How Celebs Banished Facial Shininess From The Emmys Red Carpet

While there is finally a hint of autumn in the air in New York City, it was obviously very hot in LA on Sunday — as we heard approximately 700 times during the 2015 Emmys red carpet broadcast. Giuliana Rancic even said that someone checked their phone and noted that it was 106 degrees at the exact spot on the red carpet on which they were standing. Hot. We get it. 

I did a bit of sleuthing and stalked some makeup artists who worked with celebrities on the Emmys red carpet to find out how they kept their  clients looking cool as cucumbers. Here are some sweat-proof tricks of the trade. 

Blot It:

My personal hero, Allison Janney, cemented her place forever in my heart when she accepted her Emmy for outstanding supporting actress in "Mom." Upon taking the stage, she quickly tossed something pink to the side, stating, "I brought my blotting thing up here with me. " Celebrities sweat, too! The giveaway color suggested that it was a Beauty Blender product and indeed, a company representative confirmed to me that it's the new Beauty Blender Blotterazzi — a product released this past July. According to a review in Allure, you can use it for up to 60 days with proper cleaning. Eco-friendly and now celeb-approved. (While we're talking about pink blotting things, I'd also like to recommend Shiseido's Sweat and Oil Blotting Papers.)

Powder It:

While you run the risk of the dreaded white powder face when you use too much powder on the red carpet, it's a necessity in hot weather. Jamie Greenberg, the makeup artist who worked with Morena Baccarin at the Emmys, said in an email,  "I layered Laura Mercier translucent setting powder on the t-zone after foundation. And before she left I pressed it into the t-zone again. It's about layering thin powder today!" (The loose powder floating around the bathroom during commercial breaks probably contributed to LA's notoriously polluted air.)

Spray It:

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Makeup setting sprays are the unsung heroes of the beauty world — they are totally underrated in my opinion. It seems counterintuitive to spray a liquid on top of your makeup to keep it dry, but as it dries it somehow dissolves oil and dries sweat along with it. Think of it as a topcoat for your face.

Kindra Mann, who worked with Maisie Williams, said, "To beat the heat in LA today, I used Urban Decay oil control setting spray over the makeup to help keep the oil at bay on the red carpet." Amy Poehler got a post-makeup spritz as well. "I set her look with a light mist of MAC Cosmetics Prep + Prime Fix to make sure everything stayed in place," said makeup artist Brett Friedman in a release.

Makeup artist Ashunta Sheriff used  L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Spray & Set Makeup Extender Setting Spray all over Taraji P. Henson — because Cookie does not sweat, OK?  Bonus: Makeup spray feels cool on your face so you don't have to carry a fan around with you. (Love you, Cat Deeley!):

Layer It:

While as few layers as possible is the key to dressing in the heat, you want layers when you're trying to keep makeup on your face when it's also hot as balls. "It's beyond hot here today!" confirms makeup artist Tamah, who worked with Amanda Peet.  "I have found the key to keeping clients looking fresh is to keep face makeup as minimal as possible — tinted moisturizer, spot concealing, just keeping skin really light and using products that will stay put. Layering is also key. I gave my client Amanda Peet a really strong red lip and layered a lip liner underneath to keep it from moving." (Bare Minerals' new-ish Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream is fantastically light weight and non-pore clogging if you're in the market for a new tinted moisturizer that isn't too full coverage.)

Slick It (Bonus Tip):

When in doubt, just slick your hair back and no one will know whether you're sweating like a pig or just super edgy. Kudos, Jaimie Alexander.