Red carpet beauty tips

1. Prep your skin
You may not be able to splash the cash on an A-lister treatment like Ole Henriksen's 24K gold facial, which he says "is the perfect complement to walking a red carpet as it leaves the complexion brighter, tighter and with an overall glow", but you can still ensure your skin is baby soft and prepped for the big night ahead.

If you suffer from breakouts or combination skin (oily along the t-zone and dry elsewhere), try a face mask from the Montagne Jeunesse range. The Blemish Mud mask tackles those pesky skin irritations - one ciao.co.uk review said: "I noticed results straight away, my skin felt great for the rest of the day and it didn't dry it out in any way."

Or you could try an exfoliating scrub such as St Ives Apricot Facial Scrubs, RRP £5.10. Made with 100% natural extracts and ingredients, this range of invigorating facial scrubs removes dead and dull skin to reveal a Hollywood-style glow. For best results, start using up to seven days before the event to look and feel the difference.

Treat your skin overnight by using a treatment such as Sarah Chapman's Overnight Facial or Aromatherapy Associates Overnight Repair Mask, from £46. This rose-based face mask smells absolutely heavenly and will feed your skin with all-natural ingredients and encourage face-firming collagen.
More Aromatherapy Associates products on Ciao

2. Prime time
Before you even begin to slap on the foundation, make sure you moisturise your skin and de-puff your eyes. BB creams are a fantastic new beauty innovation, which offer coverage, moisture, protection and a hint of radiance all in one. One user of Garnier BB cream said: "Leaves skin looking flawless, radiant, illuminated and natural-looking." Suffering from puffy peepers? Reach for Blink Aloe Vera Facial Gel or Soap and Glory's Supereyes to have sparkling eyes in no time.

Ensure your skin is looking silky-smooth by applying a make-up primer. Sarah-Jane Froom, bareMinerals head of artistry told www.qvcuk.com: "Always start with priming the skin using bareMinerals Prime Time Primer, from £19, this will hide the appearance of open pores and fine lines, soak up any excess oil and smooth out any dry or rough patches on the skin."

Boots have recently introduced a primer aptly named No7 Airbrush Away, £19.50, which, according to one user on ciao.co.uk, "does improve skin tone by giving the whole appearance a soft focus effect." Apply before your foundation to ensure a smooth and long-lasting finish.

Alternatively you could go for the midas touch by using Transformulas Ageless Luxury Hydration Gold, £47.55. The hydrating formulation comes complete with 23k gold and leaves your skin feeling supple and moisturised, while looking radiant.
More skin primers on Ciao

3. Flawless base
Take a tip from celebrity make-up artist Molly Stern, who was responsible for Kate Beckinsale's flawless glow at the Golden Globes. To get the look, Molly began by priming the skin with Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer, which creates a flawless canvas for make-up, followed by a light application of Hourglass Illusion Tinted Moisturizer in sand." If you can't get your hands on the Hourglass Primer, opt for Benefit, the Porefessional Pore minimiser.
This silicon-based product works to minimise pores and is: "lightweight, oil-free, improves skin appearance," according to one user on ciao.co.uk. Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation has also been welcolmed with rave reviews from the beauty press. Not only does it provide even coverage but your skin is left looking radiant for up to 16 hours. And don't take our word for it, one ciao.co.uk review said: "The foundation has a light, breathable satiny finish and I actually felt like I was wearing a particularly good tinted moisturiser rather than one to four layers of product."

Or why not try a mineral-based formula like bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation, £24. Sarah-Jane Froom offers this advice: "Always remember less is more. Sprinkle the amount of chocolate on a cappuccino onto your lid. Swirl your brush into the lid to pick up the minerals and tap off the excess before you start to buff in circular movements onto the face. Don't be tempted to double back into the foundation pot for more - just keep buffing."

Spot of bother? Sarah-Jane suggests that if you do have any problem areas where you feel you need a little more coverage: "Simply take one of our (bareMinerals) bisque concealers, £19, in your correct shade and a maximum coverage concealer brush and swirl, tap and buff small amounts into the problem areas to brighten and lift complexion (this stage can also be done before the foundation). There are no rules, just guidelines."
More top-rated foundation on Ciao

4. A natural blush
Whether you want to add warmth to a pale complexion or bring out your features, blusher applied to the contours of your face can really bring out your cheekbones. At the Golden Globe Awards, Molly Stern used the bronze tone in Hourglass Illume Crème-to Powder Bronzer Duo in Sunset on Kate Beckinsale followed by the blush tone applied on the apples of her cheeks. For a purse-friendly option that really works, try Rimmel's pink rose blush. One user on ciao.co.uk said: "It will keep you looking perky and fresh all day."

Once again, you don't have to spend a lot to find a decent bronzer. Collection 2000's Shimmering Mosaic Glow is so versatile and as one ciao.co.uk review puts it: "It would suit a whole range of skin tones, as well as suit consumers of most ages."

Sarah-Jane Froom, bareMinerals head of artistry, suggests a complexion enhancer called bareMinerals Warmth, £19, to www.qvcuk.com. To get the most out of this product, she says to use the swirl, tap and buff technique and focus on your forehead, down onto the cheek and the jawline and then also warm up your neck and décolletage: "This will bring your complexion to life and give you that natural flawless glow."

Finally, Sarah-Jane says: "Buff Mineral Veil, £20, over the whole complexion to hide the appearance of open pores and fine lines, soak up excess oil and give you a flawless air-brushed look. This product always makes you look and feel like you are being followed round by a soft focus camera lens."
More bareMinerals on Ciao

5. Dramatic eyes
Up the drama and get the screen starlet look with a set of false lashes. The Powder Lounge Brow and Lash bar is a fantastic place to start if you're not sure on how to apply your falsies. Offering a range of lashes including the weekend lash - natural lash extensions to enhance your own pair during the weekend - this is the easiest way to go glam instantly. If you are a dab hand at applying false lashes, then the celebrities' favourite lashes Ardell are the perfect choice. Drew Barrymore and Hilary Duff are both apparently fans.

For Kate Beckinsale's dramatic look, Molly Stern used the bronze shade of Hourglass Visionaire Eye Shadow Duo in Gypsy as a base, smudged deep into the lid. If you want colour, try an eyeshadow pot from Bourjois. Available in a range of colours, you can use these dramatic shades wet or dry to build up a dramatic effect. As number one in the top-rated eye make-up on Ciao, Bourjois eyeshadow pots have a huge following.

Finish with lashings of mascara to make your eyes pop. Boots No17 Va Va Voom is perfect for lengthening your lashes and is also very purse-friendly.
More Boots No17 on Ciao

6. Loud lips
Pucker up on the red carpet with some lip colour. If your eyes are dramatic, opt for a soft pink lipstick - think Alexa Chung at the recent Elle Style Awards. To be a true screen goddess like Christina Hendricks, go for a scarlet colour.

As international make-up artist Laura Geller told www.qvcuk.com: "Everyone appreciates a great, bold red lip colour but still many women lack the confidence to try it for themselves. Red Carpets and special occasions are the perfect time to pull out all of the stops and make this glamorous shade the star of your look."

To get a glossy look, use Elizabeth Arden's eight hour cream over the top of your colour and let your lips do all the talking.
More lipstick on Ciao

7. Nail it
No A-lister would ever hit the red carpet without a set of perfectly manicured talons. Mavala ambassador and Nail Professional of the Year 2011, Jenni Draper says: "This year's red carpet events have seen some more adventurous nails being paraded alongside the more sedate and ever popular nudes."

"Adele's almond shaped, Louboutin nails stole the show at the Grammy's," says Jenni. "The silver sparkly nails with the underneath painted red emulate the designer's shoes perfectly. This can be easily recreated using a sprinkling of Diamond Dust over Mavala's New York grey with Mavala's London red on the underside, this combo looks great on long nails!"

Rihanna fans can get her 24k gold leaf mani, as seen at the Grammy's, without the price-tag - Jenni suggests trying Mavala's Lame Gold with Sparkling Gold as a topcoat.

For a more neutral look, as rocked by Holliday Grainger, Jessica Chastain, Meryl Streep, Christina Ricci, Penelope Cruz and Christina Hendricks at the Baftas, Jenni says: "Mavala's Vanilla is a beautiful pearly nude, perfect for those looking to create a chic nude mani."
More Mavala nail care on Ciao

Get red carpet hair
Low-cost high-end treats
Do a health check at home
10 iconic beauty products of the decade
What we bought this week
Secret slimming shapewear on Ciao
SOS: winter skin
Detox for your skin
Super-slimming make-up tips
Find designer perfumes on Ciao
Like MSN Shopping on Facebook
Follow MSN Shopping on Twitter