has always veered towards the classic, with her either emphasising her stunning eyes with a slick of liner and kohl, or making a statement with a bold red lip. However, that's not to say that the actor has not taken risks: do you remember that experimental purple lip at the Cannes 2016 red carpet? From her win at Miss World in 1994 to her latest Cannes appearance, check out Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's complete beauty evolution.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan: The early days 

Throwback to 1994, the year she won her title, she was spotted in a basic mascara, brick red lipstick and blown-out hair. Her makeup stayed similar in her first few films too. Then, for her first Cannes red carpet appearance in 2003, she wore monochrome makeup with brown eyeshadow and a lip gloss in the same colour with her hair slicked back and held together in a high bun. She let her hair down in tight curls in 2004—especially at the premiere of her film, Bride and Prejudice. Super glossy lipstick and skinny eyebrows were her signature look at the time. “For the day, I am partial to lip colours in shades of nude, pink, peach, beige and earthy brown with mascara to highlight the eyes,” she said years later, proving that her beauty philosophy stayed more or less the same throughout her career. 

She carried forward that same look to the Cannes red carpet, and then 2005 saw her open up the curls and work metallic eyeshadow. In 2006, she moved back to straight hair, leaving her naturally black strands sans the streaks and balayage of the previous few years. When she promoted Dhoom 2, copper eyeshadow and lip gloss was her favourite. In 2007, when she got married, she reached for kohl-rimmed eyes and a light contour. When she attended the IIFA awards in 2008, Rai Bachchan paired her red Dior gown with long, straight hair and a pouf. For the Pink Panther film premiere, she chose a bouncy ponytail and blush-accented cheeks. 

In a new decade 

In 2010, Rai Bachchan attended Cannes again, wearing her hair in a shellacked updo with lots of volume. “How I wear my hair depends on my mood, the occasion and what I am wearing. I’m not fussy about wearing it a certain way—I like experimenting,” she shared about her ever-changing hairstyles. 

2013 was the year her signature winged eye came into play along with the occasional smoky shadow, a bold red lip and straightened hair in a middle part that she wears even today. 2014 saw the actor embraced a berry pout on the red carpet along with big Hollywood waves. “I don’t have a signature look for the red carpet either. My team and I look to do something different each time,” she confirmed. She played it safe in 2015 with basic nude lips and eyeliner, which were her go-to as she worked on the film Jazbaa—her first movie after a 5 year sabbatical. While her hair oscillated between straight and curly, in 2016 she wore bright reds as many times as she did light pinks and peach on her lips. “Red lips have the power to attract everyone’s attention and make you feel red-carpet-ready instantly,” she said that year. That same year, her purple lipstick on the Cannes red carpet made waves.  “Fashion and make-up is like art—I have fun with it. There’s also a whole team of professionals involved, like the stylists, hairdressers, make-up artists and designers. But the bottom line for me is that I don’t lose my personality and I stay comfortable,” Rai Bachchan shared.

In 2018, when she worked on Fanney Khan, Rai Bachchan coloured her hair burgundy, and added hair extensions to supplement the look. She kept the hair colour through the entire year, even wearing it to Sonam Kapoor Ahuja's wedding reception with a red lip. The next year, she rocked her grown-out hair colour at Isha Ambani's wedding celebrations as well. For Cannes 2019, she wore bronzed skin, a metallic copper lipstick and gold ear cuffs, suggesting that her experimentation on the red carpet isn't over yet. 

Scroll through the pictures below for a look at Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's complete beauty evolution

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