The world of the red carpet is filled with all sorts of glitz and glamour. Everything is made to impress, from the fantastic venues and the flamboyant decor to the high-profile guests, and most especially, the jaw-dropping outfits. Celebs strut down those iconic crimson rugs, looking their best all dolled up and in full feather garb. We can’t help but admire just how gorgeous they look, knowing very little about what it took or how many hours must have been put into them to achieve that. Whether it’s their makeup or piecing their outfits together, the struggle to make them look picture-perfect is real. So, the next time you’re wondering how someone could possibly look that flawless, think back to this list of 40 borderline crazy things celebs do to make sure they look red-carpet-ready.
Volume
Have you ever noticed just how full and luscious nearly every celeb’s hair seems to be? It’s almost like they’ve got some super genes that make their mane way fuller than most of ours appear to be. But we aren’t buying that. So, what’s the secret?
Celebrity hairstylist Jen Atkin, who works for the Kardashian and Jenner sisters, recently revealed she uses eye makeup to touch up the roots and hairline of her client’s hair to make it seem like they’ve got more volume than they actually do.
Defining Shapewear
Sometimes, all we need is a bit of sculpting to achieve that hourglass figure and look absolutely jaw-dropping — that’s where Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS Collection comes into play. It isn’t the only shapewear line out there, but it sure is one of the best.
The line includes bras, bralettes, shorts, and bodysuits, and we can even see Kylie, her younger sister, sporting one of the brand’s products in the photo above. It’s safe to say if you’re looking to showcase your perfect body for an event, putting on shapewear is definitely the way to go.
Playing Mind Games
Some of the most head-turning looks in red carpet history are often the most daring. While celebrities like Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, and Kendall Jenner have famously been known to rock “nude” looks on the red carpet, other celebs like Beyonce prefer to wear dresses that just seem scandalous.
Using a unique material known as illusion fabric or tulle, celebrities have achieved that nude look without actually being barely clothed on the red carpet floor. It’s a neat trick that makes the star seem like they’ve got nothing on when, in reality, they’re fully covered.
Stuck Up
Besides the obvious sewing using a needle and thread, we can use many other items to help outfits stay in place. They can be especially handy when it comes to deep cuts like a plunging neckline and a high slit.
One of those items just so happens to be some good old sticky tape. It’s a quick solution for a daring outfit to ensure a celeb shows just the right amount of skin and offers some extra support so they don’t unintentionally show way too much.
Hair Care
That glowing and glass-like skin you see on many celebrities isn’t a result of genes or makeup alone but also pretty extensive skin routines. Besides the traditional skin care procedures, celebrities have taken their facials a step further by booking appointments just to get those tiny strands of hair on their faces shaved off.
In addition to the traditional methods, some others also get dermaplanes, a procedure where they have the top layers of their skin removed. This way, the skin has that super neat, shiny, and soft appearance that’s red-carpet-worthy. Talk about extreme!
Last Minute Tailoring
Most red carpet looks, unless custom designed, have a less-than-glove-like fit for the celeb wearing them. So, there’s got to be a lot of slight adjustments that have to be made to ensure the wearer fits into the clothes just like it was made for them.
This can be a bit tricky to get right, especially if the event’s date is just right around the corner. This is why a tailor is usually needed on-site to take care of any last-minute stitching or to handle wardrobe malfunctions.
Wet Hair Look
The “wet hair” look some men prefer is done to give them a super sultry appearance, though the ladies have been catching on in recent years. Now it’s so popular, we can’t help but wonder how exactly they manage to keep their hair looking like that.
The secret lies with lubricants like oils and gels — a ton of them. We’re curious how they manage to wash it off and just how long it takes to do so. But, at the end of the day, if it looks this good, then it’s worth it.
Rubbing the wrong way
Between going up and down the red carpet and wandering all over the venue exchanging pleasantries, it’s clear celebs have to do a lot of walking while they’re at the events. For this reason, their outfits have got to be comfortable.
Since style and comfort don’t always go hand-in-hand, there’s always a risk of discomfort from their dresses rubbing with their skin. And there’s a limit to what celebs can carry with them. So, stylists like to bring some hairspray or fabric softener to keep their clients comfy.
Butt pads
It can be kinda frustrating to have your perfect outfit picked out, but some areas hang loose when they’re supposed to be tightly fitted. Whether it’s the wearer’s or tailor’s fault is up for debate, but luckily, there’s a quick solution.
And in Kristen Bell’s case, it was some good ol’ butt pads. Yeah, they’re associated with weird and insecure teens, but those can come in pretty handy for a situation like this. Achieving that full-figure look in just the nick of time has never been easier!
Oily Skin
Have you ever touched your face and noticed it feels much greasier than it should? Well, that’s a result of the over-secretion of sebum, the oil from our sebaceous glands — or pores, as they’re often called — making our skin oilier.
Celebs are humans, too, and they also face this issue. But, since it interferes with their makeup, the oily skin has got to go, and their stylists have found just the thing. Coffee filters work wonders on oily skin. Who would have thought?
Shine on
If you look closely, you’ll notice that whenever a celeb puts on an outfit that lets them show some skin, they always manage to always glow and look sunkissed somehow. Could it be some kind of oil or a secret body lotion?
Well, it’s actually neither, and it might even shock you to know that this effect is pretty cheap to achieve, too. Just mix some body cream and some vaseline, apply it on yourself, and you are shining like the stars!
Quick Suede Fix
Suede is by far one of the most elegant materials out there. It’s got a smooth feel and a unique appearance, making it very appealing. It’s great to have your skirts, bags, and even shoes made out of it, but it can be an absolute pain to clean.
Luckily, there is a quick, unlikely, and inexpensive fix for dirty suede if you don’t have a suede brush handy. Just get some stale bread. We don’t even know what led to them discovering this, but we applaud the ingenuity.
Acne Aid
Breaking out is probably one of the worst things that could spontaneously happen to your skin. It makes you feel insecure, and if it’s before a big event, it can be a cause for concern. Fortunately, some last-minute hacks can help you cover up those nasty bumps.
Stylists have discovered diaper rash cream has proven to be extremely effective in helping with the spots, reducing their size and redness. They won’t automatically go away, but a few dabs of the cream will work well as an urgent fix.
Glossy Shoes
It’s not just their skin that glistens; their shoes do, too. They’re so neat and shiny you could see yourself in them, and that’s something we find very intriguing and incredibly impressive. So how exactly are they able to achieve this?
Well, if you’d like to know, you need to toss your regular shoe cleaner and make a quick stop at the grocery store. Take a walk down the cleaning supplies aisle and get yourself a big spray bottle of glass cleaner. Yes, that’s it, glass cleaner.
Mewing?
We’ve seen and heard of all sorts of techniques celebs use to make themselves look more appealing, but this is by far one of the most… shall we say… unique? It’s one that’s got absolutely nothing to do with enhancement procedures or makeup. It’s all about posing.
Red carpet stars apparently suck their tongues to give them a better profile for those side shots. No wonder they always look so flattering! We don’t know why they call it mewing, though, but it seems to be doing wonders, and we’re all here for it.
Sweating be gone
Sweating is a very normal thing to experience, but for celebrities, it can be shameful, especially when it makes them look shiny in photos, and not in the right way. Plus, it messes with their makeup, making them easy targets for mockery.
We think it’s kinda silly to be ridiculed or stigmatized for our bodies functioning normally, but until the day we can overlook it all, a good douse of deodorant on our faces will provide a shield from the sweat and, of course, the shame.
Deodorant damage
Speaking of deodorant, nothing sucks more than having a deodorant stain ruin your beautiful red carpet dress. It can be embarrassing, and it can be hard to get rid of sometimes. Celebs may not be able to prevent sweat, but they can ward off the stains.
Stylists discovered that nylon socks do the trick. We wonder how they were able to uncover this, but it doesn’t really matter. As long as it leaves fewer stains on our clothes and is inexpensive to acquire, you can sign us up.
Toenails
Open-toe heels have got to be by far one of the most worn footwear on the red carpet ever and since the shoe stars wear to get a lot of attention, so do their feet and most especially, their toes.
This is why some celebs tend to go the extra mile to make sure they look picture ready. One of the ways they do so is by adding false nails to make them look more round, even, and ultimately, much prettier for the shots.
Sizing Up
This one’s not breaking news, but it turns out that celebs wear heels that are slightly bigger than their actual size for events. And it’s no secret, either. If you watch them closely, you would think the shoes might just slip right off their feet. But why do they do it?
Since they’ll have to be walking around in the shoes for hours on end, they need to size up to curb the chances of their feet swelling and ultimately hurting. The best part about this is, it rarely ever looks flimsy.
Ale Shine
We’ve seen a lot of tricks celebs use to improve the appearance of their skin and body as a whole, but we haven’t really touched a lot on how they get their hair to look just that good at times. Well, to compensate for that, here’s the secret to how celebs keep their hair shiny.
It’s… it’s ale. Yes, you read that right, ale, the sweet and spicy beer we all know and love is the secret ingredient to some celebrity’s lush and shiny hair. We’re not big fans of the idea but then again, what do we know about getting red carpet ready?
Glossy Eyes
Sometimes, the regular old makeup equipment isn’t just enough. Artists have to find new techniques and hacks to make their top clients look the most glamorous at their events. That’s probably how they came up with this glossy-eyed glow-up trick.
Eyeshadow is cool and all, but adding some lipgloss on top to give it an extra touch of shine takes a celeb’s look to another level. It gives them a wet eyeshadow look, and we’re not one to pick favorites, but we like what we see.
VIP Line
When an event pops up and a star gets invited, finding the perfect outfit from a ready-to-wear collection can be quite the task. Many celebrities will snatch up the best ensembles in one fell swoop, leaving the rest with few options to choose from.
This is the reason why some designers have a unique collection of outfits that are made to be worn on the red carpet in events like these. The wears available here have never been seen before and are the ultimate exclusive outfit.
Looking Snatched
Nowadays, nearly everyone on the red carpet wants to appear to have that well-structured hourglass figure. In the past, people commonly used corsets to achieve this, but it appears stylists have found a much less painful and more convenient way of doing just that.
Tailors now sew a band onto the waistline to give the illusion of the perfect hourglass figure when in reality, all the band is doing is cinching in the celeb’s waist just a little bit to show off their natural curves.
Tight Thigh Highs
Skin-tight thigh-high shoes have been around for quite a while now and with good reason. They’re ultra fashionable and super chic, but these boots and heels can be a pain to take on and off. Thankfully, there’s an easy fix.
To help you slip in and out of these with ease, stylists recommend inserting a plastic bag into the shoes before you wear them. It might not be the most breathable option, and it sounds kind of uncomfortable, but seeing how gorgeous they look, it’s probably worth it.
Sticky Stilettoes
Among all the possible red carpet mishaps, a celeb tripping or falling because of their slippery heels has to be one of the most common incidents. And it isn’t even just the red carpet; even runway models are seldom faced with this challenge.
So, is there any way we can curb the chances of something like this happening? Well, there are actually two. Either you attach a bit of tape to the soles or line the bottom of the shoes for some grip and fall-proof protection!
Scarf Hack
Have you ever wondered how celebrities manage to pull off rocking a full face of makeup without it ruining their expensive designer clothing? Well, they have a scarf wrapped around their head right before they put on their outfits to prevent contact between the two.
It’s much riskier to put the makeup on after they’re fully clothed. Since most of their dresses will be sent somewhere else immediately after the event and there’s no time to head to the dry cleaners, it’s a very necessary step.
No Dress Creases
Achieving the perfect look for a star who’s scheduled to walk down the red carpet isn’t just tiring and extensive but is also incredibly elaborate and time-consuming. There can be no retakes or redos, so they have to do everything necessary, so they look just that good from the beginning to the end of their appearance.
And when we say “everything necessary,” we mean everything necessary, and Naomie Harris’ appearance at the Golden Globes was just that. She had to lie flat for an hour so her Armani gown wouldn’t have any wrinkles and she placed tissue paper under her pits so she wouldn’t leave any stains on the designer dress.
Strap heels
Wearing heels is one thing, but having to deal with heels with straps is a whole nother game. The straps can be pretty uncomfy and can hurt a lot if they’re a bit too tight. So what can be done to avoid the pain?
Apparently, stylists now essentially glue the straps onto the celeb’s legs to not just ensure they stay in place for as long as they need them to, but also because they don’t need to strap them in so tight that they begin to hurt.
Botox-op
From what we’ve seen so far on this list, it’s pretty obvious that stars want to look their best on the red carpet and are ready to do whatever it takes to achieve just that. The makeup isn’t the only thing that helps; the procedures do, too.
Many celebs have taken loads of botox just to give their face the shape they want. To us, that’s a little bit extreme as we honestly believe these guys look great just as they are, but hey if it’s what they want, who are we to tell them otherwise?
As white as snow
Every aspect of a celeb’s red carpet look has to be absolutely amazing, and sometimes this isn’t just about their outfit, jewelry, and accessories; it has to do with them, too. Their skin has to be flawless and their teeth spotless.
While it isn’t difficult to get our teeth whitened nowadays, there might be situations where the celeb forgot to set an appointment or must have been too busy to visit the dentist. So, the stylist just ends up using white eyeshadow to make their teeth pop. Crazy, we know.
Daring Dresses
Daring outfits just keep getting more and more bodacious every year which means stylists need to find an ever wider variety of new ways to give celebrities the perfect revealing look without any wardrobe malfunctions or worse, hiccups, like their underwear showing.
When a celeb puts on a high cut, their undies sticking out can very much ruin their look. To solve this issue, they wear a special kind of underwear that has a sticky layer so they can still rock daring outfits and maintain their modesty.
Cranberry Juice Shampoo
Redheads are incredibly unique, to put it mildly. Red is a rare hair color to come across naturally, and to maintain this special hair color, some redhead celebrities are doing some pretty questionable practices just to keep its color vibrant.
Nicole Kidman, one of the most renowned redheads in Hollywood today, revealed in an interview with Longevity that washing her red hair with cranberry juice works wonders for it. It doesn’t sound like the most pleasing or comfortable experience, but if it works, who are we to judge?
Matching Pantyhose
Pantyhose aren’t new, and they’re actually a pretty common accessory for women and girls alike. They complete an outfit and aren’t hard to come by, but the right shade to suit one’s dress or skin tone might, at times, be an issue.
So how then can we get pantyhose that are a perfect match without having to spend long hours combing through clothing stores to find one that’s just right? Well, we can dye one, of course! Might not be the most convenient solution, but as long as it works, it’s gold.
Zipper Malfunction
When a star makes an appearance, they’ve got to make it big. Some celebs like to go all out by changing outfits on the red carpet or even during the course of an event, as well as wearing tightly fitted clothes to make a statement.
These situations spell disaster for a hitch-free red carpet walk especially when it comes to zippers. No need to fret, for the clever stylists are here to the rescue! They’ve discovered that rubbing a bar of soap on the zippers can make them much easier to work with!
Subtle Heels
It isn’t just the ladies that walk the red carpet a bit taller than they really are. The guys do too! It isn’t some sort of illusion or anything. Much like the girls, it’s all thanks to some nice heels.
Whether these men are putting them on to make a fashion statement or just because they love how they look in them, there’s no denying the fact that those extra inches give the guys some added advantage in the height department.
More Sweat Solutions
Besides the face deodorant technique we mentioned earlier, there are some other ways celebrities have been known to avoid looking sweaty. Places like their necks and armpits are areas of focus. Basically, anywhere you are self-conscious of, they are even more so.
Antiperspirant is great, but they can fail us at times. So, stylists have come up with the incredibly clever idea of lining regions where we’re bound to sweat more with panty liners. Since they’re made to be absorbent yet thin, this trick is one that works like a charm!
Tame the mane
Celebs have a very limited amount of things they’re permitted to bring with them into these venues, so they usually have to pick a single item that’ll serve several purposes. Think of it as a red carpet version of a multi-tool.
One of these incredibly versatile products just so happens to be some hand cream. The thing is, it doesn’t just serve as a great lotion to moisturize our hands, but it also happens to be some kind of frizz tamer to lay down those stubborn baby hairs some celebs have.
No Gain in Pain
Heels are a staple on the red carpet floor. They may look sexy and incredibly appealing, but they can be a pain to walk in sometimes. And while it might not always appear like it, some celebrities struggle to walk down the red carpet with them.
We’re sure the extra heel space from sized-up shoes doesn’t help either. To help with the aching, some stylists have begun their advocation for Cannabidiol creams (CBD ointments) to be used on the stars so walking in those six inches all night can be a less painful experience for them.
Long Lasting Fragrance
There’s little to no room for touch-ups at big events, so if their makeup or perfume wears off, celebs might be SOL. Luckily, we have primers and all other sorts of makeup to prevent the former from happening, and to make sure they smell amazing all day long, there’s an unlikely solution. Vaseline.
The oil holds the scent better than our skin does, so applying vaseline on your pulse points before spraying on a little perfume holds the spray longer on us. Celebs have been using this trick to keep themselves smelling heavenly all day long.
And lash but not the least
One thing that always catches our attention is people’s eyes, so we’ve always wondered how these celebs can achieve that incredibly voluminous eyelash look that makes their eyes pop. The secret isn’t in the mascara, the supplements, transplants, or even oils, but with some good ol’ fake lashes.
Stylists prefer to use false lashes that come in pieces that are so small, they are more akin to individual strands compared to the regular old strip lashes that can look tacky at times. We can’t even begin to imagine how long it must take them to apply and remove!
