Makeup

Solved: The Pro Trick That Will Actually Get You That Perfect Celeb Look For Once

When it comes to nailing that special celeb beauty look, two (or three) shades are always better than one

by Erica Smith | COMMENT

PHOTO 0/13

There's something masochistic about clicking through a fashion roundup after a major premiere or awards show. Other than a few vintage Bjork fails here and there, it's a back-to-back lineup of gorgeous, designer get-ups with price tags our brains can't even compute. So we daydream about those dazzling, six-digit ball gowns and shoes that cost more than we pay in rent, and we hate our underpaying job and our parents for not setting up that multi-million dollar trust fund.

Luckily for us common folk, celebrities always pair their haute couture with stunning makeup. Whether it's a statement lip, punchy mani, or rosy cheeks, celebrity makeup looks are actually attainable for mere mortals.

So, you nurse your Oscars hangover by searching high and low for that one shade of lipstick Michelle Williams was wearing on the red carpet. On your quest, you'll see some suggestions, find a shade that is fairly close, but still ... something is missing. Then you start to wonder ... does that perfect orangey-pink-but-not-too-orangey shade even exist? I'm here to tell you, it doesn't (cue: gameshow loser music) ... in a single tube, at least. Many of the stunning looks we see the morning after a paparazzi fest aren't created with one product -- celebrity makeup artists are actually blending two (or more) products together to create a super specific color and consistency that you're not going to find in a singular tube, bottle, or compact.

Getting that picture-perfect look is just a matter of simple beauty math ... the hard part is tracking down the exact shades makeup artists blended together. To save you the late-night cramming, we did our homework and solved a slew of beauty equations that add up to 12 memorable beauty looks from the Royal Wedding to the Grammys.

SEE NEXT PAGE: Alexa Chung's 2013 Grammys Lip

EDITORS' BEST OF