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Red carpet ready – Metro US

Red carpet ready

Celebrities always look gorgeous for a reason.

Yes, many are blessed with high cheekbones and willowy limbs, but if everyone had personal trainers, make-up artists and hairstylists following us around, we’d all be mega babes.

And with TIFF finally here Toronto is swimming in glamour. We asked beauty experts John Donato (2008 Editorial Stylist winner in the North American Hairstyling Awards) and his artistic director, make-up artist Anna Barseghian, to give us the lowdown on how we ordinary folk can look like we’ve just wandered off the red carpet.

Those eyes!
For dramatic movie siren eyes, eyeliner is a must. Liquid liner in brown or black is always classic (try Lise Watier’s new Metal Ink liquid liner for a long-wearing charcoal colour with a hint of light-reflecting sparkle). For those who want to stand out even more, Anne Barseghian recommends Metallic Jade eyeliner from the John Donato Cosmetics range. “It’s a cream, so you can basically take it and dab it on top of the eyelid. Or you can create a nice solid line for a chic look.”

Barseghian suggests using a mineral powder all over the lid prior to eyeliner application. This base emphasizes the liner colour and helps to keep it in place. False eyelashes remain a red carpet essential — apply them carefully and as closely to the lash line as possible. A coat of mascara helps to combine your natural lashes with the impostors.

Those lips!
Red carpet lips are all about making an impact. “What I like to do is use a foundation stick,” says Barseghian. After that, she uses Donato’s long-lasting lip liner in Scarlett and seals it with Cranberry lipstick. “That will last you the whole night.” But ease up on the gloss there, sailor; retro matte lipsticks are big this fall.

That hair!
If you don’t have the time or money to head to a salon, you can still glam up your hair fairly easily. “We tend to go into chignon mode,” says John Donato. “We like to have a polished look where we’re keeping the hair away from the face.”

If you hair isn’t long enough for a chignon, Donato recommends Jessica Simpson’s line of salon clip-on hair extensions, called HairDo. “You can go from medium length or short hair to super long wavy hair within a matter of seconds.”

For shorter styles, Donato recommends dampening your hair and working through some hair gel, giving yourself a very defined part and sculpting the hair around the ears for “a super glam, super sophisticated and modern red carpet look.”