How to Give Yourself the Showbiz Beauty Treatment

I’ve always wondered how the A-Listers manage to squeeze into such fitted gowns without leaving so much as one crease on the material and how their faces always look so shimmery and smooth without a hint of shine, even under the pressure of microphones, camera flashes and screaming fans when walking down a red carpet. The Hollywood glamour days started a long time ago and they certainly haven’t gone anywhere and won’t be going anywhere while their beauty secrets are being kept under lock and key.

So, lets have a look at these Showbiz beauty secrets and see what we can do to achieve Hollywood glamour look as if we were heading to the Oscars or even just the effortless chic of being papped while getting out of her car during a trip to the supermarket!

Makeup artists to the celebrities are careful to keep schtum about their beauty secrets and hacks as it is what gives them the edge when it comes to other makeup artists and if they let the secrets out, well, then they wouldn’t be secrets anymore! But… you can find out little snippets of information that may help you along with your own beauty routine.

One thing that gets mentioned a lot amongst the best in the business is about how important skin prep is before even thinking about applying makeup. Getting an even tone and complexion to base any foundation or concealers on will make application on makeup that much easier and will leave skin looking glowing with out the clumpy or cakey look that happens with heavy foundation use. Using a toner before moisturising the skin will help remove excess dirt from the pores and help balance out the skin’s pH levels which will prevent breakouts. After cleansing and toning, a light moisturiser with no greasy residue should hydrate the skin well rather than coat it. After letting the skin breathe, it is important to use a primer before basing your foundation as it will help it glide along the skin, without heavy areas and it will adhere perfectly for a longer lasting finish.

This might seem like it’s too easy to be a hack for the celebrity makeup artist, but when they have their A-lister in the glam chair for hours at a time, they can allow each segment of the process to take as long as it needs for the skin to look great. So if you’re just doing your day to day makeup before work you could be forgiven for skipping a few steps, but if you are glamming up for a wedding, party, or big event that you can bring the Hollywood glamour to, make sure you keep time aside for this essential pre-makeup skin conditioning treatment to ensure you get the best out of your makeup and keep all eyes on you when you arrive!

When it comes to applying makeup, there are many tricks of the trade that the artists themselves swear by, but it can all depend on the client. For fairer complexions, using rouge or a cool red lipstick to create blush can work even better than blush itself. Now, this is not to say to just start drawing with your brand-new lipstick in swirly patterns on your cheeks but blotting and dabbing it to get the colour and smooth out across the apple of your cheeks to give that perfect and subtle hint of rosy glow.

Another trick when it comes to keeping the face looking fresh like the best of the A-Listers is to avoid powders. Creams are now the way to go as they are smooth and can give you the shimmer without making your skin look oily. Powders may seem like the way to go to beat the moist sheen of a hot summer’s day, but it can actually highlight creases and powder can gather in them to give makeup that over-done clumpy look. Definitely one to avoid if you are stepping out onto the red carpet at a high-profile event!

So now we have the make up and skin cleansing element down, the next thing to think about is how to make sure you can fit into that all-important dress and keep your figure playing ball by avoiding bloating.

The big stars swear by going on a mini detox before any red-carpet event and only consuming foods and drinks that help remove toxins from the body and keep that tummy looking as flat as possible. (There are other handy shapewear tricks for this, but we’ll get onto that later!) Blueberries are known for their antioxidant properties that can help keep both the skin and the stomach clear. Food high in proteins and fibre help keep the metabolism flowing nicely and so things like eggs and fish keep the energy levels high whilst making sure you don’t have the pains or cramps that could spoil your all-important evening.

Lemon is a well-known antioxidant too so it’s a handy little tip to incorporate lemon into your routine before hitting up a big event in a fitted outfit. Switch up your coffee for a hot water with lemon and some honey or try mixing it with apple cider vinegar for enhanced effects. As it suppresses your appetite temporarily while the lemon detoxes you, you will get rid of any extra bloating just in time for the party!

Water gets mentioned a lot, but that is because it is so important! Yes, we need water to survive but many don’t see the difference in drinking water in sugary drinks or in coffee and don’t get their daily recommended fill of 2-3 litres. Water not only helps our skin and our hair, but it keeps the body refreshed and hydrated and not constantly craving more as with things like sugar or caffeine. For celebrities, switching out coffee for herbal teas, green teas or lemon teas are the perfect detox to prepare in advance of the big night and it can be seen in radiant skin and healthy, glowing lips.

Don’t get me wrong, there are no rules when it comes to hair removal to wear a certain dress or suit, but grooming is one big part of a celebrity beauty regime whether they choose to opt for hair removal or not. But a big tip is you have got a big event coming up and you wish to be fuzz free is to plan in your wax appointment a couple of days before the big day.

Waxing is basically torture especially if you are new to the game, so the last thing you need an hour before the event is to look down and see redness or irritation, or even feel the after-sting of a full leg or bikini wax. Just like you would prepare for a holiday, its is best to leave it a couple of days between waxing and exposure to the sun, I would definitely say the same in this case.

Once you have been de-fuzzed, whether shaving or waxing, or any other hair removal method in fact, be careful with applications of body lotions or fake tans as the perfumed contents can cause a reaction and will end up looking and feeling quite sore.

An Aloe Vera gel is recommended for its cooling properties and it also helps keep the area clean and soft. Keep this in mind for the first 24 hours after waxing and your pins will be perfect just when you need them to be. You always see the rich and famous snapped by paparazzi as soon as one leg leaves their car to step onto the red carpet, so its no secret that perfectly preened and silky smooth legs are the first thought when that important show-stopping dress has been considered!

I think we have probably all been there at some point, where we’ve gotten through a cold winter, rushed to the nearest travel agent to get our summer holiday booked, then panicked that we have only a few months to get that beach body perfect just in time for cocktails next to the pool with our pals.

It is a great feeling to have the trip booked but the preparation that goes into it can take us off guard. Celebrities make it look so easy with their designer suitcases packed, private jets fuelled and ready to go, then the perfect shot of them emerging flawlessly from the sea with their mascara planted firmly on their lashes and not down their cheeks. What we don’t see is the reality that it probably took close to 100 shots to get the perfect picture and there may be a touch of airbrushing by the time it graces the cover of a magazine. We don’t have that luxury, so we have to rely on good old detoxes and exercise and hope for some fantastic lighting from the sun just in time for our poolside photo.

Yoga and Pilates are favoured in the world of the Hollywood stars at it is easily accessible wherever they go. For us mere mortals it can be practiced at home or in the garden or at a local class or gym and by helping you with core strengthening, muscle tone and flexibility, it can be the perfect exercise prep for a big holiday or event as yoga especially is known to help posture, giving you an even better super-star finish to your look than you even dreamed of before.

Cardio and high intensity interval training are also great options to get your body in showbiz form, and you only need a few hours a week to be able to see impressive results. The key is just not to leave this until the last minute as diet fads and intensive exercise in the week leading up to a big event or a party can actually have a negative effect, cause the body to go into starvation mode and cling onto any calories consumed! Regular exercise at all times of the year will give you the body confidence you need for the all-star dress!

Ok, so its fair enough if you have had four or five months to prepare for that girly holiday to Mykonos in June, but what about a last-minute invite to a work party or important event that may as well be red carpet at this stage of the day!

Fear not, there are a few things you can do that are far more healthy for you than living off ice cubes for the next two days and running on the treadmill until your poor feet are ready to fall off. Body wraps, heat wraps and herbal wraps are known in the celebrity world as a last-minute resolve to water retention. Rumour has it that it can help you lose pounds instantly, but this is all mostly an illusion of sorts. Body wraps and steam wraps help you sweat more which rids the body of toxins and extra water temporarily so can be an ideal thing to do before the big party so you can zip that dress up with ease. It most certainly is not a permanent solution but can be very relaxing especially by teaming it up with a spa, and as stress and water-retention are supposedly linked, I say get yourself booked in so you can be your best self on the big night!

How do the female celebrities in the business fake their figures most? It might surprise you to learn that shapewear is their trusty little secret under their dresses or trousers and if you can find just the right item of shapewear, it could help your outfit rise to celebrity heights too!

For a seamless and tailor-fitted look, shapewear that fits perfectly to your figure can create a smooth and bump-free look to any dress and if we are in the business of last-minute party preparation again then this is the thing we want above all else.

Now, there are all different styles to confirm to our natural curves depending on the outfit, so the only three things to consider are:

1. Colour
What colour is your dress? Do you require skin coloured shapewear, or can you get away with black? Fine, I know the purpose of shapewear is not for people to see it, but I always go for black underwear as it is the most flattering colour. And with flattering, comes confidence, which we could all do with a bit more of, if you ask me.

2. Style
You may just need some help in the corset area in which case you can probably get away with something high-waisted and thong-backed. Or if your hips are a problem area then a short style with a high waist will cling to your curves without placing any negative attention in the hip area.

3. Constriction
So this should come as no shock, but really good shapewear won’t come too cheap as it is designed to constrict and hold things in! To do its job properly it requires a lot of patience and a lot of practice. But when you see the final results in your brand new dress, you my never look back!

4. Eyelash Extensions
Getting your eyelashes extended is no longer limited to only the rich and famous, it is so much more easily accessible to everybody and with technicians available locally now and not just in big cities, getting an enhanced set of eyelashes in advance of a big event can be one of the final touches to your A-list look.

The best thing about eyelash extensions is they can look so real now that its hard to tell the difference. Ageing, weather, excessive mascara use or harsh cleansing can cause eyelash growth to seemingly come to a halt when actually it is just that we are losing more at a faster rate than they are growing.
Get those eyelashes done a couple of days before the big night to get used to them if it is your first time heading down that lane and make sure you follow the professional aftercare advice to ensure you make the most out of your new lashes. Some eyelash growth serums can be used at the same time as extensions, so you can encourage the growth of your natural lashes whilst faking it on the top and who knows, for the next big party, you may not even need that next eyelash extension top up!

While Eyelash extensions are all the rage at the moment, they are for the most part quite safe and non-invasive. So, keep this in mind if you are planning an appointment to enhance your lips too! Lip fillers are again so much more accessible to us non-celebrity folk, but it can be tempting to follow the crowd and desire a pout to match your favourite singer, or actress.

If you are reaching for celebrity heights, be prepared to pay the celebrity price and make sure you don’t seek out cheap or alternative versions if you want your lips to shine as brightly as you do. With all surgery or cosmetic procedures there are risks, so no need to open yourself up to more… especially before a big party!
I would say if you are going for a fuller lip by way of dermal fillers, make sure your appointment is booked in weeks ahead of the event, or you’ll end up red-faced on your own red carpet. Also, this way, your lips have a chance to settle in, bruising and additional swelling to disappear, and you will be in the safe-zone for applying make up and colour to give them a further boost!

But what if it is a last-minute invite? You can’t exactly go running down the high street in search of a bigger pout? Or can you?!

The best thing about modern advances in cosmetics is we have options for nearly every scenario now. You want to enhance your cheek bones and make your eyes pop? Buy a contouring kit! You want darker and fuller brows? Grab a tint or pencil! And now, you want fuller lips? Try a Lip plumping balm! Xlips Instant Lip Plumping Balm for example, contains ingredients that create a spark and tingle, awakening the blood cells, smoothing out the skin on the surface of the lips and can give you fuller looking lips just in time for your big night!
The best part is, you can also use your own colour or tint on top of it, so no one would ever know your little secret!

When you think about it, everything the Hollywood A-listers have can pretty much all be achieved or at the very least faked in time for a big old party with a few handy tricks that they even use themselves!

Sure, they may have a lighting guy following them round with the perfect light to hide and shadows on their faces, they might have a little help from photoshop here and there, but actually no one can expect the unexpected and be party-ready at all times. So, the main thing to wear at any big event is confidence! Show up like you mean business, wear that dress and don’t let it wear you and plump that pout ready for any pictures taken throughout the night. If you can work whatever it is you are wearing with a complete smile of confidence, then the only thing you need to remember is let your hair down and enjoy yourself! It is a party after all!