LBS Beauty: Rihanna's Red Carpet Look at the Grammy's

Pop songstress and style icon Rihanna was arguably one of the best-dressed on the red carpet at this year’s Grammy Awards. She showed up rocking a long goddess-like red gown, and a complimentary beauty look that made heads turn. Instead of her edgy rocker cut, she sported long, wavy locks, paired with a bold red lip, red nails, and a sultry cat eye.

There were so many beautiful elements to her look. With a little effort and the proper technique, you can pull this look off at home using the following tips:

The Flawless Face

The key to achieving a flawless, blemish-free face like Rihanna’s is to take time correcting for any redness, covering up blotchiness, and evening out the complexion. Start with a great concealer that’s just a shade or two lighter than your complexion. Work the concealer in the under-eye area to get rid of dark circles and to even out fine lines, and use it to spot-correct blemishes. Next, apply a primer to the face. Primer helps not only keep your makeup in place, but negates shine so you have a matte finish. Finally, smooth on the foundation of your choice, making sure it’s evenly spread across the face. For a little highlight and a sun-kissed look, dust a golden bronzer on the cheeks. Finish with a powder to set!

The Cat Eye

There are quite a few ways to achieve the cat's eye look. Advanced makeup users may spring for a liquid liner to get the look. If you’re a novice like myself, spring for either a cream shadow in black that you can apply with an eye brush, or an eye pencil in black. Using a cream shadow with a brush allows you more control (and less mistakes!) because you can smooth it on gradually, as opposed to using liquid, which only gives you one swoop to get it right. Start at the inner corner of the eye, bring the liner all the way across the lid, then bring it up into a wing at the crease of the eye. Do this for both the top and the bottom for a sultry, picture-perfect cat's eye look. Finish the eye look with a neutral shadow with a little shimmer on the lids.

The Matte Red Lip

You guys know I’m all about a red lip! Celebrity makeup artist Mylah Morales, who did Rihanna’s makeup for the red carpet, used a combination of two lipsticks and a liner to achieve this look. Rihanna’s red lip is a matte red with a hint of orange.
The key to getting the perfect red lip? Start with a matching liner! Red is such a bright color on any complexion, and you need to start with a liner if you want the color to stay in place. Next, choose your favorite bright red or a combination of two similar colors, like Rihanna did. You can either use a lipstick that goes on matte, or use one that doesn’t and lightly dust it with powder for a matte effect.

The Glossy Red Nails

Red nails are a classic, and so easy to achieve. The key to getting nails like Rihanna, sans a fancy manicurist, is to choose a lacquer with great color payoff. This means that what you see in the bottle is what you get on your nails. Spring for a color that’s fairly opaque and bright. Don’t forget to start with a base coat and finish with a top coat to seal in the color.

The Romantic Waves

Rihanna’s new ‘do was the talk of the town after the Grammys. Instead of going with her edgy cropped look, she sprung for long romantic waves. To achieve this look start with a center part that’s just slightly off-center. If you have thick or curly hair, you;ll want to make sure your hair is sleek to start, so either blow-dry or flat-iron the hair for optimal sleekness. Prep the hair with a heat protectant product and a holding spray of your choice. In workable sections, curl the hair around a 1 1/2 inch barrel iron or a curling wand. Finish the look with a shine serum and a final blast of hairspray so your curls stay in place.

There you have the steps to Rihanna's red-carpet ready hair and makeup. Would you try this look at home?

This post is part of BlogHer's Celebrity Beauty Trends editorial series, made possible by Olay.