Star power

For some starlets, such as French actress and Academy Award winner Marion Cotillard, wearing minimal make-up allows their natural beauty to shine through. But less coverage can actually require more preparation.

"Prior to a red carpet event, prepping your skin is a vital part of great make-up. It makes an enormous difference on how your make-up will adhere, and improves the overall appearance," says Denise Toms, a Hong Kong-based freelance make-up artist who has powdered her share of celebrities, including the Rolling Stones, Isabella Rosselini and Pansy Ho Chiu-king.

Toms recommends a gentle but effective scrub such as Dermalogica's rice-based Daily Microfoliant, followed by a good moisturiser on the face and neck. To give skin a healthy-looking glow, she suggests applying a thin layer of Laura Mercier's Foundation Primer and mixing a bit of bronzer with your favourite foundation.

"For natural, yet defined eyes, follow the outer rims with black eyeliner and smudge using a cotton bud or a medium bronze eye shadow," Toms says. "Line the inner rim with black eye kohl, and apply lashings of black mascara."

Bobbi Brown's new, limited-edition Dual-Ended Mascara combines Everything Mascara for definition and Lash Glamour Extreme Lengthening Mascara for length.

To finish the eyes, Toms recommends dusting a cream-coloured shadow along the brow bone. "Comb your brows, layer a blush such as Giorgio Armani's Sheer Blush in beige on the apples of your cheeks, and you have a look that's natural yet strikingly beautiful."