Make up artist classes

Monsters and imaginary beings: The Fly mutated to a win in 1986, putting the “gross” in top-grossing. The Sasquatch stylings of Harry and the Hendersons won in 1987, as did, in ’88, Michael Keaton’s haunting Beetlejuice. Dick Tracy (1990) was a cartoon come to life and Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) featured Gary Oldman’s buns of hair. How the Grinch Stole Christmas, in 2000, led the way for hairy-footed hobbits in ’01 and in ’03.

Period pieces: The Quest for Fire hominids were hot in 1982; powdered hair harmonized with pink cheeks in Amadeus (1984), and Gilbert and Sullivan scored for Topsy-Turvy (1999).

Historical re-enactments: Frida’s monobrow plucked it in 2002; Edith Piaf’s sparrow swooped it up in La Vie en Rose (2007).

Transformations: Mask saved face in 1985, and Driving Miss Daisy wrinkled its way to an award in 1989. Mrs. Doubtfire dragged it out in 1993.

This year’s contenders:

• Best No-Makeup Makeup: The Young Victoria

In Victoria’s time, makeup was considered appropriate only for actresses and prostitutes, so an obviously painted face would have been a no-no in this teen queen biopic. The nominees are hair stylist Jon Henry Gordon and hair and makeup designer Jenny Shircore. It’s a first for Gordon; Shircore won the award in 1998 for Elizabeth, in which she be-wigged and powdered another British Queen with an era named after her. Emily Blunt as Victoria is fresh-faced in her portrayal of a monarch better known as the dumpy, black-clad dowager (in need of Frownies) that she became. Blunt’s blooming cheeks, arching brows and ever-so-slightly berry lips are a no-doubt painstakingly applied variation of the natural aka nude look that is a runway perennial.

The hair literally shines here—after all, the head that wears the crown must be well coiffed. Victoria (Emily Blunt) sports confections of buns, clusters of jiggling ringlets and looping swags of braids (sometimes all at once). The men bear historically accurate facial hair, and Prince Albert’s dandy-ish spray of bangs is perfect. [According to Variety, the stylists crafted the Duchess of Kent’s elaborate hairpieces with historical accuracy—molding them from human locks and baking them in the oven.]

• Best Alien Makeup/Best Makeup from Another Planet: Star Trek

This was about more than mastering the perfect swoop of Uhura’s cat-eye liner; oceans of silicone bubbled to make this adventure romp. The nomination is a first for prosthetic makeup designer Barney Burman, makeup department head Mindy Hall and prosthetic makeup supervisor Joel Harlow. Burman is known for his work on TV and in film, especially his transformation of Tom Cruise into noxious studio head Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder. Hall was makeup department head on Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps and on The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. Harlow has Green Lantern on his CV, was the makeup artist for Johnny Depp on Alice in Wonderland and did Depp’s memorable smoky eye as a Pirate of the Caribbean.

Prosthetics and more prosthetics were involved in this space prequel; scores of Vulcan ears and Romulan brows were made ready for their close-ups. Captain Nero’s tribal/death metal ink had the unenviable task of hiding Eric Bana’s beauty, and there was an amusing bit where Kirk suffers an alarming allergic reaction. Special mention goes to the tweezer gaffer for all the perfectly arched Vulcan brows.

• Best Political Impersonation Makeup: Il Divo

To the disappointment of some and the joy of poli sci majors, this film is not the story of an operatic boy band. Instead, Il Divo, a surprise Oscar nominee, follows the final years of the career of Giulio Andreotti, three-time Italian Prime Minister. Nominees Aldo Signoretti, key hair stylist, and Vittorio Sodano, makeup and prosthetic makeup designer, were both nominated for Apocalypto in 2006, in which they mimicked Mayan ‘dos, tattoos and scarification—as well as earlobe extensions. Signoretti was also nominated for Moulin Rouge! in 2001.

Il Divo was just one of Andreotti’s nicknames—others were Beelzebub and The Hunchback. Behind all the latex, actor Toni Servillo tuns in a remarkable physical impersonation of a public figure who was investigated for various misdeeds, including Mafia ties. It’s a notorious face, and the camera dwells on this reproduction fearlessly, as well as on the mugs of his cohorts. It’s a triumph of the wig and prosthetic craft: Witness Andreotti’s droopy jowls and bent goblin ears and several guys who look like Uncle Junior Soprano.

Prediction: This one may take the statuette as an intellectual prestige pick. Voters can congratulate themselves on their knowledge of world affairs while acknowledging a feat of verisimilitude. But the sheer volume and high quality of Star Trek will be hard to beat.

Maria Ricapito is a frequent contributor to VF.com’s Beauty Blog.