Red Carpet Beauty Inspired by Claire Danes and Jessica Alba: Get a Glam Look for Less Using Drugstore Beauty Products

Chances are the bustling beauty teams that style Claire Danes and Jessica Alba for regal red carpet events won’t be showing up at my doorstep any time soon, because unlike the stars, we mere mortals must fend for ourselves when it comes to getting ready for parties and nights on the town (or nights on the couch with your cat, if you’re also into that). 🙂

No problem. Getting glam doesn’t have to involve a small army of beauty professionals (although, not gonna lie, if a pro prep team suddenly appeared — POOF! — I would NOT turn them away).

Recreating red carpet looks at home can be easy and fun, and with drugstore beauty products, it doesn’t have to break the bank.

I recently gave two of my favorite red carpet looks a try from this year’s Golden Globes — a look Claire Danes wore with smokey eyes and nude lips, and Jessica Alba’s look with brown eyes and tangerine lips — both of which seemed simple and elegant, which I liked.

Gearing up for a big night? If you are, you can get red carpet ready like Claire and Jessica using makeup, hair, body and skincare products from COVERGIRL, Olay, Aussie and Secret.

Who says that going glam is reserved for the stars?

Inspired by: Claire Danes

Oh, Angela Chase. You’ve come so far since Jordan Catalano wrote that song about you about his car…

I absolutely loved the wavy hair, smokey eyes and nude lips Claire recently wore. Hello, stunning!

1. Let the glamification begin: skin and hair

Start by prepping in the shower with a hydrating body wash like Olay Ultra Moisture Body Wash ($5.99), and washing and conditioning your hair with Aussie Aussome Volume Shampoo and Conditioner ($3.99 each).

Even if the paparazzi aren’t currently stalking you, there’s no reason to let ’em see you sweat, so swipe some Secret Clinical Strength Stress Response ($7.99) under those ‘pits, girl!

Okay, time to tame the mane. Apply Aussie Aussome Volume Styling Mousse ($4.99) to wet hair for hold and volume, and either air or blow dry.

When your hair is dry, recreate Claire’s waves by curling the ends with a large barrel curling iron. Then, mist your mane all over with Aussie You Can Shine Spray Gloss ($3) for red carpet shine.

2. Gotta prep

Ready to play with makeup? Me too, but let’s get our skin ready first with face products from the Olay Professional Even Skin Tone Line, and disguise any uneven areas or imperfections by applying a liquid foundation like COVERGIRL Outlast 3-in-1 Foundation ($12.99).

If your skin tone’s similar to Claire’s, try the shade called Classic Ivory. I have a little — okay, a lot! — more of a tan, so something like Classic Tan works for me.

3. Sights set on smokey eyes

Now for my favorite part — the eyes!

Start by applying your favorite eye primer to your lids, curling your lashes and filling in your brows.

Next, for your smokey eyes, line both upper and lower water lines with COVERGIRL Perfect Point Plus Eyeliner in Black Onyx ($5).

With the same pencil, line your upper and lower lash lines; soften the lines by smudging the edges with a flat eye shadow brush.

Now, it’s time to add the smoke!

Load your flat brush with a combination of black and blue shadows, like COVERGIRL Eye Enhancers 1-Kit Shadows in Shimmering Onyx and Sapphire Sparkle ($4.50 each). Combining the shades here adds depth to the smokey effect.

Pat the mix on your lids and barely into the creases. Then, using a domed blending brush, blend away any harsh edges.

To refine your smokey look even more, take your domed brush, and load it with your favorite blush. Something like COVERGIRL Instant Cheekbones Contouring Blush in Sophisticated Sable ($6) should work great for Claire’s look.

Sweep your loaded domed brush into your creases and along your lower lash lines to soften the edges. This helps everything look a little more polished.

Finish up your eyes by applying a few coats of COVERGIRL Clump Crusher Mascara ($6.99).

4. Wrapping it up

From here on out, the rest is cake!

Sweep that same blush, Sophisticated Sable, on your cheeks, apply a nude lip color, like COVERGIRL Lip Perfection Jumbo Gloss Balm in Toffee Twist ($8.99) on your lips, and wrap up with a coat or two of COVERGIRL Outlast Nail Gloss in Forever Frosted ($5.99) on your nails.

Inspired by: Jessica Alba

Jessica Alba looked like absolute perfection on the Golden Globes red carpet this year with her curly hair, brown eyes and tangerine lips. It’s a look I’d actually want to wear not just to parties, but to buy groceries, hahaha!

1. Start the path to pretty: skin and hair

Like Claire Danes, Jessica’s strapless peach gown showed off some skin, so start your journey to red carpet glam in the shower with Olay Ultra Moisture Body Wash ($5.99) for soft, smooth skin.

While you’re there, wash and condition your hair with Aussie Aussome Volume Shampoo and Conditioner ($3.99 each), too.

After toweling off, don’t forget a couple swipes of Secret Clinical Strength Stress Response ($7.99).

Now, hair. For a style similar to Jessica’s, apply Aussie Aussome Volume Styling Mousse ($4.99) to wet hair for hold and volume.

When your hair’s dry, curl one-inch sections with a large barrel curling iron, and spray Aussie Aussome Volume Hair Spray ($3.99) all over to boost your volume and lock the look down.

2. Getting gorgeous: pre-prep

Before jumping into the good stuff (eyes, lips and cheeks!), prep your eyes and lashes with Olay Face Micro-Sculpting Lash Duo ($22.49).

Even out your skin with a foundation like COVERGIRL Outlast 3-in-1 Foundation in Classic Tan ($12.99) before dusting on COVERGIRL + Olay Pressed Powder in Medium ($11.99) to eliminate shine.

3. Eye see brown liner on the red carpet

Kickstart your eye look by patting your favorite eye primer on your lids, filing in your brows and curling your lashes.

Then, with a brown eye liner like COVERGIRL LiqulineBlast Liner in Brown Blaze ($8.79), line your upper water and lash lines. Soften the upper lash line by smudging the edge with a flat eye shadow brush.

Use that flat brush to pat a shimmery gold shadow on your lids and just barely into the creases. Try: COVERGIRL Eye Enhancers 3-Kit Shadows in Golden Sunset ($4.99).

Swap out your flat brush for a domed eye shadow brush, and use it to blend away any harsh lines…

Now, take that domed brush, and load it with bronzer. I like the slight sheen that COVERGIRL’s Cheekers Bronzer in Copper Radiance ($4.99) has. The sheen keeps it from looking flat on the skin.

Sweep the bronzer into your creases, blending it into the golden eye shadow to create a subtle gradient.

To finish your peepers, layer a few coats of COVERGIRL Clump Crusher Mascara ($6.99) on both your upper and lower lashes.

4. Getting gorgeous: the final act

Almost done! Complete your red carpet look by defining your cheeks, lips and nails with COVERGIRL Cheekers Blush in Brick Rose ($4.99), COVERGIRL Lip Perfection Jumbo Glass Balm in Coral Twist ($8.99) and COVERGIRL Outlast Stay Brilliant Nail Gloss in Perma-Pink ($4.99).

Guess what? You’re done. Two words: great job. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen