Beauty tips from the red carpet

Beauty tips from the red carpet

IT'S that time of year again, when women all over the country turn into fashion critics.

As we fawn over stunning gowns and sparkling jewellery, we also cast our eyes over the looks that make the headlines for the wrong reasons.

We're in the heart of the awards season - the Golden Globes, Baftas, Grammys and Brits.

Soon, all eyes will be glued to the ultimate awards ceremony, the Oscars, which takes place this Sunday.

The eye-catching dresses and glamorous beauty of the stars on the red carpet will act as an inspiration for many women, even if they have no plans to collect an award anytime soon.
Hair
Hairdos at these events tend to fall within two main categories: up-dos and flowing locks.
Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria and Ugly Betty star Ashley Jensen have favoured loose tresses recently, while Kate Winslet and Teri Hatcher kept their hair away from their faces.
"Healthy and voluptuous blow dries are big news for red carpet events this year," says celebrity hairdresser Mark Hill.
"This year's award season is full of serenity and softness as stars float up the red carpet in ethereal style.
Grecian glamour is one of the hottest new hair trends for events, with curls, braids and soft movement.
"Undoubtedly, the most successful styles are soft and sexy with plenty of movement and body."
Two styles stood out at the Baftas - Joely Richardson chose to go straight and sleek, while Bond girl Eva Green's hair looked more like a bird's nest than an up-do.
Get the look
Massey Ravenini, master stylist at Charles Worthington, did Joely's hair, creating volume by lifting and separating hair at the roots and through the length.
"Section the back, top, fringe and sides with big clips. Starting at the back, unclip and style one section at a time," she explains.
She used Charles Worthington Smoothing Volumiser brush, '7.95 at Boots or cwlondon.com, to lift hair, before pulling away to dry the length.
Add further volume with Mark Hill Root Volumising Mist, '5.49, or John Frieda Volume Thickening Fix It spray, '4.49, both from Boots.
"A shot of cool air will set the hair and close the cuticles, giving extra shine."
A spritz of Charles Worthington Dream Hair Sublime Style Super-Fine Hairspray, '4.99, or Toni & Guy Shine Addiction Sparkle And Shine Mist, '4.99 from Boots, will keep hair frizz-free and smooth all night.
Award-winning cosmetics
Make-up at the Baftas was quite subdued, with many actresses sticking to `safe' shades.
"Most people asked for strong, sexy and smoky eyes with porcelain skin, natural lips and cheeks, and each look was then tailored to suit the individual," says Lancome's make-up artist Amanda Bell, who worked on Sienna Miller and Emily Watson.
"For example, Tamara Mellon opted for a `cat-eye' look while Emily Watson's look was slightly 60s-inspired.
The most popular shades were metallic silver and midnight blues."
There was also a resurgence of lipstick rather than lipgloss.
"Lipstick is more feminine - there's nothing else than a soft satin sheen on lips," she says.
"The two dominant lips were the classic glam red lip with a metallic gold sheen or an iridescent peachy shade."
And it wasn't just the women who needed help from the experts.
"Even the men wanted matte complexions, so we used Lancome's Pure Focus T-Zone Instant Mattifying Powder Gel on Ian McKellen, Forest Whitaker and Michael Sheen."
Get the look
You don't have to be in the running for a golden statue to use Lancome's Bafta collection.
Take a leaf out of the stars' books - Colour Focus Eye Palette in blue (311), below, '29.50, was used on Sienna, while the sultry plum 310 palette was used on Tamara.
"I made Sienna's eyes the focus of her face by using the silvery blue hue and black kohl eyeliner, applying the shimmery shades in the palette across the lids so that they caught the light when she looked downwards," Amanda says.
Plump
Amanda also has a clever trick to make lips look plumper.
"I layer lipstick with lipgloss for amazing volume. The colour lasts longer, and it gives a 3D effect.
On Sienna, I used a mixture of 310 Pink To The Club Colour Fever shimmer lipstick, topped with two glosses.
One was a luminous peach shade, the other a sparkling beige."
Bourjois Effet 3D High Shine Lip Colour, '6.95, and By Terry Laque De Rose SPF15, '24 from Space NK (020 8740 2085), give you 3D-looking colour without the hassle.
To add the finishing touches, get Hollywood glamour at your fingertips with Elegant Touch's Leading Ladies nail colour collection.
Named after some of the world's most beautiful actresses, each shade captures the allure of these screen legends.
Unleash your inner vamp with Angelina, a sensual deep red, soft pink Grace or dark plum Halle.
The range is available from Superdrug, Boots, John Lewis and supermarkets, priced '4.95