Awards season draws to a close this weekend, with the Brits on Saturday and the Oscars on Sunday. At both, stars will face the red carpet – a gauntlet of fans, photo ops and rapid-fire interviews, which involves being scrutinised from every angle.
They make it look effortless, “but it’s an intimidating thing, especially if you’ve never done it before”, says Niamh Eastabrook, a publicist at Multitude Media, who helps actors prepare for red carpets. “People forget that this side of the job is not why anyone becomes an actor.” The makeup artist Lisa Eldridge agrees: “It’s such a nerve-racking experience for most actresses. A lot are quite introverted and they have to walk out and be analysed by the world.”
Getting ready is a team effort, involving stylists, hairdressers and makeup artists. It often starts weeks in advance, with mood boards, fittings, revision and posing practice. So what is the ordeal like? And could someone like me – who has never been on a red carpet – find a way to dazzle in front of the cameras?
The outfit
Clothes are the starting point. Publicists help stars find the perfect stylist – someone whom ideally they will work with time and time again. “Some clients are really into fashion,” Eastabrook says. “With others, the joy of having a stylist is that someone else tells them what to wear.”
Amelia Dimoldenberg, a red-carpet correspondent and the creator of the YouTube series Chicken Shop Date, is in the former camp. “Red carpets are an amazing opportunity to showcase fashion, to express yourself,” she says.
For the biggest red-carpet events, conversations about what to wear can start many weeks in advance. Where should I begin? “Exchanging references is super-helpful,” says the stylist Lauren Anne Groves, who has dressed the singer Raye for the Brits. “She’d send me references of Elizabeth Taylor, jazz singers, Marilyn Monroe.” Groves then researches designers for custom looks or couture loans and hunts for vintage pieces.
A lot depends on the star’s style – what will help them feel comfortable and beautiful in a high-pressure situation – but there are some classic looks. “I’d probably go for a long gown, rather than a minidress,” says Groves. “The dress needs to feel elegant and sophisticated.” Some stars embrace sheer gowns; others would rather avoid any risk of accidental nudity. “Before any red carpet, we make sure we’ve got the correct knickers, nipple covers, tit tape,” Groves says. Double-sided wig tape is a “life-saver … Put the tape where you want the dress to be placed.”
I trawl red-carpet galleries and stylists’ Instagrams. I love Rachel Sennott’s velvet gown at the Oscar nominees announcement ceremony, Florence Pugh’s futuristic looks for the 2024 Baftas and Oscars and Raye’s off-the-shoulder dress for last year’s Brits. I send my mood board to the Guardian’s styling editor, Melanie Wilkinson.
She sources a floor-length golden gown by Edeline Lee, a strapless dress with ruffles from Needle & Thread and a surprisingly heavy, crystal-encrusted green dress by Self Portrait (rented from Rites) that – along with earrings and a ring by Sif Jakobs – make me feel like a Hollywood grande dame. Stars have fittings to tailor their outfits; we clip mine in place to give the illusion of a perfect fit and combat my lack of height (I am a little over 5ft) with massive heels. Thank God I don’t actually have to walk a red carpet in them; there is no risk of a tumble à la Jennifer Lawrence. Groves says if there are stairs, such as on the Met and Cannes red carpets, you might bear in mind heel height.
Dimoldenberg warns about the weather, too: her first red carpet was in the UK, outside, wearing open-toed heels. “I remember going completely numb from the cold.”
Getting prepped
There is lots to do in the weeks running up to the big day. Many stars get a manicure; I hastily do my own nails with nude-coloured polish. Some get fake tans, but, recalling orange-legged outings in my teens, I pass.
Gentle facials or red-light therapy can be great, says Eldridge, who has been doing red-carpet makeup for two decades and counts Keira Knightley and Kate Winslet among her regulars. “Don’t do anything drastic. It’s too risky. No heavy-duty chemical peels. No strong acids. No extractions,” she says. “I once did somebody for Bafta – lovely actress; I won’t say who. She had a full chemical peel two days before and every time we put the makeup on it just separated; her skin was so reactive. It took a good few hours to get the makeup to work.”
Paul Jones styles hair for A-listers, including Gillian Anderson, Kate Moss and Demi Moore. “Colour your hair if you’ve got grey roots,” he says. But he agrees with Eldridge. “Don’t do anything drastic. Don’t get a fringe cut two days before, because if you hate it you’re going to make life harder for me to hide it!” My hair only contains a handful of greys, but I use a semi-permanent coloured conditioner to catch strays.
You want to “reduce puffiness” before applying makeup, says Eldridge. She recommends under-eye masks and metal tools, chilled in the fridge. “With people who have really puffy faces, I get a bowl of ice, let it melt a bit, then dip their whole face in.”
I get a metal-balled facial massager to work on my jaw and cheekbones, which feels quite relaxing. Dunking my whole face in ice sounds like torture, but I am prepared to try. It’s … invigorating?
Makeup
On the red carpet, you are photographed from all angles, so attention to detail is vital, says Eldridge. “I joke to my clients that we have to look out for the ‘Brians’. That’s what I call the bad paparazzi – the ones who may want a photo where the person doesn’t look great, because they know certain websites are going to love that.”
Regular clients share their outfits in advance, so Eldridge can plan makeup looks. With new clients, she collects every photo of them she can find, to see what worked and what didn’t.
She advises I do the same. “Look at pictures of yourself through the years and see what was a good look. That’s not to say you’ve got to copy it, but maybe you looked really good in a strong lip, so that’s a good starting point.”
A red lip and eyeliner flick have served me well in the past, so I decide to recreate some old Hollywood glamour. Eldridge sends a box of makeup to help. The ideal order is: eyes, skin then lips. For the eyes, “make sure there’s enough definition” and be careful with false lashes, which can “weigh your eyes down”. I follow Eldridge’s YouTube tutorials, layering eyeshadow, sparkle and liquid eyeliner.
Skin comes next. I have a shiny complexion, so keeping that under control is my main concern. Eldridge advises avoiding too many products: “The makeup just won’t last as long. But make sure you’re well moisturised.” Then apply powder as late as possible, using a thin layer and dusting off any excess, to avoid cakey buildup. She never does “baking” – the technique of applying a thick layer of powder to combat shine. “It just doesn’t work for red carpet,” she says. “Photography is high-definition; you’re going to look really dry.”
For foundation, Eldridge recommends thin layers, “so that each is completely fused to the skin”. Red-carpet outfits often show off the shoulders, back or chest: “Time and again, I’ve seen pictures of people with very pale backs with orange faces. I’m so paranoid about matching the skin.” I apply a thin layer of Eldridge’s foundation to my face. It’s boiling hot in the photography studio and my ears are turning pink – I quickly paint them to match my face.
Under paparazzi flashes, “too little makeup is almost as bad as too much. Not enough blush and you can start looking really washed out. Blush should match your lip undertone. I feel sick when I see someone in a blue-toned lip and an orange cheek,” Eldridge says.
I have a selection of her lipsticks and pencils to try. I settle on the shade Velvet Ribbon, a bright red that I pray matches my blush. “You need a nice, full lip. I always overdraw the lip,” Eldridge says. She recommends stepping farther away from the mirror to check that the shape of your eyes and lips are symmetrical – it’s easy to draw a wonky lip line – and the edges of your blush and contour are blended. “Take pictures; see how it looks with a flash,” she says. “Check every angle. If it looks good in a magnifying glass, it will look good on the red carpet.”
Hair
Jones also collects photos of stars, so he can ask which past hairstyles they loved and which products work for them. “They have lived with their hair – they’re going to know best,” he says. He gives most clients a leave-in hair mask on the day, especially if the style involves high heat. “It’s great for the condition of the hair and makes it look super-shiny.”
Red carpets are often outside, so weather must be considered. “If it’s hot and they want it down, use extra product to stop the humidity getting to the hair,” Jones says. “A good tip is hairspray and heat. If you use hairspray, then put the hairdryer on it afterwards. It goes really hard and locks in the style.” He recommends Got2Be Glued hairspray, which I buy promptly. “I won’t use it on hair down, because it can look a bit dry, but if I need it up and to not move, that’s what I’ll do.”
To recreate red-carpet styles, Jones suggests following YouTube tutorials or looking at stylists’ Instagram accounts. “Use products to give it a lot of gloss and shine,” he says. “Have the right tools to do what you want to achieve. Doing it from wet, take about 90% of the moisture out before you start to style.”
To match my makeup, I aim for waves in the style of Elizabeth Taylor. I use a conditioning mask and put rollers in my hair when it’s almost dry, then blast it with heat and hairspray. In the studio, I add extra curls with straighteners – and apply even more hairspray.
Posing
Who teaches stars how to pose on the red carpet? Paul Mescal revealed that Andrew Scott was his mentor: “Andrew was like … rock back on to your left foot and you kind of just lean back.”
“It’s a performance – that’s what everyone tells me,” says Dimoldenberg. “Approach it from that angle. You’ve got to turn it on and maybe be a bit of your alter ego.” I have been told I have an unapproachable poker face, so I lean into an ice-queen persona. The photographer, Linda Nylind, keeps trying to make me smile, but I do my best to resist.
“Practise your pose in the mirror, in your outfit, before you leave for the carpet, because different outfits require different poses. Like, should you stick your leg out? Should you have your hand on your hip?” Dimoldenberg says. “It’s so daunting. Sometimes I’m like: killed it, slayed. Then sometimes I’m like: oh God, I look like a stiff little beanpole.”
Groves agrees: “In the fitting, I’ll take pictures, then we’ll see how it looks. There’s not just one camera in front of you, they’re everywhere, so it’s always good to practise.”
Men often go for hands “over their private parts like a footballer … Don’t do that,” Eastabrook says. “Have hands by your sides or behind you.” Posture is crucial, says Groves: “Rest your hands on your hips so your shoulders naturally go back.”
Like Dimoldenberg, I am worried about looking stiff, so I practise at home and again in the studio mirror. It’s surprisingly helpful. When it’s time to strike a pose, I feel less like a robot.
Interviews
The carpet isn’t all about posing – there are interviews, too. The best (and worst) could go viral. “Don’t chew gum!” says Eastabrook. “Have answers to things like: what was your favourite film this year? It’s embarrassing if you get asked and you can’t think of anyone in the category.” I decide I am rooting for Anora in every Oscars category and Little Simz and Fontaines DC at the Brits.
Dimoldenberg is returning as an official Oscars red-carpet correspondent this year. Stars often get asked the same things, so she prepares fun questions she hopes they haven’t heard before. “Because there’s so many things at play, people get super-super-nervous,” she says. “A great red-carpet interviewee is someone with a sense of humour – that goes a long way, especially with my style of interviewing.”
At last year’s Oscars, she asked Lawrence for “tips for nominees to not fall up the stairs” and played rock, paper, scissors with Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson. “People really appreciate a non-media-trained answer,” she says. “Say something you would say to your friends, rather than the usual thing you’ve said a million times.”
And remember that, even between interviews, you’re on camera, Eastbrook says. “Don’t do anything that you wouldn’t want to be on BBC News.”
The afterparty
Getting glammed up and modelling dresses is fun. Trying to coordinate your face and limbs, while balancing in stilettos, remembering a multitude of nominees and appearing relaxed and relatable is more stressful. I reckon I can achieve a new level of glamour at the next industry awards or wedding I attend, but I can see why stars have a whole team to help. As I arrive home, I realise (sorry, Lisa) I forgot to put on any mascara.
