Photo Credit: Ollyy/Shutterstock.com

There is a lot of WORK that goes into looking glamorous for any awards season but for this awards season in particular, there’s a heightened focus on looking smashing. As Covid restrictions ease up in Los Angeles, the Hollywood elite is itching to party and show off their best selves, so expect a less subdued red carpet in recent years, and lots of lewks. That means, of course, than in addition to some bold sartorial choices, there will be a focus on beauty, beauty, beauty. So here is how the A-list is getting ready. Remember this: perfection isn’t easy!

So let’s talk about the HAIR. In case you weren’t aware, no, your favorite stars do NOT have that perfectly coiffed, flowing lion’s manes. That hair typically comes courtesy of Glam Seamless, one of the top hair extension brands on the market with its double drawn, 100% high-quality Remy human hair that lasts up to a year. It’s thick, shed-proof, damage-free and, thanks to a collaboration with Hollywood’s extensionist Priscilla Valles — who does all the Kardashians, FYI — there are ombre’s that blend perfectly and every shade under the rainbow for perfect blending. You can go lighter, darker, and get that dream hair you’ve ever wanted at the brand’s darling, pink, influencer-friendly digs in West Hollywood, virtually right next door to the London West Hollywood. This pink palace is a 2,000-square-foot retail space and salon with a range of the brand’s best: tape-in installation and express clip-in installation as well as a new keratin bond single extension application. The process isn’t easy (but again, as we’ve established, beauty is not easy), but it’s worth it. Longer extensions will take you upwards of four-five hours, which is a commitment, but at least the lovely stylists have sparkling wine on hand for the restless sort. Ask for Chris: he’s a wizard with his blending. Plus, we’re totally here for the brains and beauty that founder Alexandra Cristin has: the plus-size model and television personality started the business ten years ago in her bedroom with $1500 as start-up capital and transformed Glam Seamless into a $25 million plus company. How’s that for girl power?

Of course, no celebrity worth her salt would show up on a red carpet with roots! If you want to live that A-list life, head to Tracey Cunnigham and Neil George’s Beverly Hills salon, Meche, where, literally all of the jet set (and then some) goes. The salon specializes in everything and everything, though blondes have it best here. Tiny and perfect colorist Kari Hill can give you the magic locks you’ve always dreamed of instantly. She’ll size you up, listen to your concerns and then give you the color you’ve been wishing for… but better.

Photo Credit: Fairmont Century Plaza

Red carpets are stressful. Awards season is stressful. Which is why a cool new way to relax has come about at the newly opened Fairmont Century Plaza. Through an exclusive partnership with biohacking expert, Dr. Oz Garcia, this haute hotel is reinventing wellness culture with our bio-hacking treatment – a customized approach to recovery, wellbeing and anti-aging. Using infrared technology, neuroscience technology, and meditation bio-hacking offers an all-natural solutions to improve sleep quality, resolve stress and support mindfulness. This is what a session looks like: seating in an Oakworks Curva Lounger Anti-gravity Chair featuring a NASA inspired curve and tilt that induces relaxation; wearing Normatec compression boots that provide increased circulation, reduced inflammation, increased flexibility and decreased muscle tension; an infrared PEMF Mat, to ease chronic pain, speed up recovery and provide total relaxation; NuCalm® sessions, to reduce stress by using clinically-proven neuroscience technology which addresses the brain circuitry in the limbic system, hypothalamus and brainstem, responsible for activating the stress response; and LED Face Visors, which use a combination of red light, blue light and amber light to facilitate blood circulation, accelerate metabolism, generate collagen, reduce enlarged pores, improve cell turnover. You can choose to take a power nap, or opt for 60-90 minute packages of sleep, mindfulness, and de-stressing. Sounds like heaven, right?

Roberta Moradfar is just the woman to give you that Oscar-worthy glow. As the owner of EFFACÉ Aesthetics in Santa Monica, Moradfar is the only Black nurse practitioner owned and operated medspa in LA with celebrity clientele that includes Kristen Bell, Sir John, and Evelyn Lozada to name a few. Her “Glowtini ” s a gamechanger. It’s a great answer to injections with its unique cocktail of microdoses of filler and Botox, mixed with a generous amount of hyaluronic acid, that’s injected superficially into your skin, leaving you with an instant glow and a soft, realistic plump with no downtime. You’ll look like you, just better — and isn’t that the point?

Of course, no red carpet would be complete without a little well-placed Botox, and maybe even some injectables, right? After all, this is Hollywood! While there’s no shortage of the world’s best doctors in Beverly Hills, you might want to consider making the journey to Woodland Hills given that Ideal Image, one of the largest medispas in the nation with 150 locations, recently opened their first Los Angeles spa earlier this year. Ideal Image clients have access to Aesthetic Consultations from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., seven days a week, from the comfort of home or in a clinic. They’re just a click away through the company’s revolutionary direct-to-consumer tele-aesthetic platform, and are available to discuss client needs and to help develop a contact-free, personalized treatment plan designed to deliver results clients can see and confidence they can feel. A full suite of aesthetic services are on offer, including Laser Hair Removal, body sculpting, Botox®, fillers, skin rejuvenation, and medical grade skincare.

FaceGym is a secret weapon: it’s a facial, but more. It’s actually the only gym studio for your face — where trainers perform a range of workouts and employ the latest cutting-edge technology and high-performance skincare products, to lift, sculpt, tone and tighten facial muscles. Targeting the face’s 40 forgotten muscles, its signature, non-invasive signature technique uses high-energy knuckling m ovements and whipping strokes to stimulate blood circulation, collagen production and cell renewal. With a menu of workouts available for everyone, and a range of add-on technologies including innovations in lights, radio frequency and cryotherapy, FaceGym’s trainers will customize workouts to skin and lifestyle needs.It’s a great way of debloating, detoxing, sculpting and more.

Photo Credit: Ole Henriksen Spa

Why mess with perfection? Tucked away in Sunset Plaza, this celebrity favorite offers THE favorite facial of the Hollywood set, the Signature Red Carpet Facial. Designed by OLEHENRIKSEN SPA owner Vance Soto to give anyone red carpet results, this treatment is the ultimate anti-aging treatment in Los Angeles utilizing multiple state of the art pieces of equipment. HydraFacial™ for exfoliation and hydration, LED lights for fine lines and wrinkles and to minimize surface bacteria, LHE microphoto facial for texture, sun damage, contouring, lifting, and firming. Human stem cells to provide the best glow possible. The finish is a proprietary oxygen system to calm, infuse antioxidants, and bind deep hydration to the skin. The Spa also offers Soto’s own new VSOTO facial — a mix of botanical brighteners and super concentrated Vitamin C to brighten and balance dull and uneven skin tone — as well as a series of facial peels, light therapy, male-specific treatments and even — drum roll please —  a  scientifically proven inch loss treatment that guarantees you’ll lose at least six inches in just two hours; with results lasting up to 30 days. A unique clay formula and special wrapping technique also tightens and tones your body while exfoliating and cleansing the skin so you not only look great, you’ll feel fabulous too, after just one treatment.

For many of us, the Academy Awards came on much too quickly (even though it was delayed, ahem) to shed that winter weight. And some of us haven’t spending nearly enough time in the gym. Cue Cutera‘s truBody sculpting device, which tightens, tones and has proven an average reduction of 24% body fat with six 15-minute, noninvasive treatments. It’s a great way to reduce stubborn fat in area that have been resistant to exercise and diet with RF energy. There are a few different technologies here, and one that works for everyone. The first, truSculpt iD is a comfortable, easy and fast treatment to reduce fat in stubborn areas around the abdomen and flanks, providing body definition by usiing innovative Monopolar RF technology to selectively target fat and therapeutically heat it – until fat cells are eliminated by passing through the body naturally. TruSculpt flex is for those who want muscles without working for them, using MDS technology to deliver three workouts by replicating intensified crunch, squat and twisting actions: one treatment replicates 54K crunches and 10K squats! It sounds too good to be true, but it’s pretty amazing — and a great secret weapon come Oscar week.

During Oscar week, it’s all rush, rush, rush, busy, busy, busy — so it’s nice to know that a service can come to you (how A-list!). Be Bronze should be your go-to if this sounds like your awards season. Although founder Brittney Bennett has a brick and mortar location on West 3rd St, she also offers home and hotel visits alike to spray her custom quick-dry bronzing solution made with FDA-approved ingredients, which are free of harmful toxins and contain an anti-aging complex to enrich your skin one tan at a time. Bennett specializes in body contouring, accentuating your curves with a micro-shadowing technique while focusing on creating a tailored spray tan that achieves your ideal color. Coming soon she’ll also offer her Top Model Body Shaping treatment, which is her body contouring spray, but EXTRA.

Photo Credit: Antastasia Beverly Hills

Anastasia Soare, the CEO and founder of Anastasia Beverly Hills, realized that while the eyes are the windows of the soul, you can’t truly open that window if the frame isn’t working. Although Soare takes private appointments for her A-list clients, her long-time team at her dedicated Beverly Hills salon is on hand to create brow magic for your red carpet moment.