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How to get 'glossy rich-girl skin' this party season – and more tips from the A-list's glam squad

Jessica Chastain profile shot - ROBYN BECK
Jessica Chastain profile shot - ROBYN BECK

Flawless tan

Amanda Harrington

Best known for… No ordinary celebrity tanner, Harrington scrapped the ubiquitous ‘flat and drying’ spray tan in the noughties for a brush technique whereby she paints and buffs fake tan on to the skin like a fine artist. Having trained in body make-up, her method leaves clients looking perceptibly healthier without a trace of fake tan visible under the glare of spotlights, which is why everyone from Jennifer Aniston to Sofia Vergara and Cara Delevingne calls on her services during Oscars season.

Signature style… ‘I look at the client’s dress and body together to determine which areas I need to paint a little darker or lighter,’ says Harrington. Using a tinted tanning solution that she pre-mixes for each client based on their skin’s undertones (she might add a touch of violet to counterbalance redness, for instance), she can correct and enhance bone structure to make you look like a ‘thoroughbred racehorse’: ‘I’ll darken slightly under the collarbones and at the back of the shoulders, which draws them forward.’

Cara Delevingne in short black dress on red carpet photocall - Arnold Jerocki
Cara Delevingne in short black dress on red carpet photocall - Arnold Jerocki

Top party tip… ‘If you apply a self-tanning spray or mousse directly on to skin it will be drying as they contain alcohol. Instead, first apply a moisturising gradual tanning lotion like Sisley’s Self Tanning Hydrating Body Skin Care (£75.20, johnlewis.com) followed by a mousse,’ suggests Harrington. This, she says, prevents the tinted mousse from penetrating the skin directly, thus giving a creamy, luminous finish that will set off your sparkly frock.

Discover… Harrington bases her time between the Cotswolds and London where she and her team can be booked for one-off events. From £150 (£350 for Harrington herself) for one hour, inparlour.co.uk

Red-carpet make-up

Nikki Wolff

Best known for… Nikki Wolff grew her following on Instagram where she became famous for her Sunday tutorials, eventually garnering the attention of A-listers such as Demi Moore, Salma Hayek and Jessica Biel, who have become regular clients. When she’s not jetting off to the Middle East to titivate the super-rich, Wolff is creating content on Instagram for her two million followers.

Jessica Biel at a premiere - Frazer Harrison
Jessica Biel at a premiere - Frazer Harrison

Signature style… ‘I’m all about enhancing a person’s features and giving them an elevated version of themselves by drawing out their best bits,’ says Wolff, whose signature ‘soft and diffused glamour’ is now instantly recognisable.

Top party tip… ‘Everyone wants to do a classic smoky eye, but if you’re using eyeshadow it can be challenging. The best way to do it at home is to create the look with pencils, that way it won’t drop or smudge beneath the eyes,’ explains Wolff. Using a soft kohl pencil, like Victoria Beckham’s Satin Kajal Liner (£20, victoriabeckhambeauty.com), draw along the upper lash line, elongating the outer corner of the eyes if you need to, then blend with a brush to create softness.

‘You can build up in layers. Apply a little bit more, then blend again – you can’t go wrong,’ insists Wolff. New to red lips? She suggests applying your lipstick then blurring the edges with a cotton bud or a finger for a relaxed vibe that offsets a formal dress beautifully. For shine, add ‘a dab of gloss’ just on the centre to catch the light and give the illusion of fuller lips.

Discover… Wolff has created a premium masterclass series in which she reveals her trade secrets to achieving a red-carpet look step by step. Membership from £39.99, nikkimakeup.com

Radiant skin

Melanie Grant

Best known for…We first heard of Grant when Victoria Beckham began posting about her facials on her social media platforms. Now the Australian-born aesthetician has salons in Sydney, Melbourne and LA, as well as a regular Paris residence, with a flagship location due to open in London early next year. The fashion set’s go-to facialist, when she’s not in LA seeing celebrities, Grant travels to Paris to work on models and fashion tastemakers such as Caroline de Maigret.

Signature style… Glossy rich-girl skin is Grant’s trademark. Trained in medical-grade light energy as well as traditional hands-on facial methods, she combines the best technology with facial massage and premium skincare to leave the surface of the skin rich and dewy: ‘I believe in giving clients that healthy glow. My treatments are designed to not only repair damage or lift and firm, but to bring life back to the skin.’

Victoria Beckham portrait in chiffon blue top - Marc Piasecki
Victoria Beckham portrait in chiffon blue top - Marc Piasecki

Top party tip… The easiest way to boost your complexion for a party, says Grant, is to start with a gentle exfoliator followed by a nourishing serum to create a smooth canvas for make-up.

To get her enviable glow, follow this five-minute routine. After cleansing, run a slightly melted ice cube over your face to tighten the skin and reduce the appearance of pores. Follow with a cream face mask to infuse moisture, apply under-eye patches (Grant likes Chanel Le Lift Flash Eye Revitalizer ,£105, chanel.com), then use a light facial oil to massage and de-puff your skin.

‘With the warmth of your hands or a massage tool, use upwards movements to drain the lymph and bring radiance to the skin. Then lightly pat down any excess oil with a damp sponge or cloth without removing it completely,’ recommends Grant.

Discover… To book, go to melaniegrant.com

Luxe nails

Harriet Westmoreland

Best known for… Take a look at Westmoreland’s Instagram feed and it’s clear that Claridge’s resident nail artist favours a chic, minimalist look. A master at making anyone’s nails look expensive, regardless of the state their hands were in when they walked through the door, her clients include Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, who recruited her as her personal nail artist.

Signature style…Westmoreland was instrumental in bringing back the classic French manicure. which she says is down to choosing the right shade for your skin tone. She finishes with a micro-fine white tip that is applied to suit your nail shape and elongate the nails. One of Claridge’s Wellness Masters, her signature manicure involves cleansing, exfoliating and hydrating the hands, nail beds and cuticles before applying a gel colour in a neutral or classic shade.

Top party tip… To instantly freshen up your nails for an event, she suggests Chanel’s La Base (£25, chanel.com) or Dior’s Nail Glow (£25, dior.com). To make your natural nail bed appear longer, try an ‘Italian manicure’, in which you leave a thin gap either side of your nail when polishing to give the illusion of length.

If you prefer colour, the chicest shades for parties are OPI’s Nail Lacquer in Lady in Black or Malaga Wine (£14.30 each, opiuk.com).

Discover… To book, go to claridges.co.uk/spa

Rosie in backless white dress with hand on wall - Getty Images Europe
Rosie in backless white dress with hand on wall - Getty Images Europe

Glossy hair

Christian Wood

Best known for… 

Wood’s glass-like hair finish, as seen on Jessica Chastain, Gemma Chan and Olivia Wilde, has become his hallmark, making him the go-to for special events like the Met Ball, where he’s styled Sophie Turner and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley for the past few years.

Signature style… Wood has put old-school glamour back on the map. The master of a regal scraped-back chignon, his eye for perfection is so highly tuned you won’t find a strand out of place.

Top party tip… Prepping for Wood’s red carpet looks often begin weeks before the event: ‘Whether it’s the Oscars or the Met Ball, I start my clients on a hair supplement and regular deep treatment masks in the lead-up to the event to nourish and repair their hair, which is often subjected to heat styling as part of the job,’ he explains.

The best thing anyone can do to improve the quality of their hair, however, is to sleep on a silk pillowcase, insists Wood. ‘It prevents friction and saves knotting and unnecessary brushing – it will preserve your blow-dry too.’

When styling hair for a party, a classic up-do always looks timeless, says Wood: ‘Carefully part your hair, tie it in a knot and secure it with a couple of pins, then pair it with a red lipstick – there’s nothing more chic.’

To get his signature shine, he suggests tying hair up when it’s 80 per cent dry, or misting dry hair with water, before adding a serum or gel to tame flyaways: ‘The trick is to use a tiny amount on your fingertips and highlight the hair where it needs it, as you would the high points on the face with make-up.’

Discover… To book, go to thewallgroup.com

Haute highlights

Nicola Clarke

Best known for… From Kate Moss to Cate Blanchett, Kate Winslet and Madonna, there isn’t an iconic blonde Clarke doesn’t do. A genius at transforming actresses’ hair for movie roles, often taking them from platinum to dark and back again, Clarke’s name is so valuable that John Frieda anointed her with an eponymous salon in London’s West End.

Signature style… Kate Moss’s creamy, honey locks perfectly demonstrate Clarke’s classy way with depth and tone. For winter though, she has been experimenting with stronger shades of blonde and brunette, adding subtle nuances here and there.

Kate Moss with tousled hair and floral dress - Getty/David M. Benett
Kate Moss with tousled hair and floral dress - Getty/David M. Benett

‘With my brunettes, I’ve been leaving the hairline a fraction lighter which makes it much more wearable,’ she says. For blondes, the reference is vintage 1970s icons like Catherine Deneuve, as seen on socialite Sabine Getty: ‘I tinted her hair all over, then applied highlights in different tones to add dimension, which makes it look more expensive and uptown.’

Top party tip… If your hair is blonde, ‘avoid purple-tinted toning shampoos and conditioners as they will make your hair look dull. Instead, use a product like Virtue’s ColorKick De-Brassing Shampoo (£40, spacenk.com). It will refresh your colour while retaining shine.’

Switching your conditioner for a hair mask is also key for party season, she says: ‘Using a Tangle Teezer or Manta brush, apply your mask and brush it though wet hair. It makes all the difference to helping penetrate every strand – do that before a night out and your hair colour will look glossier.’

Discover… To book in at Clarke’s salon, go to nicolaclarkeatjohnfrieda.com

Facelift brows

Nez Hasan

Best known for… The microblading queen, Hasan tends to a gaggle of influencers from Tanya Burr to Sam Chapman, defining brows using semi-permanent pigments in a variety of techniques.

Signature style… Natural and authentic are Hasan’s key words. ‘I leave everyone’s brows in their natural shape. The trick is to enhance their beauty by elongating the length where the hairs diminish with age. The most dramatic results are on women over 45. You can look 10 years younger by defining and lifting your eyebrows,’ says Hasan.

Tanya Burr portrait - Getty Images Europe/Jeff Spicer
Tanya Burr portrait - Getty Images Europe/Jeff Spicer

Microblading and microshading are semi-permanent ways to frame your face. But Hasan also offers lamination, a perming technique that sets the brows in place, giving a lifted, more youthful look. Always book in a week before an event, she says, to allow the pigment to settle down.

Top party tip… ‘If you’re pencilling your eyebrows at home, fill in the bottom of the arch and the tail only and you’ll avoid a blocky look,’ she says. If you’re prepping for a big event, she recommends applying an oil on your eyebrows at night when you’re putting on night cream.

‘We lose eyebrow hairs as we age, but no one thinks to condition and care for them. To maintain full eyebrows you need to hydrate the hairs to help them grow,’ explains Hasan, who created Hairgredients The Brow Mask (£42, nezhasan.com), formulated with 12 vitamins to help strengthen, thicken and stimulate the hair follicles.

Discover… From £750 for microblading with Hasan at her Kensington salon, nezhasan.com

Sculpted body

Shane Cooper

Best known for… Sienna Miller, Hannah Waddingham and Maya Jama all turn to Cooper’s bespoke mix of cutting-edge technology for visible, lasting results. A wizard at whittling down waists for special events and diminishing surface flaws such as stretch marks, he picks and mixes technologies from 20 medical-grade machines, including firming ultrasound, tightening radiofrequency and muscle-stimulating microcurrents, to achieve the best outcome.

Sienna Miller in little black dress posing at event - Variety/Nina Westervelt
Sienna Miller in little black dress posing at event - Variety/Nina Westervelt

Signature style… The Bespoke Body Treatment combines ‘tri-polar’ radio frequency and dynamic muscle activation to tighten, while simultaneously delivering non-invasive fat removal on stubborn pockets of fat, all individually tailored to each client.

Top party tip… ‘Before you expose your legs in a party dress, make sure you’re drinking plenty of water, because when you’re dehydrated it shows on your skin, then use a body scrub to brighten dull and pale skin. On a daily basis, body brushing is one of the best ways to encourage lymph drainage and to stimulate blood flow for a glow.’

Discover… Shane and his hand-picked team of two operate out of his South Kensington clinic. To book, go shanecooperuk.com

Maya Jama in white gown on red carpet - WireImage/Karwai Tang
Maya Jama in white gown on red carpet - WireImage/Karwai Tang

Poreless face

Dr Joney De Souza

Best known for… Dr De Souza brings an à la carte approach to cosmetic medicine at his small but swish Marylebone clinic in London. The Brazilian doctor trained in dermatology but moved on to fillers and Botox in 2001 and has been honing his technique ever since.

He’s an early adopter of new technologies and offers, as he says, ‘a lot of small things in a lot of different areas. I look at skin laxity, texture and pigmentation, and with a zap of this and a little tweak of that I can deal with it all with no downtime’. Clients fly in from Florida and Morocco; and Gillian Anderson is a fan.

Signature style… He goes for a very natural look. ‘I don’t want you to look like someone else,’ he explains. ‘I just want to bring back the person you used to see in the mirror.’ Whether it’s lasers for pigmentation, microneedling to minimise pore size or Profhilo for a super-moisturising surge, he’ll combine treatments for maximum effect in the minimum time.

Top party tip… ‘Take a tip from my grandmother,’ says Dr De Souza. ‘Make a home-made scrub of sugar and yogurt and do a really good scrub on your face. The more dead skin cells you remove, the more your skin appears to glow. And then moisturise, moisturise, moisturise.’

Discover… To book, go to drjoneydesouza.com