Who’s excited for the Oscars? *hand raised* It’s seriously one of my favorite red carpets since it’s that award show where the celebrities bring their A-game and there’s no such thing as too glamorous or fancy. And because we all deserve to feel like princesses, whether it’s for a special occasion like your wedding, birthday or anniversary, or just because we’re fabulous, I’m busting out some of my favorite red carpet tips and products to help you get ready.
1. Prep that skin!
All great makeup starts with great skin! And with this winter dryness it’s important to start prepping at the night (or at least 3 hours before the big event). I like to start by exfoliating to help remove the dead skin cells (I’m partial to 3LAB Perfect Cleansing Scrub or Kate Somerville ExfoliKate), followed by a hydrating mask (nugg Face Masks do the trick!) to reveal a luminous, healthy complexion. Follow with a night cream (I’ve been using Vichy Aqualia Thermal Night Spa — it’s a gel like formula that’s super hydrating and lightweight). When you wake up your skin should feel radiant.
2. Don’t neglect you lips
If your lips tend to get dry and chapped or are just uneven try a sugar scrub (Bliss Fabulips is a great choice) and exfoliate them the night before. Then apply a lip treatment or chapstick (I’m an old fashion Carmex girl) and you should instantly feel the smoothness.
3. Shine bright like a diamond (I’m talking about your teeth)
If there’s one beauty trend that’s never faltered it’s white teeth! Make this year the year you strike a pose with your smile. After all, smiling is a big part of every major occasion (or at least it should be) and there’s no quicker or painless way to get your teeth to their whitest then with Crest 3D White Luxe Whitestrips Supreme Flexfit. They whiten as well as $500 professional teeth whitening treatments and work in just one hour. Each pack has two strips, one for your top teeth and the other for the bottom set and you just stretch and adhere them across your shiners like tape. The FlexFit technology allows Whitestrips to stretch and mold to custom fit your smile for superior coverage and improved application. They are comfortable to apply and don’t make my teeth sensitive, plus it’s only an hour! I feel the need to re-highlight that since it’s incredible the shade difference it makes in such little time. #StrikeASmile and let Crest 3D White Luxe Whitestrips be your secret weapon to help you achieve that confident, beautiful red-carpet smile all year long.
**Extra tip: Nude lips have made a big comeback, but red is a timeless classic that will make your teeth look even whiter. Call it the contrast or just magic but it works!
4. Leave it to the professionals
We live in an amazing time to get the red carpet treatment on the cheap. If you’re in NYC we have DreamDry that does everything from dry styles to blowouts to braids from $30-$50, and Drybar which has locations in CA, NYC, MA, IL, DC, AZ, GA and TX and offers blowouts for $40.
There’s also Priv and GlamSquad which are both apps that let you book a makeup or hair treatment where the stylist comes to your home to help get you ready! Their blowouts are also $50 (makeup applications at $75) and in the case of Priv they also offer additional services including hair cuts, manicures and beyond at competitive prices.
5. Bring out the all-star products
I could give you a million makeup suggestions but without knowing what you look like, or what you are wearing we could be here all day. So instead here are a few universal pointers to get you through the night:
- Try a lipstick stain underneath your lipstick or gloss so your color outlasts any beverages from the evening.
- If you’re looking for your makeup to last more then a few hours, start with a primer (I use Hourglass Veil) and end with a setting spray (I’m partial to Urban Decays) to keep it from smudging and make it last longer.
- If you’re suffering from tired eyes, Skyn Iceland’s Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels will change your life.
- Don’t forget to use a heat protectant before putting your hair under a blow-dryer or flat iron (Alterna Caviar CC Cream 10-in-1 does that and 9 other things your hair probably needs).
- If you need a lift in your crown or anywhere in your hair nothing tops Kenra Texture Powder, which gives stands a workable boost and texture without any of the stickiness or hold of a hairspray. If you do like to finish off with a hairspray, R+Co new Vicious strong hold hairspray keeps it all in place without being crunchy or still so you can restyle it or move things around as need be.
6. Don’t neglect your feet!
If you plan on being on your feet all night, in those amazingly uncomfortable (but oh-so-cute) heels the let me introduce you to my friends, Still Standing and Sole Goddess. Still Standing is a foot spray that helps cool and sooth your feet so they don’t swell and you can wear those heels just that much longer; and Sole Goddess Blister Protection (BAND-AID brand also makes a similar one) is stick balm you rub in all those anticipated pain spots like the back of your heel or sides of your feet to prevent rubbing and blisters.
7. Rent the Runway
If you need to look like a million bucks on a budget, Rent the Runway offers designer dresses and accessories for rent starting at $30!
I expect to see some serious fantasy gowns. I’ll be tuning into the E! Live Red Carpet show with Crest 3D White Whitestrips and encourage you all to follow @3DWhite and tune in and tweet along with us using the hashtag #StrikeaSmile!