Brunette Ambition (19 page)

7.
If you’re working with a
FABRIC THAT’S A BIT SHEER
, make sure to take some photos of yourself
with
a flash to ensure that you’re not accidentally showing anything that you don’t want to show.

8. MOVE AROUND IN YOUR DRESS
before you head out the door—make sure that you’re not going to split it up the back the second you take your seat, and be sure you’re not accidentally showing your body shaper or slip when you move around.

9. CUT OUT THE RIBBON LOOPS
for hangers so they don’t make an appearance under your arm. They can make a perfect dress look messy.

10. PACK A LITTLE KIT IN YOUR PURSE
in case of on-the-road emergencies. Safety pins, a sewing kit, and double-stick tape are very helpful should you find yourself in a bathroom stall mending your dress.

Give yourself a once-over.

ESTEE’S TIPS FOR PLAYING UP YOUR BODY SHAPE

Most of us aren’t shaped like fit models, so it’s important to throw the spotlight on the part of your body that you love the most. If it’s your waist, go for a fuller skirt and a dress that’s fitted through the middle to create an hourglass effect (a belt can amplify that). If you love your legs, find a fancy dress that’s cocktail length; if your arms are lovely, go sleeveless.

The other factor that can hugely improve how well a dress fits is a great high-quality fabric. Also, well-tailored pieces are always more flattering and can do a lot to disguise any part of your body that you don’t absolutely love. And speaking of the tailor, almost everything needs to be fitted to look its best. You can get a sense of how an alteration will change the shape by moving the hemline up and down to find the most flattering length (some women love their knees, while others don’t). You can also raise or drop the waist until you find the ideal spot.

ESTEE’S TIPS FOR MAKING SOMETHING SIMPLE SPECIAL

1.
The dress is just one part of the equation. Don’t be afraid to pick something simple and
GO FOR DRAMATIC HAIR AND A BOLD LIP.

2.
You can get great wear out of a basic dress by
SWAPPING IN ACCESSORIES.
A big belt, bright shoes, or statement earrings can give it new life, again and again.

3.
When you’re accessorizing,
DON’T GET TOO MATCHY.
The belt doesn’t need to match the shoes or the necklace. And pick one statement and let the other elements be barely there (or not there at all). If you go for a bejeweled belt, for example, choose a pair of nude or black heels; if you go for big earrings, don’t feel compelled to wear a big necklace as well.

4. DRESS SOMETHING SIMPLE UP
by adding a beaded cardigan or tuxedo jacket;
DRESS SOMETHING DOWN
by pairing it with a bomber jacket or leather blazer.

Go for dramatic hair and a bold lip (see
this page
for the how-to).

CH 8

HOLLYWOOD GLAM

“Hello, gorgeous!”

—FANNY BRICE,
FUNNY GIRL

G
etting your face and hair prepped for a big event is pure fantasy: There’s nothing quite like the power of hair and makeup to completely transform your look, to turn you into a character—a beach girl, a sophisticate, a Hollywood movie star. Hair and makeup artists can wipe away sleep deprivation, cowlicks, blemishes, damaged tresses, tired eyes, and even asymmetrical features—though if they focus on making you look “perfect,” they’ve likely gone too far. Feeling confident about your hair, your makeup, and your dress is key when you step out for any big event, whether it’s the prom, your wedding, or opening night of a movie—but it’s just as essential that you still look like you, rather than a totally different person. My hairstylist, Mark Townsend, and my makeup artist, Melanie Inglessis, always play up—rather than diminish—my most unique features.

When we’re sitting in our hairstylist’s chair at the salon or visiting with a makeup artist at a beauty counter at the mall, we’re really at our most vulnerable: Here is someone who is assessing your face and hair from every angle, looking you up and down. Make sure that you pick people who celebrate all the wonderful things about your signature look rather than nitpick everything that should be fixed—and you also want to feel like they aren’t attempting to change you. If you have curly hair, you don’t need a haircut intended for someone who has stick-straight locks, for example. You want to leave your hairstylist’s chair feeling your best, like they’ve assessed your hair and your lifestyle and given you a cut and style that really work for you. And while we don’t all visit with makeup artists routinely, you should still find a pro at a beauty counter at your local department store whom you can turn to for help. You don’t need someone who is looking to sell you a million things you don’t need—you need someone who can teach you how to play up your eyes or lips with a few key products and tools. The drugstore is wonderful for everything else.

When you’re looking for your pros, the key is to ask friends who have great style for their recommendations—and then, instead of booking a cut, go and see this potential stylist for something like a blowout first. That way you can get a sense of whether it feels like a good match, and you can feel out what they would do to your hair: If their suggestion feels like too much work (e.g., if you have five minutes to get ready in the morning and they want to give you a cut that requires a blow-dryer and curling iron) or they want to take your look in a direction that you don’t feel comfortable with (long to short, etc.), then you should keep looking.

I found my people in much the same way: I met Melanie at my first
Glee
event, and we never stopped working together. I immediately fell in love with her because she put down her brushes and ran out to get me Spanx because I was in a bind—and she’s been taking care of me ever since. I feel so comfortable with her, she’s really like a second mother. Not only does she make me look beautiful for all of my big moments, but spending time with her puts me in the right mood to step out on the red carpet. I trust that Melanie knows my face and will always make me look amazing, playing up my ethnicity in the process. Sometimes she’ll even refuse to give me what I claim I want (More lip! More lash!) because she knows it won’t play right. I’ve never left her chair looking like anyone other than a great version of myself. Part of that is letting me be in my twenties, too, by keeping my makeup pretty minimal: If you wear too much, you can age yourself pretty fast.

I met Mark shortly after I met Melanie. He’s known for being one of the best stylists in town and does big, gorgeous Hollywood hair for some of the industry’s most beautiful girls. He wanted to work with me and so he called my publicist, who told him, “That’s fine, but you have to understand that Lea’s very loyal and wants a team that’s essentially a family,” and he said, “You got it.” He’s never left my side. I feel so fortunate that he’s stuck with me, despite all the pulls on his time. You should feel like your people care enough that they’ll always make time for you—that if you need a quick bang trim, they’ll never mind if you just pop into the salon.

Mark, Melanie, and I have the best time together: We laugh, we play music, we pass around inspiration shots. It’s all so much fun that when something theoretically stressful happens—like someone gets sick and we only have fifteen minutes to get ready, or we don’t like the look and need to scratch it all and start over with only minutes to spare—it just makes it even better. We know one another so well that we can always roll with the punches. I’m so lucky to have them in my life.

In this chapter, Mark and Melanie break down the steps to achieve five of our favorite looks—we picked these in particular because they’re easy enough to master at home, but they’re still fun, fresh, and totally modern. And, as you’ll see, there’s a look for every occasion, from brunch with your friends to the most important of nights out on the town.

Mark, Melanie, and me at a photo shoot getting our glam on.

GETTING YOUR MAKEUP TO LAST ALL NIGHT

It’s a big luxury to be able to travel with a hair-and-makeup team for red carpet events—when Mark and Melanie have to send me out on my own, they do what they can to ensure that my hair stays put (or looks even better as it becomes slightly undone) and that my makeup doesn’t migrate down my face. Here are Melanie’s tips for making makeup stick.

1.
“If you have oily skin, avoid cream-based cosmetics. Instead, use a primer for the face, and also for the eyes, and then pick products that are matte and powder based. Ultimately, you need to create a canvas that makeup can stick to. There are also mattifying gels on the market, which you apply pre-makeup. They sink into the pores and are colorless, so you can avoid building up too much product.”

2.
“If you have dry skin, using too much powder can create a cakelike effect. Choose a liquid foundation and cream-based products, which you can then set with a tiny bit of pressed powder.”

3.
“If you’d like to do a really strong lip, apply a light concealer over the lips, and then powder it ever so slightly to set it. Then go over your mouth with a pencil, filling in the entire shape. Apply lipstick next, and gloss if you want a shimmery finish. When you apply gloss, keep it in the center of your lips so it doesn’t bleed out.”

4.
“It’s key to ensure that the T-zone never gets shiny. You want your entire face to be dewy and fresh except for the T-zone. You can bring powder and pat it on (though it can get cakey if you apply too many layers), or you can pack blotting papers. Essentially, these are rice papers that absorb oil. So blot, then apply powder.”