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Want to know the secret behind the A-listers' perfect faces, sleek hair, terrific figures and flawless appearances? Ever wondered how a 4 inch pair of heels can be worn all evening without causing you horrific pain? How do the stars wear heavy jewellery in front of all those flashing cameras and bright lights without looking like a hot mess? Here are all the answers you've always wanted to know.
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Tailor Made
"Ready to wear" doesn't literally mean ready to wear. Celebrities have their own personal stylists wherever they go who will make adjustments to any clothing that doesn't fit perfectly. This is an excellent solution for you too if you find that certain clothes and sizes don't fit you as well as they should when you pick them straight off the rack, no matter whether it is a pair of jeans or an evening gown. Don't be afraid to make adjustments to your outfit in order to achieve a better fit!
Don't Forget to Prime
Good make-up needs a good base. If you want your make-up to look perfect and to stay put then you need to use a primer. Ever wondered how celebrities who wear very heavy and extreme make-up looks manage to keep their make-up looking great all of the time? Well part of the reason is down to the fact that they use primer. Using a primer is essential for looks that require a lot of heavy make-up and in order to get your make-up to last for hours.
Loose Powder!
Wearing loose powder on your face will absorb any sweat or shine caused by bright, hot lights and cameras flashes, as well as from the heat and possibly nerves too! For extra staying powder in make-up choose a good loose powder!
Garment Guards
Garment guards are one of the biggest kept secrets on the Hollywood Red Carp et . They fit neatly into the underarm of a shirt, dress or top (without being visible) and prevent underarm sweat patches! Ever wondered why so many A-listers all manage to stay looking cool and collective at every high powered, extremely exciting event? Thank garment guards!
If the Shoe Fits...
The key to wearing heels well is to opt for a shoe size that is ½ a size bigger than you would normally wear. This is a common practice recommended by shoe professionals at Christian Louboutin, who encourage their clients to do this when purchasing their stiletto heels especially. The half an extra size allows for the feet swelling (usually at around 13.00 in the day and onwards) and shrinking again (in the morning).
SOS Styling Kit
Anything that creates such a great impact on your life requires a back-up. We have back-ups for the technology in our homes, we have back-ups for our cars and of course, when dressing to perfection we need an SOS styling kit. All stylists carry SOS styling kits. This should include items such as: baby wipes/wet wipes, safety pins, possibly a small sewing kit, body tape, a lint roller, garment guards, tissues, gel pads for heels, plasters etc.
Never Underestimate the Power of Wet Wipes
Wet wipes or baby wipes (they have so many names) are a life saver in many situations, not to mention when it comes to clothing. Have clothing that's going dusty in storage? Wipe them over with a wet wipe. Have a minor stain on your clothing? Quick, grab the wet wipes before it gets any worse! Have hair or lint on your outfit? Wet wipes are perfect for picking up fine hairs and little bits of dust. They also work great for polishing up and cleaning shoes as well!
The Red Lipstick Diet
Red lipstick has been a hit in most make-up bags for almost 100 years and yet there is still no solution to making it last well and looking untouched even after you eat and drink. So this is where the "red lipstick diet" comes into effect. You have one of two choices on the red lipstick diet: 1) don't eat or drink anything for as long as you'd like your red lipstick to stay looking perfect, or 2) use a straw when drinking anything and opt for food that required a knife and fork (no snacks or finger food) and foods such as salads and vegetables that are easy to crunch and that don't come into contact with the lips are a good idea too!
Talc- Not Just for Babies!
Talcum powder is a must have product for the bathroom cupboard! Not only can you use it to absorb moisture on your body, thus making it easier and more comfortably to slip into fitted outfits, but it also serves well as a dry shampoo. S0s beauty icons of the silver screen would often use talc as a dry shampoo and let me tell you that when you know how to use it properly as a dry shampoo, it works much better than our modern day dry shampoo spray alternatives. Sprinkle a little talcum powder along the roots or wherever needs attention and buff in using a buffing brush or your fingers. For more control, sprinkle the talc into your palms first and then dab in your buffing brush and let the brush do the work on your hair. Lastly, talc is also a wonder product on hair that hasbeen dyed too dark because you can easily lighten your hair all over quickly and effectively using talc and buffing it in using either your fingers or a buffing brush.
Every Great Outfit Needs Good Foundations
Not wearing the right underwear can make all the difference to how the outfit looks and to the way you feel in your outfit. Bad fitting underwear can ruin the look of any good outfit, even if it does fit you perfectly. Some things are obvious here, such as considering the colour of your underwear especially when wearing light coloured clothing. Other simple but important rules include making sure that your underwear is not visible through your outfit, don't wear underwear that is too big or small or that cuts in to you, and of course, wear underwear to suit your body shape!
A Good Fit is Everything
There is so much awkwardness when it comes to the subject of dress sizes. So many women claim that they are a different size than they actually are - either a size or two bigger or smaller. This issue has been complicated further by the fact that in many western countries clothes sizes have got bigger over the years, making it difficult for petite women to find clothing and confusing females as a whole about what size they really are. There is an unhealthy obsession with the UK size 6 (US size 2), not that there is anything unhealthy about being a UK size 6 but because so many ladies who may wear any size up to a UK 16 also claim that they are a perfect size 6, with some even going as far as trying to squeeze themselves into these sizes. On the opposite end of the scale, some petite ladies who wear anything between a UK size 6, 8 or 10 sometimes wear clothes that are larger than what they need because they feel that there is a pressure to wear bigger sizes. In both cases wearing the wrong size results in a bad fitting and unattractive looking outfit. So no matter what size you read on the label, remember that if it fits you well wear it. Don't wear the size that flatters your ego, wear the size that flatters you and your body shape!
Length is Important Too!
Scuffed hems, tripping up on long leg lengths, as well as skirts and dresses that are either a little too long or a little too short are all common problems related to incorrect leg lengths. If you don't feel comfortable altering the length of your garment yourself then either use safety pins or double-sided tape to temporarily fix the issue, or seek the help of a professional seamstress.
Top Tip for Tight Shoes
Backstage at the red carpet events, celebrities and their stylists are rushing around trying to make sure that everything is perfect for their red carpet debut. With all the rush, the heat and pressure, everyone is hot and shoes are difficult to get on! So what many stylists do is they will spray a little bit of hairspray into the heels of their client's shoes, which helps to cool hot feet and keeps them cool when wearing the shoes too. This handy little trick also makes it easier to get shoes on when your feet are too hot and it also makes it easier to get your feet into shoes that are just a tiny bit too small!
Don't Reinvent the Wheel... Your Natural Colouring
A beauty blunder often made my teenage girls but that can also hit us at any age is trying to reinvent the wheel by wearing too much fake tan, as well as make -up and clothing that do not suit your natural skin tone and features. If you naturally have a porcelain complexion then try not to overdo it with the fake tan. If you have very dark features then perhaps trying to replica a Marilyn Monroe style of hair and make-up wouldn't be the best of ideas for your natural features. Find out more about skin tones and colouring here.
Consider Your Natural Body Shape
On a similar note to the above mentioned, do not work against your natural body shape. If you are naturally very petite then work with what you have rather than trying to force curves that you haven't got by wearing baggy, heavy clothing. If you are naturally curvier then work with the shape you have even if it means that you have to work a little harder at adapting runway styles in order to make them work for your body shape. Working with what you have is always a winner. Working against what you have will almost always guarantee an unflattering outfit and overall look no matter your height, weight or size! Find out how to dress for your body shape here.
Legs or Cleavage - Never Both!
Legs and cleavage looks cheap and not at all tasteful. Showing off cleavage or legs is perfectly fine, as long as you pick which of the two you want to show off and make sure that the opposite is covered up tastefully.
Your Jewellery Should Always Shine
Gold and silver above all types of jewellery should shine brightly! A simply way of cleaning up dull looking jewellery is by putting your jewellery into a bowl of 100 ml cold water and adding a teaspoon of bicarbonate soda. Leave for about 1 hour and then rinse and buff each item of jewellery with a clean piece of cloth or towel. Just remember than you should clean all silver jewellery together and all gold jewellery together - don't mix gold and silver. Wearing your jewellery on a regular basis is also much better for its appearance than storing it away in a jewellery box, as the regular buffing of the jewellery when you wash and dry your hands helps to keep the gold/silver shiny and clean.
Statement Outfit or Statement Jewellery - Never Both!
If you are going for a statement outfit, keep your jewellery very simple. If you want to wear loud jewellery then keep your outfit simple.
Skin or Bling - Never Both!
If you're going to be flashing lots of skin then keep the bling (the jewellery) simple and less obvious . Don't flash the skin and drape yourself in heavy, statement jewellery if you want to look well dressed and sophisticated both on the red carpet in Cannes or on the red carpet in your hallway!
Focus on the Best and Just Accept the Rest!
We all have good parts and we all have so-called imperfections. No matter where you are going or what you are wearing, play up your best features and just accept the parts of you that you have not yet learned to love!
If You Can't Do It Well, Keep It Simple!
Don't feel obliged to do your hair, make-up and find the perfect, most glamorous outfit in order to look great! Focus on the one that you can do well and get right and keep the other parts simple. So if you are great at choosing outfits, keep your hair and make-up simple. If you have difficulties applying your make-up well then keep it simple instead of ruining the rest of your look with poorly applied make-up. It is better to do one thing well and keep the rest simple.