My big red carpet makeover: what I learned from the stylists to the stars

Stock up on wig tape, plunge your face in icy water, prepare your poses – and get ready for some really tricky interview questions. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.

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?.

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.”.

Two of my red-carpet looks: gold gown by Edeline Lee; green dress by Self Portrait, rented from Rites. Photographs: Linda Nylind/The Guardian. 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.”.

Seeking style inspiration. Photograph Linda Nylind/The Guardian. 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.

Looks I love: Rachel Sennott announcing the 2025 Oscar nominations; Raye at the 2024 Brits. Photographs: The Academy/Getty Images, Carlos Jasso/AFP/Getty Images. 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.”.

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. Florence Pugh does futuristic at the 2024 Baftas. Photograph: Neil Hall/EPA.

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.”.