Will Jackson Maine's Beard Make An Oscars Appearance?

After it was announced that A Star Is Born was nominated for eight Academy Awards, fans were eager to see co-stars and nominees Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga reunite for one last time before the film's moment in the sun officially ends. But fans weren't just eager to see the two walk the red carpet together: They were excited to see them perform their nominated duet "Shallow" at the ceremony.

Would this be the moment Jackson Maine would make a return? Would Bradley Cooper take the stage beside Ally Gaga with his raspy voice and dirty cowboy hair? Unfortunately, at least half of that dream wouldn't ever happen, according to Cooper. Just weeks ago, the actor revealed on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert that Maine's voice had officially been retired. But, still, what about the hair?

To get the answers, we went straight to the source: celebrity groomer Natalia Bruschi, who's been working with Cooper since he was nominated for an Oscar for his role in American Sniper. Bruschi knows more about the actor's hair than anyone. So we asked her everything: how Cooper got Maine's look just right, why he cut it immediately after wrapping ASIB (seriously, why?), and even what it smells like (better than Maine's, that's for sure). Her answers, ahead.

The First Cut Was The Deepest
Bruschi says that Cooper is a hairstyle chameleon — take a trip down memory lane and you'll see the actor has switched up his look countless times during his career, for roles and just for fun. (We've come a long way since his blonde highlights on Alias.) An entire evolution of Cooper's hairstyles past couldn't cushion the blow of his post-ASIB trim, but know that he didn't lose the hair-and-beard combo solely to break your heart: He just had another movie to shoot.

"He had me cut his hair for his next film, The Mule, after A Star Is Born," Bruschi says. "He was playing a cop and had to cut it all off anyway." After a year of channeling a dirty rockstar, Cooper wasn't totally against getting rid of the look, anyway. Fans, however, didn't take it nearly as well — and they made their disappointment known. "I had a lot of people tell me they preferred him with the beard and long hair, asking me to grow it back out," Bruschi says.

The Beard Is Making Its Official Return
Maine's signature growl will not be making an appearance at the Oscars — but his beard just might be. Cooper's facial hair has gone through a visible transformation since the beginning of the ASIB press tour in Venice last summer, and it's entirely possible the growth will contribute to a Jackson-like look for his "Shallow" performance during tonight's show. "In my opinion, because he is singing with Gaga, I think he'd want to go with a more relaxed look," Bruschi says.

What's more, Cooper declined a hair-and-beard trim in the days leading up to the ceremony. "I asked him, 'Beard or no beard?' and he said, 'Beard, definitely,'" Bruschi says. While most people might hope Cooper's decision for the final look at the Academy Awards would be because he reads all his Twitter mentions, Bruschi says it's most likely because Cooper simply loves doing what he's never done before and what nobody else is doing at the moment. (Which is looking like Jackson Maine, apparently.)

Then again, Cooper's Oscars look could change within seconds: Bruschi tells us that she cut Cooper's hair for the Golden Globes just before he arrived on the red carpet. To match that white suit (you know the one), Bruschi suggested Cooper's hair look complement the outfit. "Because it was a white tuxedo, the look was cleaner and fresher," Bruschi says. "I felt like his grooming should've reflect that."

The Fancy Products He Loves
If you were ever curious about what Cooper's beard smells like, it's probably the Italian coast. Bruschi confirms that the products she uses most often on Cooper are from the Acqua di Parma grooming line, including a beard serum that conditions, prevents dandruff, and smells even better when some of the extra residue is rubbed onto the skin.

Bruschi also says that when Cooper sees something that's effective, he notices — like when he noticed that her skin was glowing, so she gave him the Acqua di Parma scrub and clay mask she'd been using.

Cooper is also a fan of the eye treatments Bruschi tends to keep in her kit, including de-puffing patches from Peter Thomas Roth, Jillian Dempsey's vibrating gold bar ("you can literally see the puffiness go away and the face become contoured," says Bruschi), and the eye-cream rollerball from Acqua di Parma (she confirms, "he actually loves it").

Okay, so maybe — maybe! — clean and polished Cooper is better than drunk and sweaty Maine. Is this what they mean by reaching the fifth stage of grief? Is this... acceptance? (We'll let you know after Cooper wins an Oscar.)