Secrets of walking the red carpet

Just about every little girl dreams of being the woman on the red carpet. We all have red-carpet moments in our lives, and looking perfect for photos can be a lot of work. Don't worry! Check out these celebrity secrets to look perfect for your special night.

Tips and tricks for Hollywood glam

Just about every little girl dreams of being the woman on the red carpet. We all have red-carpet moments in our lives, and looking perfect for photos can be a lot of work. Don't worry! Check out these celebrity secrets to look perfect for your special night.

The facial prep

Making your makeup look great requires much more than simply picking the right colors for your face:

1. Exfoliate your skin to get the smoothest possible surface. Scrubs work, but the traditional and most effective way is to simply run a warm washcloth over your face until it feels smooth.
2. Prep your skin with a moisturizer that will plump your skin but won't make you look too greasy.
3. Think about a foundation primer. While primers don't always work great for oily skin and can make it look greasy, combination and dry skin can benefit from a primer's face-smoothing nature. For oily skin, try an oil-absorbing primer to get a sleek, soft look.

The makeup

Just as its name indicates, foundation is the most important step in your makeup routine. Make sure your foundation covers uneven skin without looking cakey. Above all, it should match your skin. If you wear makeup every day, following the same regimen with a few edits can make your natural daytime look stand out. Focus on brightening the colors just a bit. If you normally wear a peachy neutral blush, adding a touch of rose to the look can make those cheeks pop. Blink into a bit more mascara than normal. The primer you used will make it all stay in place.

The hair

Whatever hairstyle you choose, make sure it doesn't fall out of place during the night. Carry a few extra bobby pins in your purse; they tend to slide out of very sleek, fine hair. Carry a purse-size can of hairspray with you to keep your hair in place and maintain volume. A small tube of petroleum jelly can help keep those fly aways intact. Simply dab a very small amount onto hairs that stick up.

The photos

Now that you look stunning, photos are sure to follow. Take to heart a few of these posing secrets:

• Keep that chin up! Even thin women can develop double chins on film.
• Find your angle. If you know your face is more expressive on the left side, give the camera a 3/4 shot of your face, popping out that left cheekbone to the camera.
• Hollywood starlets often use the "peek over" pose. When walking your red carpet, stop and peek over your shoulder. This gives a nice profile shot and allows you to show off the back of your outfit.

Watch: How to choose the perfect foundation

Take the guesswork out of finding the ideal shade to match your skin tone and achieve the even, flawless-looking complexion you've always wanted.

More red-carpet beauty

Making (and keeping!) hair red-carpet-ready
After the glamour: Best ways to repair damaged hair
Secrets to keeping your hair on the hot list

Photo credit: Nikki Nelson / WENN.com