How to Own the Celebrity Red Carpet Pose - Best Photo Ops

The SuperBowl of red carpets has to be the Academy Awards, and celebrities walking it tonight have never been under more pressure to look their best, with the pose that can make or break their careers. Stylists often work with their clients days ahead of time perfecting the version that showcases the designer gown they borrow, jewels or best feature. Here are a few pointers we can all take home from the A listers as we take a look at their go-to stances.

Simple works for Gwenyth. (Not even a clutch for a prop!) She looks effortlessly beautiful in her no fuss, natural, relaxed self ... but I am warning you that not many can pull off this non-posed, pose! Admittedly, arms at your side, slightly bent is probably best for a column styled gown, just remember to push your head forward from the neck to eliminate a double chin, and stand up straight with shoulders back and then down.

Halle Berry is still a pageant girl at heart (1st RunnerUp to Miss USA 1986) and nothing shows it more than her signature hands on the hip pose. The over exaggerated space between the arms and the body  makes the waist look smaller and the arms skinnier. Oh, and and it doesn't hurt if you can flex your biceps for the shot.

Taking the skinny arm on the hip trick one step further with a highly arched back, is Paris Hilton's go-to look. To do this yourself plant your hips at a two o'clock position, then twist your waist and shoulders to the opposite side (10 o'clock), lean back and pop your hand on the hip you are leaning in to.

Crossing your legs can make your hips look narrower and your legs look longer, but this pose only works if your legs are long and lean to begin with and you aren't grimacing like you have to pee. Taylor is proof positive that this pose can give you supermodel "legs for days" stature.

Rhianna might "Shine Bright Like a Diamond", but this is definitely her "money" shot. She does this over-the-shoulder, come hither stare, so beautifully (red, blonde or brunette!) by turning back, raising one shoulder and lowering her chin spot on to the camera.

J. Lo caught a lot of grief for this one legg-ed pose last month, accused of stealing the "Jolie leg" but I think that the Oscar belongs to Jennifer here ... Though many have tried and come close, she has always owned this signature pose. For this one, angle yourself ever so slightly putting all of your weight on your back leg with the toe pointed straight ahead to the camera, then jutt the other leg forward keeping the toe in the same line as your leg.

You might also like my other posts:

 How to look Skinnier in the Camera {HERE} 

 How to Make Your Legs Look Longer {HERE}

Video: My "Fashion Police" segment for the 2013 Oscar red carpet

Finally the instruction manual you've been waiting for! To learn all the secrets to posing in front of the camera, 191 pages of tricks and tips, check out my new book Face This: Real advice from Real Models! Available on Amazon, Kindle, Nook and iTunes. ($7.99)

Valentine's Day Beauty - You're SEXY and You Know IT!

{Click HERE to watch my Valentine's beauty segment on KPNX}

Did you know that the average American woman kisses 79 men before she gets married?

The perfect kiss is definitely a combination of a lot of things, but moist lips top the list every time! Guys like it natural, no sticky gloss or bright red color transfer allowed! A couple of guys in their dorm room who I think were probably trying to invent ways to meet up with chics, thought so too, and developed a 2 person lip balm called KISSTIXX; Chocolate and Strawberry, Fire and Ice, Peaches and Cream - It's a little bit like combining Jelly Bellys to make your favorite flavor. Each person applies their own and then kiss to taste the chemical reaction. Full of emollients, vitamins and sunscreen, it's super yummy and irresistable. Featured on Shark Tank last year, this won the support of an investor. You can buy a duo online {Here} for just $5.99, but look for it in stores soon!

Well, who doesn't need a little more energy in the romance department to spice up their love life? Sprayology has made this an easy venture with their popular homeopathic oral spray called Woman Power (not to leave the guys out there is also a Man Power) that promises to help rev up your libido! Two sprays under the tongue up to 3 times a day and you're well on your way to feeling sexy again from the inside out. What I love about this whole line, {sleep, diet, stress, hangover, vitamins} is that they don't have any side effects, FDA regulated to use for anyone 2 years and older. Plus I don't choke swallowing a lot of supplements and it doesn't make my stomach upset. Using it 3 times a day, one bottle should last you an entire month. Check it out {HERE}

Valentines Day is always about finding a gift that says I LOVE YOU. And the perfect last minute gift? Ahhh Yes the infamous love coupon. Afterall, who doesn't like the promises that these little gift certificates hold? Use an empty day of the week pill box for a fun take on this old idea and instead of pills, fill it with his favorite candies and seven days of surprises with customized coupons, just for him. 

These can be as easy as a Leg Massage, Breakfast in Bed, or something we all need .... Get out the Doghouse FREE card. If you want to make it a little steamy: Have it Your Way, Your Personal Genie  i.e. Your Wish is my command or why not offer to re-enact a favorite moment you both share like your first date or your wedding night. Romantic love notes like I love you because .... are good to mix in if you don't want to offer up too much of yourself! HA

Everyone really does love an IOU, even kids, and because Valentine's Day falls during the week, it's not always easy to get out to do something special together because of work and homework, so write a special little note and hide it in a chocolate box. Something like "Let's get an ice cream - just you and mom" and your little one will love looking forward to planning the perfect time to spend it with you!

Everyone's face looks prettier with a little flush, and Physician Formula's Happy Booster Blush is formulated with natural plant extracts that mimic endorphins that actually promote feelings of happiness! The packaging is so darn cute you can't help but smile looking at it, and the rosy glow it gives your cheeks makes it a WIN-WIN for only $12 available at your drug-stores. Just swirl your blush brush to combine the hues (there are different intensities of rosy glow). I like using the lighter one and layering it as almost a highlighter on top of my regular blush because it has this beautiful luminescent quality to it. 

If you missed the Grammy's Sunday night, you must check out the mani-cam sponsored by Cover Girl {HERE}

Everyone is obsessed with nail art these days and there a ton of ways to decorate your nails, but nothing easier than the nail appliques available everywhere for about $10. Super easy to do yourself, just start with a dry nail, apply the sticker, bend it over your nail and file off the extra. They won't always tell you this in the instructions, but be sure to hit it with a clear top coat for extra staying power! These should last about 10 days.

Finally, if you happen to be with a "legg" man, you'll want to know about the collaboration with Venus and Olay. They make a refillable 5 blade razor that you don't need to use shaving creme with because as soon as you get it wet the Olay moisturizing bars lather up and give you a smooth shave no matter if you're in the shower or not. I love this whole concept, especially since I am a model known for her gams. 

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY - 

You're SEXY and YOU KNOW IT!

MakeUp Detox and Spring 2013 Makeup Trends

I always think of January as a time to get uber organized for the new year, and there's still a few days left to begin one last project so why not detox your makeup bag ... Decide what to toss, what to keep and what you should be buying new for Spring 2013!

First of all, I recommend getting rid of everything you haven't used for the past year. Chances are you weren't so in love with it afterall! Especially toss your foundations for sure because they go bad after 12 months, but what most people don't realize is that the real foundation for radiant skin is actually exfoliation; not a product at all.

Watch my beauty segment from Arizona Midday to learn more.

As new skin cells renew underneath our skin, the surface cells dry out and begin to accumulate on top leaving us with lack luster, dull skin. In 60 seconds flat you can sweep away those dead skin cells with Clarisonic's new Aria skin cleaner. This little machine has won Allure Magazine's best in beauty products award for 2012 and for good reason ... the patented sonic (yes like your toothbrush)  technology engineers the Clarisonic's brush bristles to move 300 times per second for great cleaning and exfoliation.

Super versatile, you can charge this on your computer while you travel with it's USB plug. Plus it's waterproof which means you can leave it in your shower so it's easy to use every day. This is one beauty item I can't live without because not only does it allow serums and moisturizers to penetrate into my skin better but my makeup glides on and it helps minimize the look of pores by keeping them clean.

Blue was THEE makeup statement on the runway for eyes this Spring. Michael Kors sent girls down the catwalk with a floating blue liner while Stella McCartney used a teal blue underneath on the water line. While Nicole Richie at the Golden Globes sported a blue shadow all over matching her dress.

Just like 2 sides to a story, where the truth lies somewhere in between, we must interpret trends on the runway into a real way. I didn't like this blue powder in the 70's on eyes and I still don't. I think this made Ms Richie look old and is a good example of why you shouldn't take trends you see too extreme in real life.

Most makeup artists will tell you there are only two palettes of shadows that you need to have in your makeup drawer ... a few neutrals for day and darker shades for dramatic nights out. Of course they can put these together easily, but for the rest of us Smashbox has made a Photo-Op Palette with 3 shades for day and 3 to use for a smokey eye and narrowed down the best colors for blue eyes, hazel and brown. For $39 it doesn't get easier than that!

If you do want to add a pop of blue into your eye wardrobe this year, do it with a liner in navy, chambray, teal or aquamarine. You can mix it with a black liner to create a color cat-eye look like this, or line your lower water line or just the outside corners.

I think every woman owns at least 10 lipsticks in the same shade, so line them up arranged by color and get rid of the ones that are identical. This year the shows were filled with bright red lips so if you buy another lipstick this year, make it red! There is a red shade that looks good on everyone ... a true red. Mac's Russian Red is one of these colors, not too blue or too orange. Madonna made it popular in the 80's during her blonde ambition tour when she announced it was the color she wore and it is still a best seller today. Whatever shade, red creates an impact so if you don't want to go bold and blue on your eyes, then do so with your lip. Check out my post on how to find the PERFECT RED LIPSTICK {HERE}

Super false eyelashes have been on trend for awhile, but for Spring 2013 they are more believable but still artificially long. To create this look without wearing falsies use at least 5 coats of mascara. Start with a volumizing mascara like DiorShow which is powder based so it dries quickly giving you a triple shot of lashes. And then finish with a lengthening mascara like Cover Girl's new Clump Crusher which boasts the claim of being able to coat lashes 30 times without clumps. I actually took the challenge and it's true. Here's a photo of my lashes after 30 coats. No clumps, but I didn't get as much volume as I would have liked so use the two together and it's SuperLashes R Us!

30 coats with Cover Girl Clump Crusher.

To learn more secrets about looking camera ready all the time check out my new book Face This available on Amazon, Kindle, Nook and iTunes.