Is it just me and the world press, or did the 2011 Oscars hair look a little dowdy, a tad drab, a teeny bit boring?

In recent years, there has been a movement from the clown car Oscar night appearance where celebrities would stumble up the red carpet attired in every random Galliano nightmare, their hair straight and dull, their dresses torn from the dark side of Project Runway.

From the millenium forward, celebrities began to learn how to dress properly in public and the Great Age of Glamour began. Men actually wear tuxedos to the Oscars and women look like it was an important first date with that golden boy Oscar.

Nicole Kidman hairstylist David Babaii wanted to create a "playful ponytail" à la Brigitte Bardot, which some Oscar reports dubbed "crazy hot", but just seems cranky. Reese Witherspoon wore hair extensions that made her look a little like a 60's highschool cheerleader, but the extensions were not close to the root color. Some observers called it the "fembot" look, but Reese is the absolute antithesis of that misogynist stereotype. We will agree that her '60s bouffant towered about six inches above her head and could have been featured in Mars Attacks.

Hilary Swank's updo made better sense, considering the ground already covered at the Globes and SAG Awards. Her stylist, Robert Vetica, placed her lightly teased hair back into a soft river of texture and secured her chignon slightly to the left of center. Finally, he pinned Anna Hu platinum and diamond earrings asymmetrically, one on each side of the chignon. The effect was breathy and showed the sensibility of this amazing and dramatic stylist.

Hailee Steinfeld had the best classic bun of the night. Combined with a delicate headband and her lovely yet simple gown, she stood out on the red carpet, much as she will stand out on prom night./p>

Sandra Bullock made up for her missteps at previous 2011 awards shows by showing up in a red Vrea Wang gown, Jimmy Choo sandals and a flawless rumpled upsweep of a style rendered by David Babali. Bullock's hair was blown out with a round brush for a smooth finish, given a dose of pequi oil to break it up and brushed straight back with finger tips. This was the perfect balance between a tight upsweep and hair deconstructed by too much wind and weather.

Anne Hathaway went for a style that referenced Alice in Wonderland 2010, with romantic curls falling down her face. We would judge the hair a bit harsh except that her hair, makeup and gown all worked together and not against each other for a perfect presentation. Her duties as Oscar host meant she wore many different hairstyles, the best of which was the low chignon pulled softly away from her immaculate face.

Jennifer Lawrence was a stunner with lovely blonde locks falling gracefully over bare shoulders. She was the model of simplicity and flawless efficiency in a red hot Calvin Klein gown. Her makeup - particularly the effort on her eyes - was smoking. Hairstylist Mark Townsend set her hair in hot rollers, but ran smoothing cream through the hair to avoid the 80s roller set look. Next, he slightly dampened the ends and used a large barrel curling iron to finish the sexy look.

Mila Kunis was not included in the Best Actress category, but deflected the cruelty of that snub by being the most radiant arrival on the red carpet. Celebrity hairstylist Mara Roszak styled Kunis for the evening, brushed out curled sections with fingertips, and pulled her hair softly into a romantic chignon. The finished look created the effect of being held together with just a pin or two and a smile.

Many actresses chose to wear their hair in long loose waves for the Oscars, some looking radiant and others looking oddly fresh from Palos Verdes spring morning fog. Attempting a more natural, relaxed hair look, many actresses wound up with unfinished tousled tresses that missed the "perfectly imperfect" concept by a mile.

Scarlett Johansson's short strands looked like they had been gently tossed around by cliff climbing at LA's Point Fermin Lighthhouse. Amy Adams hair looked like it had been done the night before and left to dry on the rocks of Cabrillo Beach. It's probably best to drop the inane references to the beaches of southwest LA, but you get the idea: please, celebrities, go to the Oscars in hair that mirrors your excellent taste in scripts.

We are not saying the Oscars in 2011 were not up to everyone's expectations. Indie film The King's Speech was the big money bingo card and Natalie Portman brought home her gilded gentleman while wearing hair that reflected her elevated status in Hollywood, but some of the hair should never be awarded best of show. It seems like some red carpet coifs did not show up at all. We were hoping that the prior awards shows trend towards glamorous retro Hollywood hair was not the exception but the rule. Rules were meant to be broken but never ignored. As in the quest for the Oscar itself: there is always next year.

Raul©2011