We've uncovered the beauty and fitness tips and tricks that Hollywood's A-listers use to look their best.
- Debbie Emery, BettyConfidential.com
When Hollywood's most beautiful stars walk the red carpet at the Golden Globes on Sunday, millions of women across America will be sitting at home thinking: "Check out Julia Roberts' fantastic figure (can she really be a mother of three?); "I want Sandra Bullock's luscious hair;" "Mo'nique looks 10 pounds slimmer!" "How does Marion Cotillard stay in that dress?"
Want to know their secrets? BettyConfidential reveals the tricks of Hollywood's hottest stars from Tinseltown's top stylists, hair gurus, skin care experts and fitness trainers. Follow these inside tips and you can look like an A-lister, too!
Keep It Clean
And by that, we mean your diet! Fitness expert Dove Rose, who trains TV's Sandra Oh and Sarah Chalke, says cutting out the crap two weeks before a big event has a dramatic effect. "Eat clean, which means no coffee, no sugar, no alcohol, no wheat and no dairy. Meat is optional, some clients need it and some go pure vegan," she explains. When you ditch the bad stuff, be sure to drink lots of water to clean out your system and hydrate your cells, which will benefit both your body and your skin. So that's how stars look slim and glowing all night long!
Read The 5 Hottest Fitness Trends
Slide to Slimness
Having worked with a slew of Hollywood's top stars (she's currently training Rachel Nichols from G.I. Joe and Grey's Anatomy's Jessica Capshaw), trainer Valerie Waters understands that clients want to maximize their workouts before a big event in the minimum amount of time. Her nifty creation, the Valslide is a dynamic workout tool that can be used just about anywhere. Waters suggests doing a circuit training program mixing up lunges, reverse lunges and mountain climbers on the Valslide with dumbbell presses with 10-pound weights and side steps and arm rows with a band. "Cardio strength training circuits are the fastest way to burn fat and build lean sexy muscles," explains Waters. "I use them year-round but step up the intensity if we are on a tight deadline." The smooth flowing movement that the Valslide creates really targets the butt, abs and thighs - areas that matter when stars slip into a body-hugging designer gown. Check out Waters' client Jennifer Garner showing Ellen Degeneres how the Valslide works.
Slick It Back
Even stars suffer from frizzy or limp locks, but nobody wants to have a bad hair day on the red carpet! Hair stylist Susan Lipson, who has worked with Hollywood beauties such as Drew Barrymore and Christina Applegate, says you can never go wrong with a low ponytail. "Simply blow-dry the hair straight, apply some gel and pull it into a slicked-back pony for a sleek Grace Kelly look. It always looks good, no matter what." Susan suggests pairing the pony with dramatic, heavy makeup to offset the simplicity of the hairstyle.
Squeeze Into Spanx
Since their creation in 2000, Spanx have been the savior of countless stars who want a flat stomach (or legs, hip and butt) in five seconds! The latest in their collection of slimming styles is the Spanx Skinny Britches, a new line of shapers made from a surprisingly powerful thin mesh fabric that allows wearers to customize the compression to create a perfect silhouette. Globe attendees Mindy Kaling, Emily Blunt, Christina Applegate, Vera Farmiga and Anne Hathaway have all been sent the Britches and are expected to be wearing them under their gowns. Nominated for her hilarious role in 30 Rock, Tina Fey is such a huge Spanx fan that she even wore their Bra-llelujah on the show. "Spanx, it's my dream come true!" she gushed on the Today Show.
Read 10 Best Bodies in Hollywood
Lace Up
Some savvy stars wont have to opt for foundation garments and detoxing cleanses, because their gowns are going to do all the work. Corsets are in this year, and TV style expert Katie Rice Jones says we can expect to see a flood of waist-cinching gowns by designers such a Jean-Paul Gaultier and Dolce & Gabbana (fashionistas Gwen Stefani and Rachel Bilson are already rocking the look). "Lacing or tight buttons eliminate the need for girdles as they nip in the waist to create a sexy hourglass shape," explains Rice Jones. "It's like a slimming secret because they are wearing this beautiful gown but it's also fixing figure flaws."
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Luscious Locks
The rich, flowing manes of most of Hollywood's biggest stars are rarely their natural color and while their dye jobs may look flawless to the naked eye, the camera picks up any dullness. Color expert Jennifer J, co-owner of Juan Juan salons in Beverly Hills and Brentwood, CA, says having a stylist apply a base color gloss the morning of the awards will help a star's hair reflect the light when the photographers' flashes go off, giving a glamorous, golden glow. A simple color trick can add luminance to skin too, "Getting a few lighter highlights around the hairline will make skin glow," suggests Jennifer.
Click here for your chance to win a $100 Sephora Gift Card and join our Golden Globes Live Blog!
Brighten Up With a Liquid Face Lift
Fresh, youthful skin is as essential an accessory for the red carpet as the latest designer shoes or purse, but the worst thing a star can do is stand under the flashing lights while her face is still recovering from an invasive treatment. "Celebrities don't plan ahead, everything is hectic and they are running in a million different directions, so they just drop into the office five days before and want to look younger," reveals Dr. Richard Fleming, Beverly Hills facial plastic surgeon and co-director of the Beverly Hills Institute. The latest trend for looking fresher in a flash is the Liquid Face Lift, which is essentially a pick-and-mix of popular quick-fix treatments, such as having lines and grooves filled with Restylane, Juviderm or Radius (depending on the location on the face), wrinkles zapped with Botox, and skin tightened with a minimally invasive chemical peel. "A Liquid Face Lift replaces volume and improves cheek contours, and because the patient is only under a local anesthetic (or nothing), they can be in and out within hours and on the red carpet the next day, unlike a cheek implant surgery that takes 10 days to recover from," says Dr. Fleming.
Pat on the Powder
Celebrities aren't immune to greasy skin that troubles the rest of us and even beautiful stars such as Cameron Diaz and Jessica Simpson have complained about battling breakouts. Celebrity make-up artist Valerie of Beverly Hills (www.valerieofbeverlyhills.com), who has worked with stars such as Nicole Kidman and Heather Locklear, says the number one tip she gives to clients before they step onto the red carpet it to always carry a matte powder compact in their purse. "It will soak up any oil and keep greasiness at bay and so they look photogenic on the red carpet," she explains.
Debbie Emery is a Los Angeles-based writer who specializes in health and fitness.
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