Red-Carpet Beauty Prep: How Stars Really Get Glam

A Good Spray Tan
Ask almost anyone in Hollywood, and they’ll tell you: A quality spray tan will make anyone look slimmer, which is exactly why celebs like Julie Bowen and Jessica Alba flock, no, make that run, to get sprayed before any big event. Where do they go? Infinity Sun is a name that gets thrown around a lot by the A-list masses and for good reason. Each treatment is customized with a unique mixture of anti-aging and sunless-tanning formula, based on the client’s skin type. The individualized formula is applied with a handheld spray gun, powered by a proprietary technology that atomizes the solution into a fine mist to provide precise, natural-looking, and long-lasting coverage. This tanning technology delivers the appearance of tanned skin in less than five minutes and lasts for seven to 14 days.

Airsculpt Laser Liposculpture
Celebrities visit Dr. Aaron Rollins during awards season for his patented Airsculpt Laser Liposculpture procedures, where he sculpts their bodies using a 2mm device that drains the excess fat, leaving no scars or stitches behind. Most patients can even return to work (or filming) within 48 hours. Unlike the typical liposuction surgery, which can require up to six months of healing, this is a standard beauty procedure similar to Botox or a chemical peel, where patients are awake the entire time and can have full conversations, talk on the phone, or even listen to music during the procedure.

Sonya Dakar Total Lift Treatment
For those not on the lipo train, aesthetician to the stars (Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin are clients) Sonya Dakar has created the Total Lift, a new treatment that offers non-invasive skin tightening for the face, body, and neck; cellulite reduction; and circumferential fat reduction. The treatment uses pulsed magnetic fields and radio frequency to consistently and uniformly heat the skin from the inside out, without the threat of laser burns. The collagen fibers heat up, resulting in tightening of the skin. The result is tighter and smoother skin that is less saggy and wrinkled. Plus, the procedure is quick; it takes about 15 minutes for the face and 40 minutes for good results. You can see improvements after one treatment, but most require up to eight for an optimal outcome.

Emergency Zit-Zapping Session
We all know what it’s like to wake up on the day of a big event only to find the biggest zit ever on our face. It’s not fun or glamorous, but it happens to the best of us. Dr. Jessica Wu, Los Angeles-based dermatologist and author of Feed Your Face, tells us that actors and actresses often get cystic-acne stress breakouts in the days and weeks leading up to award season. Dr. Wu often administers an emergency cortisone injection, which helps to reduce inflammation and the actual size of the pimple in just a few hours. “My patients have my cell-phone number,” says Wu. “So, if they wake up with a painful cyst between their eyebrows or on the tip of their nose, I make a house call and inject a tiny drop of dilute cortisone under the skin. The anti-inflammatory effect of the cortisone shrinks the lump within a few hours.”

Custom Hair Extensions
How do certain celebs go from having a shoulder-length cut to long, flowing locks in a matter of days? Amazing hair extensions and an expert on-call. “There are lots of tricks we have for awards season," says Ryan Trygstad, extension expert at Sally Hershberger Downtown. "Most of the day relies on prep: making hairpieces, custom extensions, or getting the actress’ hair to the perfect red-carpet color. I handpick the hair I use for my clients…whether it be Russian, Asian, or Indian, I want the texture to be the most like the person I am making the piece for.”

Teeth Whitening
When it comes to awards season, there’s nothing more important than a bright white smile on the red carpet, which is why most celebs make sure they get their teeth whitened before the season even starts. The Philips Zoom WhiteSpeed is a professional in-office teeth whitening treatment administered by dental professionals that is rumored to be popular with the Hollywood elite. It uses LED whitening technology to accelerate and enhance whitening results without compromising patient safety. Celebs love it because it delivers immediate results with the ability to whiten teeth up to eight shades in just 45 minutes, and it can also be customized for sensitivity. “I have seen some amazing smile transformations with Zoom,” says celebrity dentist Dr. Bill Dorfman, who counts Britney Spears and Mark Wahlberg as clients. “In just under an hour, my patients leave with a brighter smile and they are always amazed by the before & after pictures.”

An Oxygen Facial
When it comes to facials, celebrities such as Nicole Richie, Rachel Bilson, and Rashida Jones know where to go and who to see, and one name that always comes up is Kate Somerville. Her DermalQuench Oxygen Treatment is the ultimate hydration facial that combines oxygen, vitamins, and hyaluronic serum under hyperbaric pressure to deliver moisture and age-defying results. It's a relaxing and nurturing treatment that instantly reveals healthier, younger looking skin and Kate’s “signature glow” that keeps the A-listers coming back for more. After a treatment, undereye circles caused by long nights on set are gone and fine lines are instantly improved, which is the ultimate goal before stepping onto any red carpet.

A Hair Glaze
Shiny, bouncy hair is another red carpet must-have, which is why celebrity hair stylist Mika Fowler (who counts Olivia Munn, Lea Michele, and Kiernan Shipka as fans) created the Glamorous Glaze treatment. This quick specialty service promises to leave hair silky and photo-ready, and revives dull and damaged follicles. The treatment transforms overly heated and/or processed and damaged hair by replenishing them with ingredients like boket, blue lotus, and silk-and-soy peptide — all good-for-your-locks ingredients that will moisturize and nourish your hair back to its bouncy, lively self just in time for a red-carpet moment.

A Juice Cleanse
There are definitely pros and cons to any juice cleanse, but when it comes to red-carpet prep, nothing beats it. Celebs live and breathe by juice cleanses like The Reset Cleanse from Ritual Wellness, a seasonal reset cleanse that features a variety of six juices per day. The juices help celebs lose weight, but they also help to effectively release toxins which the brand claims will also help to reset the mind and body. The Reset Cleanse, in particular, is designed to eliminate junk food cravings (hence helping celebs such as Sofia Vergara and Kim Kardashian fit into their couture) and contains nearly 20 pounds of USDA organic produce pressed into each day’s allotment of six 16-ounce bottles of juice.