With the Oscars coming this Sunday, the anticipation builds: Who will be the big winners? What will the celebrities wear—and more importantly (to us), what will their beauty looks be? With cameras flashing all night, along with a little eating, drinking, crying, and kissing, how do the stars maintain their makeup into the wee hours of the night? We asked celebrity makeup artists Matin (who works with leading ladies like Amy Adams and Claire Danes) and Mai Quynh (who was responsible for Emma Stone's sun-kissed Golden Globes look, above) for their best secrets. After all, even if you're not taking home a golden statue anytime soon, you still want makeup to stay perfect for hours on end.
Quench your skin. "The trick to making your makeup last is well-moisturized skin," explains Matin. "When it's dehydrated, it eats up the makeup. The night before an award show, I have my clients sleep with the Guerlain Midnight Secretmask on." When he gets his hands on them, he slathers on a moisturizer (his favorite: Laura Mercier Mega-Moisturizer), lets it sink in, then massages on a silicone-free primer. "Silicone ones can make your skin slippery, but a good one creates an even surface."
Go easy on the foundation. While you might think the stars wear more makeup for red carpet events, that's not the case: "The less foundation you use, the less the skin rejects it and the longer it will last. I apply a sheer amount to even out the skin, then use concealer to cover any redness around the nose or dark circles," Matin says.
Layer blush. "I recommend using a cream blush, like Mark Just Pinched Instant Blush Tint, first and then applying a powder blush on top," says Quynh. Her fave:Mark Good Glowing Powder Blush. "Layering products ensures that they'll last all day and into the night."
Set your eyes. "With a brush, dust a little translucent powder on your lids before you apply your eye makeup and once you're finished, over your shadow and liner," Matin recommends.
Keep your lips low maintenance. "The less fussy the lips are, the less you have to worry about touching them up," says Matin. "I like to go with beige, brown, or nude lips and play up the eyes instead. For a 'done' lip, use a stain first so when the cream or gloss fades, you'll still have some color."
Stockpile your clutch. "I love Sampar's blotting sheets. They come on a roll so you can tear the sheets as long or short as you'd like. I line my clients' bags with five of them," says Matin. Quynh swears by blotting sheets as well, especially before reapplying powder: "For perfect skin, use blotting sheets before touching up your powder. This will help avoid makeup looking cakey."
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