by Aline Agopian

This year at the 2015 Oscars, less was more. The leading trend on the red carpet was all about stripping away excess and this is how you can achieve it. 

Skin Routine 
 
What do you do when you are in a rush and want to look perfectly put together? You throw on a bold lip, apply some mascara in the car mirror and hope no one notices that you didn’t actually spend an hour getting ready. Some of us are all guilty of it, but there is one factor that can make this look easily attainable, great skin. It’s simple, with great skin you can get away with a quick tinted moisturizer (my favorites include Laura Mercier, Nars and Guerlain Babyglow). 

In order to be able to just “run out of the house” as many celebrities claim they do, with just mascara and some lip balm, you need to invest your time and money in your skin care routine. Skin care is really taking over the make-up world and we are currently transitioning from the contouring and smoky eye to the barefaced natural look, one that emphasizes a youthful radiant glow with a beautiful thick brow. 

How does one get perfect skin? There are many new home lasers such as the Nuface laser, which lifts and contours using micro current technology. Not there yet? Start off with the basics. Cleansing, toning and moisturizing are the major steps. Nowadays, there are additional steps.

Here is an example of the modern day skincare routine.

-Cleanse using a regular cleanser such as Philosophy’s Purity on a daily basis but switch it up with an exfoliating cleanser twice a week. If you cleanse in the evening, a makeup wipe can also be used before cleansing to ensure that all makeup is removed. My favorite one is from MAC. 

-Toner is a very important step as it restores the PH balance after cleansing and also removes any makeup that wasn't removed with the cleanser alone. Kiehl's makes the most gentle ones.
 
-Serum is probably the most important step. If you can only spend most of your money on one item, invest in a great serum. Obagi’s Vitamin C is one of my favorites for day and Bobbi Brown’s Grape Seed Oil Serum for night and day. This is the step that will take your skin to whole other level, especially for those who feel they lack a youthful glow.

-Moisturizer is very important to keep the skin hydrated, if you have oily skin, be grateful! The more oil and hydration your skin has the less wrinkles you will get. Remember that and don’t forget to moisturize, one of my favorites is the Chantecaille Flower Harmonizing Cream.

-Another weekly step is a good mask such as Natura Bisse Glycolic.

Follow these steps for a few weeks and see a major improvement in your skin. Also remember that nothing gives you a glow like a clean diet.

Beauty Look

Now that you have your skin care down lets turn to the make-up. You might not be walking the red carpet, but there’s no harm in wanting to be just as glamorous. Here are a few steps to get you red carpet ready.

- Primer for the face and eyes is a step you may have been skipping but once you see the results, you will definitely make time for these. Some great primers for the face include Laura Mercier and Smashbox. An eye primer favorite of mine is the Urban Decay or Mac Painterly. 

- Finding a good foundation is like getting the perfect pair of jeans, it includes a lot of trials. One of my all time favorites is the Make up Forever HD along with the Giorgio Armani Luminous. Always try to match your skin tone and also ask for a foundation that meets your skin’s needs. Women with dry skin should look for words such a luminous or glow where as women with oily skin should look for words like matte or velvet. 

-Concealer can make you look like you have slept for 8 hours so try to find one that is warm for your under eye in order to cancel out any darkness. I love my Kevin Aucoin, which can also be used all over as a foundation.

-Coloring in your brows involves focusing on the top of the brow by applying a shade slightly lighter than your natural tone. This really helps frame your face and will give you a “lifting” effect. YSL’s eyebrow pencil is very easy to use and also has a brush on the other end.

- Use a blush that is soft and matte and experiment with a cream blush that looks more natural if you have more normal to dry skin. Stilla and Tarte make a great cream blush.

- The eyes are probably the most important feature, but you really can get away with just using three eye shadows:

1. A warm soft brown matte color or any matte bronzer, to be used inside your crease.

2. A light tone such as a flesh color to use all over the lid.

3. A darker tone such as dark brown or plum to use at the corners for a more dramatic pop. Lorac has a great palette that includes a set of mattes from light to dark. Follow with your favorite Mascara, such as YSL Babydoll and you are done with the most difficult step!

Last but not least, the lip. This really depends on your mood and what you are wearing. On the red carpet we saw many bright orangey reds but also some beautiful soft nudes. Think of this like the legs or cleavage choice. You wouldn't show both so pick one. Either you can go for a darker more dramatic eye with a soft nude such as MAC’s Viva Glam 2, or a bright red lip such as Revlon’s Certainly Red and go softer on the eyes.

Finally, practice your smile for the paparazzi!