Hair and Makeup Artists Spill: What Stars Really Do Before Award Shows
Ever wonder just how much work goes into prepping a star for award shows? We did. So, we hunted down some of the top celeb hair and makeup artists, and asked them all about getting their ladies ready for the red carpet.
To ensure a lasting lip look, celebrity makeup artist/hairstylist and CVS Beauty Club Makeup Expert Mickey Williams (who works with Amy Adams and Emma Roberts) says the key is using a highly-pigmented lip color. To make the color really last, "apply lipstick once, blot with a tissue, then put on another coat of lipstick with a brush. End by lining lips for a clean look," says Williams.
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As for keeping feet happy in all those crazy shoes, Williams recommends that all his clients use Band-Aid Friction Block Stick. "The shoes worn to award shows aren't made to be comfortable -- this stick will add a sheer barrier between shoes and feet to reduce chaffing and blisters."
And right before she places her stars into their limos, she always makes sure they have a matching lipstick, a translucent powder and blotting sheets in their purse for "a quick refresher during commercial breaks." (Though celebs typically have makeup artists behind-the-scenes to assist with touch-ups.)
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According to makeup artist Matin Maulawizada (the man behind Claire Danes' makeup on Sunday), his team usually begins three hours before his client needs to hop in the limo. "Of course, none of my beauties ever needs to be gussied for 3 hours, but hair takes a solid hour and change and same goes for makeup," he says. And once hair and makeup are done, it's time to put on the dress and do final touch-ups.
But even with all this red carpet pressure, the atmosphere before this huge event is really relaxed and calm. "There's lots of fun and food, and family and friends in and out of the suite while the prep happens," says Maulawizada. (See Claire Dane's best makeup and hairstyle looks here.)
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Celebrity hair stylist and Nexxus Creative Director, Kevin Mancuso (his clients include Natalie Portman, Anne Hathaway, and Blake Lively) also takes about three hours to style his actresses. "The dress, shoes, and jewelry have all been decided, but when it comes to hair it's on the spot," he says. Depending on the texture and length of his client's hair, the styles can be complicated or simple -- either way he has to produce "the ultimate red carpet style within a three-hour window."
And Mancuso can't always do his styles as fast as he would like: "Some actresses like their hair done slowly so they don't feel rushed. Ultimately, it all comes down to how much time the actress is willing to allow for styling," he says.
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Three hours of prep is a long time, plus the star still needs a few hours for final decision making about her dress, shoes, and accessories, not to mention actually putting it all on. If you ask us, that's a lot of work just for one night.
Tell us: What's the longest you've taken to get ready for a big event (wedding, birthday, anniversary)? And was it worth all that time? Leave your comment below.
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