Red carpet hairstyles: baftas 2012

Here, we take a look at the best hairstyles from the BAFTA 2012 red carpet with commentary from International Creative Director at Nicky Clarke, Warren Holmes and Neil Barton, whose eponymous salon is in Edinburgh.

WH: "Bonnie got it spot on for the BAFTAs. She is a young girl who didn't overcomplicate things. She kept it fresh and youthful, but still created an edge with the choice of red lips."

WH: "I like the way Christina went off protocol for the night. We're used to seeing her 50s-inspired hairstyles that's perfectly manicured and yet she rocked up with disheveled hair and it worked, coupled with her Vivienne Westwood gown. You can see there has been a lot of hairspray, which leads me to think the hair was left to dry naturally with a gel or mousse and then worked when dry to create the disheveled look." 

WH: "Tilda has great style - she knows what she's doing and always rocks it. The curled quiff gives a softer edge to her look for the BAFTAs and the volume in that quiff is immense."

NB: "Emeli has gone for a voluminous quiff which looks great against the short sides, but I would like to see the blonde a lot softer and in better condition - especially for a red carpet look. The contrast in colours is great but I think the blonde looks over-processed and needs a bit of TLC."

NB: "The classic bob is going to be a hot style for this spring so Elizabeth is bang on trend.  Her lovely natural looking brunette suits her English rose skintone and the side-sweeping fringe gives a soft feminine look to a sharply cut bob."

NB: "This is a classic red carpet style that is allowed to make a statement against a chic but quite simple black dress.  With lots of volume and bouncy curls, Joanne's honey blonde locks are elegantly resting on her shoulders for a relaxed but glamorous look."

WH: "I'm really fond of the barrelled surface wave here, it's really easy to create by going in at 45 degrees with a medium curling tong and leaving to set. Make sure there is enough root drag each time you pull the hair through the tong and think how you want the curl to fall when approaching the style, continuing through to the ends for optimum effect."

NB: "This is a gorgeous colour on Jessica and the soft copper is doing all the talking against her pale skin and soft silvery gown. I like that she has left the style very relaxed with a gentle wave around the frame of her face to give some lift and bounce to the length of her hair."

NB: "Hayley could have great hair but it looks like she has hardly even brushed it before leaving the house! As well as having a good trim to get the hair back into peak condition, Hayley needs to think about balancing the colours in her hair as at the moment it looks quite dull and is lacking shine and moisture.  I would like to see a few warm honeys added to give her some depth and interest to her style."

WH: "Kristen's recent hair colour change brings more warmth to her face but I would have gone for a slightly softer caramel tone. The deep side parting works well and the 'safe' red carpet look has some excitement with the very subtle dip dye on the ends."

NB: "It looks like Jessica has attempted a top knot but it has ended up looking like a last minute rushed job. With a lovely face shape, Jessica could have had all her hair swept off her face instead of leaving the one strand on the right which looks a bit out of place. I would use a light oil finishing spray to add lots of shine to the finished look and give her more hair for the sweeping fringe to make a bigger statement!"

NB: "Olivia has gone for an up style so that her dress and jewellery can be the main focus of her red carpet outfit.  Her long face shape suits an up style although I would like to see it being slightly softer as the hair does look pulled back a bit too harshly. It is a very dramatic look as her raven dark hair sets off beautifully against the contrasting white and silver in her outfit."

NB: "This is quite a vampish, sultry look for Melissa with hot pink lips, smokey makeup and a sequinned black dress. I think wearing her hair away from her face was a good move but the side sweeping fringe looks as if the rollers were just taken out of her hair!  Running fingers through her curls would loosen this just slightly.  I do love her colour though as the soft tonal blondes look gorgeous for her skin colour."

WH: "Fearne gives a youthful nod to old Hollywood glamour by distressing her 40s-style waved hair. The darker roots and shorter length are all vital in ensuring this look feels contemporary and complements her candy pink Moschino gown."

WH: "I reckon Meryl has quite difficult hair to work with so from that point of view, well done to the stylist for taking on a hair up. Personally, I would have gone for something softer, less intricate and staged but that's hard to say as not everyone has the right hair for that kind of look. "

WH: "This is a trend we saw feature heavily at the Golden Globes last month, so in that sense Gillian has played it safe. The soft, disheveled hair up is perfectly complemented by the diamond earrings and simple neckline of the dress to make a statement. "

WH: "Nobody wears the pixie crop as well as Michelle does in my opinion. One of my favourites, she epitomises Hollywood glamour. Perfect haircut and it's styled so simply, it's all about the shape and the face. This look can also be worn messier, which would be ideal for most people. That said I prefer her a platinum blonde an with a longer fringe."

WH: "I admire people that do their own thing but this is not a good look for Edith. The sleeves on that dress with the long gloves create no shape or definition, very much like her hair. Its not one thing or the other. "

NB: "Naomie looks gorgeous with a diva-esque style fit for the red carpet.  Her natural curl is beautiful and I am glad she has worked with this instead of against it.  There are some lovely hints and tones of coppery red running through which gives texture and depth to her hair."

NB: "I really like this shorter style on Viola and to add a bit of glamour for the red carpet she has added some gorgeous curls for volume and height."

WH: "Penelop always gets it right and she's an incredibly beautiful woman. Whether her hair is up or down and full of life it works for her. I'm very fond of her shattered pixie fringe, so short that only a woman of intense beauty can pull off. The height gives it a feeling of Bardot, elegant yet still playful. There's a real romance to this style, her delicate chin is exposed and the nakedness around collarbone and neck is flirtatious in a tasteful way. Note the tendrils pulled out behind the ear to soften the look."

NB: "Christina looks stunning and her jet-black hair colour is perfect with the rich golds of her dress.  The simple hair up style is complemented with the blunt sharp fringe for a contemporary look for the red carpet.  The only accessory she needed for her hair is shine which she will have in abundance with this fabulous deep colour."