Stars' Best Beauty and Style Secrets

How Amanda Seyfried, Blake Lively and more get glam


Amanda Seyfried"These are my go-to glasses!"
Chic shades add cool mystique to an outfit even when it's not-so-sunny autumn. This season's It look, an update on the classic Annie Hall style, has pinched corners for a flatters-every-face shape. If you've spent the summer in gold-rimmed aviators, go for burgundy, olive or tortoiseshell frames this fall—they complement heavier fabrics and darker colors.


Kristen Stewart"A strong graphic and an unusual cut make any outfit look more modern." —Evyan Metzner, SELF fashion director
Cop Kristen Stewart's killer look. Not quite as daring as Stewart (a bold print and backless!)? Add a pattern to your favorite solid colored dress with a cardigan or a floaty scarf. Tribal-inspired prints like hers are everywhere now.


Jaime Pressly"I always work out the morning of a red-carpet event so I feel toned all over."
Can't fit in a full-hour workout pre-party? Try this on-set secret from SELF fitness director Meaghan B. Murphy: "Push-ups! I ask models to drop and give me 20 before a shoot. It increases blood flow to your muscles, making definition really show."


Blake Lively"You can't go wrong with a messy updo. A soft, piece-y style is flattering for every face shape." —Rod Orget, Blake Lively's hairstylist
Steal Blake Lively's sexy 'do. Anyone can put her hair in a knot, but braids make this style so right now. Orget's how-to: Spritz wet strands with a texturizing spray such as Philip B. Maui Wowie Beach Mist, $22, and diffuse until dry. Side-part hair, then part again from your crown to the back of each ear. Braid the two front sections from the hairline toward the back of the head, stopping halfway. Pull all hair into a ponytail and secure it; then braid a small section of the tail, wrap with the rest of the hair into a loose bun, and bobby-pin. Use fingers to pull the bun apart slightly for a messier effect.


Anna Kendrick"It took a lot for me to try red lips, but that can really make a fancy dress!"
Red makes an impact on its own, but it's even more eye-catching with this trick from Kendrick's makeup artist, Gloria Noto. "I rub concealer one shade lighter than the skin around the lip line. It helps lips seem fuller," Noto says. For more dimension, apply your red (shown: Maybelline New York's Red Revival, $8) heavily at the corners and lightly in the middle.


Shenae Grimes"Bronzer is my favorite product ever—looking too pale is not cute!"
Also not cute: limbs four shades lighter than your face. "For a sun-kissed look, you need an even glow all over," says makeup artist Amy Oresman of L.A. Easier said than done—until you try her surprising combo: Neutrogena Micro-Mist Tanning Sunless Spray, $11, and Neutrogena Ultimate Sport Sunblock Spray, $11.

After showering, mist on the sunless tanner and let dry. "It lasts about four days and won't rub off," Oresman says. Apply the sport spray. "Sheer oils hide imperfections and make your skin silky," she says.


Gretchen Mol"I like to play up my eyes with a few individual lashes for special occasions."
Falsies make your eyes pop, but they can also pop right off. Want the look without the risk? EnvyDerm Growth Mascara, $36, pulls double-duty: Clump-free waxes fill out fringe, and ingredients like Moroccan argan oil strengthen lashes to help them grow. For extra lush lashes, coat them fully on the tops and undersides.


Via Self

Fabulous Hair Fast: 5 Creative Ponytail Styles

It's not just a gym look! These celeb favorites and runway-inspired takes are super easy and give you instant glam.


8 A.M. MeetingA three-part pony is pretty and totally professional. Work it for work—it takes only minutes in the morning.

How to Pony Up: Hit snooze! Our best-on-damp-hair triple pony saves you blow-dry time. Make three tight ponies: one level with the top of ears, one level with the bottom of ears and one at the nape of your neck, says Neil Moodie, an editorial stylist for Bumble and Bumble in London, who created this look for Hervè Lèger by Max Azria's spring 2012 show. Lay the top pony over the middle pony, and wrap a hair bungee around the elastic of the second pony to fasten them together. Next, take those two ponies and secure them to the third in the same way. Done!


Brunch With MomPretty, preppy and a guaranteed parent pleaser, this sideswept style comes with everything but the polo shirt. Sorry, it won't help your posture!

How to Pony Up: Fresh from a run or fresh out of bed, start by shampooing—squeaky-clean hair is key for this style. Next, work a volumizer through towel-dried hair and blow-dry with a round brush to build volume. When hair is dry, use a large curling iron to loosely curl your ends, says Sam McKnight, a global ambassador for Pantene in London, who created this sleek-on-top, soft-on-bottom look for Jaeger London's spring 2012 show. Then comb a part in line with the arch of one eyebrow, and tie hair into a low pony on the same side as your part. Now mimosas!


Happy HourGot five minutes? Go from boardroom bland to cocktail cute in the office bathroom. Two skinny barrettes and an elastic are all it takes.

How to Pony Up: Pull hair into a tight pony that sits halfway up your head, says Guido, a creative consultant in New York City for Redken who worked his magic at the Marc by Marc Jacobs spring 2012 show. Slick is the trick to nailing this style. Run justlotioned hands over any frizzy spots. Then flip the tail toward the top of your head and clip it in place with a skinny barrette about 1 inch above the elastic. Loosely flip the remaining portion of the tail back down, and pin it with a second clip about an inch below the elastic, creating a bunlike pouf.


Date NightRomantic and oh-so-sexy, this intentionally undone 'do is flirty without being fussy. It looks as if you tried...but not too hard.

How to Pony Up: Shower, but don't even think of shampooing; a little extra grit helps this style stay put. Comb a deep side part and gather strands into a low ponytail at the nape of your neck, covering your ears. Wind the elastic around the base of the ponytail, pulling the hair partway through to create a loop on the final twist, says Eugene Souleiman, global creative director of Wella Professionals, who created the look at Missoni's spring 2012 show. Spritz fingertips with a salt spray and rub your roots to boost body. Secure the top of the loop to your scalp with a playful hair comb or two.


Weekend ShoppingSweet, face-framing twists stay put while you hit the mall. Then sleep in the look to wake up with soft waves—it's like a free gift with purchase!

How to Pony Up: Prep dry hair with a pea-sized amount of styling cream, then comb a slightly off-center part. Starting on the left side of your part, grab a 2-inch-thick section and roll it away from face, moving downward and gathering strands from your hairline as you go, says Nikki Ray, a senior stylist at Salon AKS in NYC, who showed us how to re-create the rolls from the Erickson Beamon spring 2012 show. Clip the coil at the base of your head, then repeat the roll on the right. After both sides are spiraled, pull out clips and secure pieces together with an elastic. Two days of cute hair? Check.

Via Self

Katharine McPhee's Shape-Up Secrets

The Smash star shares her secrets for staying energized (she's up at 5 a.m. daily!), smiling and getting herself in slammin' shape.


When American Idol alum Katharine McPhee landed the lead in NBC's new musical drama, Smash, it meant she could combine her two loves: singing and acting. It also means that every day is jam-packed. McPhee, 27, dishes on what her typical day of taping and rehearsing is like, what she'd do on a fantasy day, and the details of her turbocharged do-it-all workout, which combines strength training and cardio for incredible—and incredibly fast—energy boosting, slimming and toning.


5:05 a.m.: Rise and Shine
MY TYPICAL DAY I wake up raring to go! My husband, Nick, doesn't get up with me at this obscene hour, but my Chihuahuas do. I moved to New York City in August with an air mattress and a set of sheets and towels. But now I have new furniture, and my place is comfortable. Plus, there's a great view.

MY DREAM DAY I'd sleep in—ideally until 9 a.m. Then I'd lounge on the couch with my animals and read the paper.


5:08 a.m.: Check the Mirror
MY TYPICAL DAY My skin is sensitive, so when I look in the mirror, I usually think, Man, I shouldn't have picked that zit! Now there's a mark that will take forever to heal.

MY DREAM DAY I'd look at myself and think, You're looking younger every day. Those fine lines have gotten finer!


5:10 a.m.: Scrub a Dub
MY TYPICAL DAY My NYC shower is so small, I feel as if I'm back in college. So I take a quick one. I never blow-dry. Some days, I shower at night, so I can roll out of bed in the morning and just pull on my clothes, grab my coffee and head to the set. I try to wear something cute because it's fun, like a big sweater with jeans and boots—something I couldn't wear in Los Angeles's heat.

MY DREAM DAY I'd take an amazing, luxurious shower in a giant, glassed-in bathtub. I'd carefully scrub my face with a Clairisonic, do my hair and feel good about how I look.


5:30 a.m.: Commute!
MY TYPICAL DAY Smash has a set in Brooklyn, and on my first day of work, I said, "I'm going to be a real New Yorker, get there on my own and not spend $30 on a cab." But I went the wrong way on the subway, and when I asked for directions, the person in the booth was mean to me. So I ended up crying and in a cab anyway. Now the show sends a van for me.

MY DREAM DAY I'd like to see the butterfly exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History. But then I'd still go to work. I love it.


6 a.m.: Arrive on Set
MY TYPICAL DAY I go right to hair and makeup. That's when I eat: oatmeal with brown sugar and raisins, and crispy turkey bacon.

MY DREAM DAY I wouldn't wear makeup in the morning! I'd have breakfast at Todd English's Ça Va. I'd order the four-cheese omelet, crispy turkey bacon, fresh OJ and wheat toast with butter and jam. It sounds sinful, but it really is balanced.


7:30 a.m.: Start Shooting
MY TYPICAL DAY Megan Hilty, Debra Messing and Anjelica Huston, my costars, are amazing. Debra has an infectious laugh, and Nena, my dog, likes to sit on Anjelica's lap. It would be good press if we hated each other, but we don't. Megan and I joke that we should make a fight up. We'd be on the cover of Us Weekly.

MY DREAM DAY I try not to be a geek about it, but I have moments when I'm just watching all the moving pieces on-set, thinking Wow, this is so cool! I dreamed about this and now, because I had those dreams—and the drive—I'm actually here.


1 p.m.: Time for Lunch
MY TYPICAL DAY Usually, I have chicken and brussels sprouts or cauliflower, then I'll have something sweet afterward, like a cookie or a chocolate or a handful of Skittles.

MY DREAM DAY I'd head to Barneys and have crab cakes and fries, very crispy—the perfect pairing. Then I'd walk around the amazing shoe department and buy myself a new pair.


1:45 p.m.: TCB (Taking Care of Business)
MY TYPICAL DAY Between lunch and dance rehearsal, I check email and return calls. I feel like a different person than I was after Idol. I get the celebrity game now—you can go from being hot to fighting to be seen. You have to be aware of how superficial it is and that people who have written you off do eventually come back.

MY DREAM DAY I'd press a button, and beeep! My mom would show up.


2 p.m.: My 1-Hour Wonder
MY TYPICAL DAY I do a five-hour dance rehearsal. I feel it in my thighs and calves, but it's so stop-and-go, I miss my real workout.

MY DREAM DAY I'd do a one-hour kick-ass cardio program with my trainer, Oscar Smith. He says the key is mixing cardio bursts with strength moves to confuse the muscles. Here's the routine:

• 5-minute warm-up run on the treadmill at 6 mph
• Total-body stretches to loosen up
• 10 jumping jacks; 10 push-ups
• Upper-body circuit: Using 5-pound weights, perform 10 one-arm rows; 10 lateral side raises; 10 front raises; 10 biceps curls to an overhead press.
• 5 push-ups; 5 burpees
• 30 seconds of alternating jump lunges
• Run up and down a flight of stairs; repeat twice.
• Pedal on a stationary bike for 5 minutes at resistance 10 or 15.
• 10 jumping jacks; 10 push-ups
• Abs circuit: 10 crunches; 15 crunches with hands under tailbone, curling knees to chest; 15 crunches with legs extended; 15 full sit-ups with feet planted; 30 seconds straight-leg flutter kicks; 30 seconds of leg scissors; hold plank for 15 seconds
• 3-minute run on treadmill at 7 mph
• Repeat abs circuit.
• 10 jumping jacks; 10 push-ups
• Assisted pull-ups: 3 sets of 10 reps
• 3 minutes jumping rope
• Repeat upper-body circuit.
• 3 minutes jumping rope
• 30 seconds hold plank
• Repeat stair run.
• Pull-ups, 3 sets of 6
• 3 minutes on bike at resistance 10
• 10 push-ups
• 3 minutes jumping rope


7:30 p.m.: Home Again
MY TYPICAL DAY If I'm not too exhausted, my husband and I go out for a nice neighborhood dinner. Or we do leftovers, maybe lentils and turkey burgers, then Pinkberry for peanut butter yogurt.

MY DREAM DAY I'd go to Eataly, Mario Batali's Italian market, and buy fresh ingredients. Then I'd make pasta, chicken with artichokes and roasted potatoes. I'd invite friends, we'd drink red wine, and they'd say, "Katharine, you're such a great cook!" Then I'd kick everybody out because I'd be falling asleep.


9:30 p.m.: Bedtime!
MY TYPICAL DAY I have some mint tea with raw honey on the couch with the dogs.

MY DREAM DAY Going to bed feeling grateful to have a job on a show I'm so proud of. This is the hardest I've worked physically, but getting here was really the hardest part.

Via Self