Reel Beauty: Red-Carpet Inspiration

Nobody does gorgeous better than movie stars on the red carpet. And with the biggest movies of the year making their debut in November and December, some of our favorite stars are showing off new hairstyles and holiday-ready glam makeup. And just in case you don’t have a team of groomers helping you get beautiful, we’ve offered some tips on how to make Jennifer, Sandra, Elizabeth, Rachel and Regina’s looks your own. 

Elizabeth Banks showed off a textured updo at the New York premiere of Hunger Games: Catching Fire. With a bold orange lip, full brows and flawless skin, it was a strong, sexy and feminine look. “We chose to pull all the hair back and get it up and out of the way to bring more attention to the strong lip color and killer Jenny Packham pantsuit,” said her hairstylist Matthew Monzon. The key to this hairstyle: a texturizing cream and a strong hairspray.

Jennifer Lawrence, on the red carpet in Los Angeles, wore a show-stopping sheer Dior gown. Her new pixie was the perfect complement to the daring look, and every bit as sexy as cascading curls. To give a short do some edgy glamour, you’ll want to apply a defining styling product, like a texturizing sculpting wax. Jennifer also demonstrates that you can do both a strong lip and a smoky eye, especially when your hairstyle is simple and unfussy.  

Regina Hall, at the Hollywood premiere for The Best Man Holiday, proves that you don’t need to be a blonde to pull off the retro Veronica Lake glamour waves. To achieve the swooping “s” wave, start with a side part, wrap sections of hair around a curling iron with a one-inch barrel and spray the waves with a firm-hold anti-humidity spray. Regina’s full, rounded brows and lush lashes evoke old Hollywood glamour too, but she swaps Lake’s signature red lips for a nude gloss that keeps the look modern.

Rachel McAdams showed off red locks and a bouffant updo for the German premiere of her romantic comedy About Time. To recreate this ’60s style, prep clean hair with a volumizing product, like a root lifter spray gel. Blow-dry your hair, then curl it with a large-barrel curling iron. Let the curls cool, tease the sections at the crown and secure with bobby pins to create a bouffant silhouette. Seal the style with a strong-hold finishing spray.

Sandra Bullock’s hair was smooth, sleek and stunning with not a fly-away in sight at the New York premiere of Gravity. Long, angled layers give this look a modern sophistication while healthy shine keeps it polished. If you want to step out in gleaming, straight locks, start in the shower with a moisturizing conditioner and shampoo. To turn up the lights on your locks, finish with an argan oil serum.  Sandra balances her gleaming hair with luminous peachy-pink blush and a pale pink lip gloss.