If you saw Rita Ora performing on X-factor or have seen Ashley Greene on the cover of GQ, you’ll realise that the world is full of great injustice. Is there any hope for us ordinary people, who don’t have a team of stylish assistants on stand-by? Can £30 rather than £3000 get us looking like a Hollywood starlet? I decided to explore the answers to these questions. Firstly by beginning with the obvious, what trademarks make a celebrity look as blessed as the glamorous lives they lead?
No words…
Source: http://globalgrind.com/style/ashley-greene-british-gq-cover-interview-photos
That Smile
The NHS advises you to brush your teeth twice a day, for two minutes at least. One brush for me would usually last a minute. Could this be L.A’s best kept secret, a measly extra minute per brush? I decided to try it out, amongst other things: I knew that I would also have to sacrifice fizzy drinks, wine and sugary treats for a dazzling smile. I would have to consume more calcium, which restores teeth’s natural whiteness. Also, floss every day to reduce the staining trapped between teeth. I would chuck out my old toothbrush head as according to NHS there is a three month lifespan (mine was long overdue.) I would carry this out for two weeks, envisioning the Hollywood sign as I did.
Shortcut Verdict? Fast forward two weeks; I was getting compliments on my bright beam. Maybe not quite Hollywood whites but I believe I got the closest someone could, au natural. I think if I continued to treat my gnashers with more TLC, I would see a further improvement in a month’s time. However, I sorely missed drinking tea and the odd glass of red wine. I hate dairy products with a passion, so forcing myself to eat them was another element I didn’t enjoy. I found consciously trying to avoid certain products and being so militant with brushing my teeth for two minutes every day, was a more long-winded process, even if it is a cheaper shortcut.
That Pretty Face
I wish a make-up artist would enlighten me on how to obtain the perfect smoky eyes. Whenever I attempt it, I end up making myself look like my black eye shadow pot has just exploded around my eyes. I feel even if I upgraded my mascara from Rimmel to YSL, I doubt my eyes will ever look as sultry as Megan Fox’s. Unless I had someone holding concealer at the ready, surely maintaining a pristine face is a stretch? Yet I was curious, could this be done?
For two weeks I wore make-up at all times, carrying it around to reapply. Every day my face would flaunt red tinged lips, liquid liner with a flick, tidily shaped brows and a more “radiant” complexion (or however radiant bronzing balls are.)I invested in more expensive mascaras, as my clumpy ones made my eyelashes look like they were sporting bobbles. I even asked a make-up consultant which foundation I should purchase, so that my olive complexion would not be the victim of a red based mask.
Shortcut verdict? There was absolutely nothing “short” about this laborious process. I detested trying to look “nice” every day, as I felt I always came up short, despite the great pains I was going to. In the day time I normally wear soft make-up so for me the big change was that I constantly had to top it up. The slight change was when I slinked in from Uni, rather than looking bedraggled, I looked just a little more flustered than I had that morning.
Yet one hung-over morning I was so tired that I almost mistook my blusher brush for a tooth brush. I felt like holding my hands up to the heavens declaring “ENOUGH!” Unless you have someone willing to enhance your natural beauty, I say we should all just embrace it. Next time, you see girls around campus, looking like local celebs, ask yourself: that girl with the effortlessly cool, big hair- how much time did she spend backcombing it? Or, the girl with a perfect made-up face, did she mistake her blusher brush for a toothbrush and is it still stained with toothpaste?
Smokey eyes just right
Source: http://www.specktra.net/t/22878/prom-makeup-advice-needed
That Body
I suppose if we all had a personal trainer and dietician on hand I could wear disco pants every day without having a fat day. However, if you don’t have your own Mr Motivator on your case, the task becomes an arduous one. Great bodies mean exercise and a healthy diet (unless you’re blessed with a mighty metabolism), which basically means avoiding too much chocolate, pizza and other products I would refer to as life’s joys. Realistically there is NO WAY I could physically look like a celebrity within a week or even two months. Yet I set aside two weeks where I would go to the gym four times a week and do one exercise class a week. I also would have a healthy breakfast (yoghurt and fruit or porridge), lunch and dinner (chicken salad, soup or beancurd and rice).
Shortcut verdict? After the two weeks I found I had more confidence as I noticed my body looked more toned. However, I did have two days which were absolute flops. One memorable flop was a mound of spaghetti carbonara, an £8 order from Get Baked, a McDonald’s meal and complimentary student burger, all as additions to the meals I had eaten that day. I enjoy food far too much to spend so much time fretting over what I eat. I would rather be less toned and get enjoyment out of something I love, than fit into a LBD and hearing my stomach embarrassingly gurgle, as it sings for cupcakes. Unless I had someone to motivate me or if I was singer on tour, shedding calories by the hundreds per hour…I rest my case.
This image actually makes me stuck my stomach in
Constantly trying to look good, made it no longer a novelty to get ready for a night out. My love for food had to be put temporarily on hold, as did my lazy attitude towards exercise. These shortcuts did not bring me much joy in the short-term and I feel I don’t have the patience to wait for the long-term effects. Life can be stressful enough and trying to look like a celebrity is a stress I can do without!
Phew, before fame Liz looks like any other student
Source: http://redbaiduri.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/celebrities-before-and-after-pictures.html