The beauty evolution of the ‘Lost in Translation’ star.
“Idefinitely believe in plastic surgery. I don’t want to be an old hag. There’s no fun in that.” This is how Scarlett Johansson felt about cosmetic enhancements back in 2004, when she was 20 years old.1
But despite being pro-surgery, she has denied having any procedures herself. When a 2007 Us Weekly article implied that she had a nose job, she issued a statement calling the claims “outrageous and defamatory,” and even threatened legal action (although a lawsuit never did materialize).2
Not surprisingly, the plastic surgery rumours have followed the Lost in Translation star, who is now 38, to this day. With her green eyes, blonde hair and bee-stung lips, she has long been considered one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood. Is it really possible to win the genetic lottery and end up with her particular combination of features—or did she get a little help?
Globe PH๏τos We’ll start with this pic from what was likely Scarlett’s first red carpet, taken when she was only 12 years old. At this point, she’d already been acting for three years. We can see her natural nose as well as her natural hair colour, which was a light, mousy brown. At the 1998 Fresh Air Fund Gala
Anthony Savignano/Ipol/Globe PH๏τos At age 13, not much had changed, except she ditched the baby barrettes and slicked on a brick-toned lipstick (both of which were all the rage in the 1990s!). At the 1998 New York City Premiere Party for ‘A Solider’s Daughter Never Cries’
Sonia Moskowitz/Globe PH๏τos She was still wearing that lip shade later the same year, but with her brown hair now in a wavy, layered style. Clearly, this was prior to having any cosmetic dentistry work done.
Henry McGee/Globe PH๏τos When Us Weekly accused Scarlett of a “nip and tuck,”2 they dug up pH๏τos from 2000, just like this one. It sure doesn’t look like the same nose she has today. Her lips, on the other hand, do match. As you can see in all these early sH๏τs, they were always super plump—even when she was a teenager.
Steve Vas/Featureflash Within a year, Scarlett dumped the red dye and had grown out her bob enough to pull it up into this braided updo—all the better to show off her perfectly proportioned features. She was 28 here. At the 2013 Toronto Premiere of ‘Under the Skin’
Brent Perniac/AdMedia Next, she showed off a full mane of golden blonde waves, I’m guessing with the help of a few extensions. Even with all the attention to detail (like purple smoky eyeshadow to match her dress), her teeth still weren’t blindingly white… yet!
At the 2014 London Premiere of ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’
Alexandra Glen/Featureflash With her smooth waves and vampy lip colour, this look is reminiscent of Scarlett’s old Hollywood style era from a decade earlier. She was pregnant here, and it was to be her last hurrah with long hair for a while….
Dennis Van Tine/Star Max Talk about a radical change! Just like that, Scarlett chopped off her long locks. This was taken just two months after she gave birth to her daughter, but it’s not your typical “Mom” cut. (Actually, she wouldn’t rock Mom hair until a few years later, in 2018!) At the 2015 London Premiere of ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’
KGC-03/Star Max In 2015, she gave her short hair a punky twist, shaving the sides and then bleaching the top a light, cool-toned blonde. Even if you’re not a fan, there’s no denying that it puts even more focus on her uniquely beautiful features. At the 2016 Variety Power of Women Luncheon
PR PH๏τos The next year, it seemed like Scarlett was ready to grow out her pixie. Most people have to suffer through a bit of an awkward stage doing this, and she was no exception! During this time, she was also going through a divorce from her French husband, Romain Dauriac.
At the 2017 New York City Premiere of ‘Ghost in the Shell’
Dennis Van Tine/Star Max The following year, she must have changed her mind about longer hair. Much to my surprise, she renewed her commitment to the pixie by buzzing off the sides again, and then slicking it all back with copious amounts of hair gel. I can’t say I’m into this edgy look, but at least she pulls it off better than Katy Perry! At the 2018 Los Angeles Premiere of ‘Avengers: Infinity War’
Izumi Hasegawa/Hollywood News Wire Finally, she began growing out her hair for real (she was 33 here). At the same time, she decided to dye it a rich, chocolatey brown. I think this shade would be fine if it were longer. But at this length, even the colourful eye makeup can’t make up for the fact that it looks like a helmet! From 2019 to 2023: Blonde Bombshell At the 2019 Los Angeles Premiere of ‘Avengers: Endgame’
Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency And just like that, old Scarlett was back! She traded the brown for her go-to blonde (this time, with dark roots), and most likely used extensions to add length and volume. Also notice her teeth. Not only have they been brightened, but they are now completely even and uniform in size. At the 2020 Independent Spirit Awards
Carrie Nelson/ImageCollect Next, she showed off a ʙuттery baby blonde—and she truly seems to glow from within. Was it because her career had never been H๏τter (with not one but two Oscar noms, for Jojo Rabbit and Marriage Story)? Or was it her upcoming nuptials to Saturday Night Live’s Colin Jost?! At the 2021 American Cinematheque Awards
Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency After getting married in late 2020, Scarlett gave birth to her second child, a son, in the summer of 2021. For the rest of the year, she was in what she described as a “baby bliss bubble.”4 She may have gone a little heavier with the under-eye concealer to compensate for lost sleep, but her skin is flawless, and the faint lines between her brows suggest that she hasn’t gone the Botox route yet.
At the 2023 Cannes Premiere of ‘Asteroid City’
Laurent Koffel/ImageCollect That brings us to one of her most recent red carpet appearances—and isn’t she looking more gorgeous than ever? The blonde lob is back (which I’ve always felt was her “Life Cut”), and I love how she’s playing up her enviably full lips with a vibrant orange lipstick. The “11s” between her brows are gone now, but she looks incredibly natural—not enhanced.
