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While Hollywood is prepping for the Oscars, we’ve been thinking about all the work that goes into making our favorite celebs look so damn glamorous on this big night. How do they (or their makeup artists — yes they have help) get that amazing red carpet glow? If you have a big Oscar-like event coming up…maybe even the Oscars who knows?…make sure you’re covered with these red carpet must-haves:

Lip Plumper:
The makeup world got a lot more exciting after the invention of lip plumper. What’s better? A good limp plumper + a good gloss all in one.

Our suggestion: Givenchy Pop Gloss. Sephora, $24.50.












Fake Eyelashes:
Talk about an optical illusion. Fake lashes are the best way to illuminate your eyes and add a dash of intensity.

Our suggestion: Andrea Perma Lash Starter Kit. Sally Beauty Supply, $9.99.
 















Eye Shadow Palette:
The best way to get a modern, glamorous eye is to layer the right colors and eye shadow palettes make it relatively easy.

Our suggestion: Sephora Colorful Artist Palette. Sephora, $32.











Body Shimmer:
Shimmer, shimmer and more shimmer. But we’re not talking just the face. You need a good illuminating powder to apply all over the body.

Our Suggestion: Urban Decay Flavored Body Powder. Sephora, $26.

At Victor de Souza’s F/W 2010 collection, the designer wanted an otherworldly beauty. Bring on the drama!

For the hair, lead stylist Danilo, worked with PHYTO products to create an “alien chic” silhouette. Hair was formed into a tight pony tail which was subsequently slicked back with PHYTO Professional Strong Sculpting Gel and wrapped into a chignon at the top of the head.  Small sections of hair were left out at the temples, and extensions wrapped within a hair net (in blond, brunette, and black shades depending on the model’s hair color) were fastened to the top of the head, covering the chignon, and loose side pieces were tucked back and underneath. To finish, Danilo used PHYTO Professional Workable Hold Hairspray.




For the face, Lena Koro for the NARS created a look inspired by a photograph of Audrey Hepburn, and was intended to emulate the feeling of her elegance and class, with an “alien twist.” The face was paled with NARS Snow loose powder and Sheer Matte Foundation in Siberia. Eyes were dramatically lined with jet liner (Black Moon eyeliner and Eyeliner Stylo in Black). Models also sported blackout contact lenses to completely cover the whites of eyes and add to the alien aesthetic. The look was finished by dabbing NARS gloss in XXX on lips.




Nails were done by CND (Creative Nail Design). Lead Stylist Christina Estabrooks shaped false nails into rounded points and adhered just below the first knuckle. They were coated with one of two polishes (Pink Lily and Copper Chrome), and finished off with French tips (Studio White) before being topped with Super Matte topcoat.



The final look:



While it isn’t exactly a wearable look, it was certainly one of the more exciting looks we’ve witnessed this season…. it was, as promised, completely out of this world!

On of our favorite looks this season was the fierce, bad girl beauty at Tony Cohen’s Fall 2010 collection. The look was comprised of a chic french twist, toughened up by messy roots and sewed in leather… adding seriously smoky-eye drama for a “You’d better notice me, but don’t you DARE mess with me” look.

To get the hair: Staci Child for Cutler prepped hair with Cutler Volumizing Spray for texture, then massaged Cutler Definition Paste into the top of head to give hair a dirty, unfinished look, like “she’s done it herself”. She then pulled hair into a french twist and weaved leather cord into it to compliment the lines of the collection, finishing with Redken Workforce 9.

To get the makeup: Napoleon Perdis wanted a tough-chic, “opera goes to the club” look with a strong eye. He prepped skin with a peptide serum, then misted skin with his own airbrush foundation. The eye was done in a shades of charcoal and black for smoke, and blended out with a terracotta shade for a “hint of romance” into a square shape with focus on the inner bridge. Perdis then groomed brows with a touch of Suede pencil, and coated lips with Devine Goddess l/s in Lianna, a beautiful nude that Perdis told me was inspired by his daughter. Final touches included a dab of gloss in Hot Toffee, and a spritz of facial spray to give a dewy look.


So simple, so chic, major badass.

Backstage at Kardashian for Bebe Fall 2010, the look was all about day to night glamour, a look that can take you from the office to cocktails with little modification.

To translate this to the hair, Whitney Blischke for TIGI said that “Kim wanted an effortlessly glamorous look, and she liked this because it looks easy.” Blischke prepped hair with Fashionista Spritz and Shine before blowing out for texture. She then sectioned hair and wrapped around a barrel iron, pinning curls up to cool in order to hold curl. Once released, curls were finger combed to loosen wave, and roots were sprayed with Rockaholic Dirty Secret Dry Shampoo for a matte finish, while ends were sprayed with shine spray to give the illusion of darker roots and lighter ends, which is a huge trend in hair right now.

For the face, makeup artist Nathalie Bechard for Sephora Pro created a look for day to evening, modeled after Kim’s own look. To create this, she applied Make Up Forever Aqua Eyes Liner in Star Black, Make Up Forever Aqua Black Waterproof Cream Eye Shadow and Make Up Forever Diamond Powder. For the skin: Dior’s Nude Natural Glow Hydrating Makeup and YSL’s Touche Éclat Radiant Touch. Sephora Rouge Cream Lipstick in Mmmm… was pressed into the lips, after lining them with Sephora Nano Lip Liner in Candid Candy.

To complete the look, Kim D’Amato for Preti New York coated fingers in Willow, an almost transparent nude, and toes in Spring Song, and more opaque nude.

Instant day-to-night chic. And so easy!

Trends can be intimidating, especially during Fashion Week- not only are the models 16 year old goddesses, but they have the best in makeup, hair, and design backstage dressing them up like dolls. How can we compete?

Thankfully, as we jet from backstage to backstage this season, we keep hearing the same phrases used over and over again: clean, fresh, organic, and “like they did it themselves”. Good news for us, who don’t have the beauty team following us around all day ( a girl can dream!)

Backstage at the Charlotte Ronson show, we noticed some really chic looks, which thankfully are super easy to re-create at home. Here’s how to get the look:

For the face, Sephora PRO artist Gilbert Soliz told us that Charlotte wanted the girls to look as if  they’d done their own faces. The skin was kept dewy using Make Up For Ever Face and Body Liquid Makeup, and then sculpted with taupe powder to lift the face. The eyes were then given a monochromatic brown smokey look using Makeup For Ever Aqua Eyes in Pearly Brown. The shadow was applied to the lid and then winged out with a brush, followed by DiorShow mascara enhance lashes. The eyebrows were kept natural and only lightly groomed, and lips were left nude, touched only by clear balm to enhance (Sephora FACE Very Sexy Nourishing Lip Balm SPF 15).

For the hair,  TRESemmÉ Celebrity Stylist Jeanie Syfu said that Ronson wanted “decadence”. The hair was prepped with a lightweight mousse (Tresemme 24hr Body), and then dried with a round brush for volume before being sectioned off and wrapped lightly around a barrel iron. The curls were then finger combed to loosen the wave, and spritzed with a dry shampoo (Tresemme Fresh Start) to absorb leftover styling products.

Viola! So simple….turban optional.