Whether you have a limited income, are a bargain-seeker extraordinaire, a true recessionista, or just someone who hates to waste money (we'll assume this pretty much covers everyone), you'll want in on this secret. Ready for it � you do not, we repeat, do not have to spend a lot of money to look like a million bucks. Skip ahead to see us prove it.
How did we discover this glamorous secret and come to believe it? We took a dare, a makeup and hair dare. We wanted to see if the staffers at Total Beauty could copy the makeup looks and hairstyles of celebrities that have tons of money to spend on stylists and big-budget beauty products using only makeup and hairstyling products found at drugstores, Walmart or Target.
We each selected a celebrity we envied for their luxe look, grabbed some budget makeup and hair care finds and tried our very best to recreate our chosen celebrity style sans a pro makeup artist or hairstylist.
Why did we do this? Because we know everyone, secretly or not, would love to have the resources of these A-listers. Shows like "MTV Cribs" or "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous" wouldn't exist unless we had a burning desire to ooh and aah over P. Diddy's yacht and dream that we might one day have one too. We spend millions of dollars annually buying lottery tickets in the hopes that we, against all odds, will scratch our way to the luxe life. And, most of all, we stalk celebrity gossip Websites and mags and fantasize about having Meghan Fox's even skin tone or Jennifer Aniston hair. It's, safe to say, a national obsession. But because the chances of hitting an oil mine Clampett style is slim, check out how we, and you, can get a gorgeous, luxe celebrity hair and makeup look using budget-friendly products.
Photo 2/12
Vanessa Hudgen's Hairstyle
Who tried it: Susan Yara, Associate Editor
Approximate primping time: 2 minutes (not counting the air dry time obviously)
Her thoughts: After shampooing, I let my hair air dry. Then, right before I styled, I applied the mousse and loved it. I'm going to use this mousse on days that I just want to wear my hair down and wavy too. It worked really well ... and I actually applied a lot of it and it wasn't very crunchy (I always hate that). After the mousse dried, I pulled my hair into a high ponytail, pulled out a few tendrils in front and then twisted the pony into a bun and secured it with an elastic. It was really easy -- took about 2 minutes. And because I had all that mousse in, I didn't have to use bobby pins to secure my hair in back. For extra hold (just in case), I sprayed some Garnier Fructis Flexible Control Anti-Humidity Hairspray on the back area.
Overall, the hair was easy and I plan to wear it in a high bun often this summer, but I'll probably pull it all back. The tendrils in front made me feel like I was going to prom in the '90s or like I should have been wearing a velvet choker.
Photo 3/12
Miley Cyrus' Makeup
Who tried it: Susan Yara, Associate Editor
Approximate primping time: 20 minutes
Her thoughts: This makeup look is a little deceiving. I thought it would be really simple, but it took me a good 20 minutes to do. Everything up until the eyes was simple -- I used foundation on my entire face and applied a little bit of concealer under my eyes. I then applied bronzer to my cheeks, forehead, and chin to get a little color. For my lips, I lined them and filled them in with lip liner, then applied lipstick. I also dabbed a touch of lipgloss to the center of my lips for some extra shine.
Now for the eyes, I first applied a bronze eye shadow from my lash line to my crease. Then applied the gold shimmery shadow right under my eyebrows. I then applied black liquid eyeliner to my top lash line (kind of thick) and a little on the inside of my bottom lashline. After that, I used purple liner on my bottom lash line, then smudged it. That didn't recreate the purple look that Miley Cyrus had, so I applied more and smudged more. After a few tries, I then applied lavender eyeshadow under my eye. I had to apply it a few times to get the purple to really stand out. I applied just a little more purple eyeliner and smudged it more, then applied a silver-colored eyeshadow to the inside corners of my eyes. For my lashes, I applied two coats of mascara.
Since the eye makeup took longer than I expected, I'll probably only try this look again if I'm going out or to an event.
Photo 4/12
Diane Kruger's Hair and Makeup
Who tried it: Kristen Oldham Giordani, Senior Editor
Approximate primping time: 12 minutes total
Her thoughts: I love the retro '60s vibe Diane Kruger is channeling on the cover of Allure -- it's a bit costumey, but still wearable and sexy.
This hairstyle was a cinch, thanks to hot rollers. They are the fastest way to add bounce and mega volume to hair. Quickly roll up hair section by section and let it set while you apply your makeup. Unroll them, flip your head upside down, spritz with hairspray and you're good to go. (I didn't even wash my hair first -- just brushed through a bit of baby powder to freshen up my greasy roots.) The makeup look also wasn't difficult to apply, but to be honest, matte pale lips aren't the most flattering on non-celebs -- I'm reaching for lip gloss as we speak.
Photo 5/12
Ashley Olsen's Hair and Makeup
Who tried it: Ashley Roberts, Photo Editor/Designer
Approximate primping time: 15 minutes on her hair, 6 minutes on her makeup
Her thoughts: I chose this because she looks effortless and ready for summer. I love her tousled piecey hair. I was hoping the eye makeup would make my eyes pop when combined with the nude lip. I found the hair especially to be super easy because with this look the messier the better. All I did was curl my ends, spray with hairspray, then pin back pieces into a messy bun.
Whether you have a limited income, are a bargain-seeker extraordinaire, a true recessionista, or just someone who hates to waste money (we'll assume this pretty much covers everyone), you'll want in on this secret. Ready for it � you do not, we repeat, do not have to spend a lot of money to look like a million bucks. Skip ahead to see us prove it.
How did we discover this glamorous secret and come to believe it? We took a dare, a makeup and hair dare. We wanted to see if the staffers at Total Beauty could copy the makeup looks and hairstyles of celebrities that have tons of money to spend on stylists and big-budget beauty products using only makeup and hairstyling products found at drugstores, Walmart or Target.
We each selected a celebrity we envied for their luxe look, grabbed some budget makeup and hair care finds and tried our very best to recreate our chosen celebrity style sans a pro makeup artist or hairstylist.
Why did we do this? Because we know everyone, secretly or not, would love to have the resources of these A-listers. Shows like "MTV Cribs" or "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous" wouldn't exist unless we had a burning desire to ooh and aah over P. Diddy's yacht and dream that we might one day have one too. We spend millions of dollars annually buying lottery tickets in the hopes that we, against all odds, will scratch our way to the luxe life. And, most of all, we stalk celebrity gossip Websites and mags and fantasize about having Meghan Fox's even skin tone or Jennifer Aniston hair. It's, safe to say, a national obsession. But because the chances of hitting an oil mine Clampett style is slim, check out how we, and you, can get a gorgeous, luxe celebrity hair and makeup look using budget-friendly products.
