While bright lights, glamorous fashion, and cheering fans are all hallmarks of a walk down the red carpet, beauty secrets at the Oscars continue to mystify us, with each star’s glowing complexion more blinding than the next on Hollywood’s biggest night. But trust that there are many steps leading up to a celebrity’s major glam moment, whether it’s the Oscars or another high-profile red carpet event.
Celebrity stylists claim that prepping the skin before makeup is essential to get that smooth, effortless glow. Keeping it healthy and happy in the weeks beforehand is also essential.
St. Tropez tanning
The crop of whiter-than-pale starlets rocking the red carpet lately (Rooney Mara, Carey Mulligan, Emma Stone) has genuinely split the Hollywood crowd regarding skin tone trends. The beach bunnies like Eva Longoria and Sofia Vergara will hit St. Tropez’s super plush tanning lounge at the Four Seasons Hotel, where they will be sprayed, contoured and polished with the new Make Me Glow treatment, using a gold skin illuminator, bronzing rocks, and body polish. At the other end of the spectrum is Jessica Biel’s favorite spa, Carasoin, which has a new Skin Brightening treatment that gives you that porcelain-doll effect, lightening skin and smoothing pigmentation using lactic acid and a kefir scrub.
Face treatments
Star facialist Shani Darden, whose clientele includes Shay Mitchell and Jessica Alba, says it’s normal to see her clients more frequently leading up to events and award shows. There’s extra emphasis on specialized treatments that tone, tighten, and lift, of course! A trip to her Beverly Hills studio might feature her signature facial, which incorporates a light chemical peel, vibration therapy, microcurrent, oxygen therapy, extractions if needed, and LED light therapy. The experience is always curated to improve skin conditions without irritation.
Juice cleansing
A three-day juice cleanse before the Oscars is fairly standard among many actresses, but finally, there’s one that doesn’t taste disgusting. Pressed Juicery lets you pick the yummiest combinations, like cucumber, pineapple, coconut, and aloe vera, which tastes like a healthy pina colada) and almond milk, dates, vanilla bean, and sea salt, which taste like a vanilla milkshake and are delivered to your door. The company has developed a hydraulic press that releases more than four times more vitamins and minerals than regular juicers.
Skin prep
According to celebrity facialist Toska Husted, ahead of a big day, one’s primary goals should be calming, brightening, and sculpting sans irritation or breakouts. A pre-event treatment focuses on gentle exfoliation to achieve that healthy glow along with sculpting, toning, and lifting, as opposed to a regular treatment that targets more specific issues such as acne, hyperpigmentation, etc. Overall, she caters treatments to each client’s skin conditions to accentuate their beautiful features rather than cover up imperfections. And so, prep should combine cleansing, moisturizing, sheet masks, contouring, facial tools, de-puffing devices, and LED masks and steer clear of invasive or intensive treatments too close to an event.
