Archive copy by Jenni Baden Howard

What we don’t get to see, of course, is the cast of beauty gurus responsible for ensuring that the nominees look their fabulous best when they step out of their limos and sashay up the famous red carpet to the Shrine Auditorium. Here, the stars-behind-the-stars reveal their big night beauty secrets, and name the key products they reach for. And the Oscar goes to ...

Flawless Faces

If anyone knows about getting a girl ready for her big moment in front of the world’s cameras, it’s Los Angeles-based make-up artist Jeanine Lobell, whose Stila make-up range has a cult following among celebrities. For past Oscars, Lobell has worked her magic on Julianne Moore, Cameron Diaz, Helena Christensen and Cate Blanchett, whom she made-up last year for both the Oscars and the Golden Globe Awards.

‘I like to enhance Cate’s natural paleness, rather than work against it,’ says Lobell. ‘She’s naturally gorgeous and looks stunning in shimmery peaches and beiges.’ For this year’s Golden Globes, Natalie Portman and Catherine Deneuve both called on Lobell, who admits to getting almost as excited as her famous clients on the night. ‘For a make-up artist, it’s like getting your best friend ready on her wedding day,’ she enthuses. ‘It’s a great feeling being part of someone’s big day. You want your girl to go down that carpet feeling good.’

According to Lobell, a smooth, non-clogging make-up base is crucial. ‘Full evening make-up in broad daylight can look really scary - and that’s when all the photographs are taken,’ she explains. ‘A heavy, pancake foundation will start to crack and separate, so I always use an oil-free liquid formula.’

On clients like Blanchett, Lobell uses Stila’s Liquid Makeup (£24), available in 8 natural-looking shades. ‘It provides good coverage but has a very sheer finish,’ she explains (Stila is now available from Liberty, Regent Street, as well as branches of space NK apothecary, for mail order, tel: 0870- 169 9999).

To give your usual foundation a fresher, more luminous finish, try applying The Body Shop Colourings’ new Glow Enhancer (£4.75) first.

Veteran Oscar make-up artist Carol Shaw agrees with Lobell that achieving a flawless foundation is essential. ‘I’m fanatical about skin - that’s why I get hired,’ she confesses.

Last year, Shaw did Laura Dern’s maquillage for the ceremony and has also done the honours for Geena Davies and Susan Sarandon. ‘I always spend the most time on the base, starting with an oil-free foundation, which I apply with a sponge, followed by concealer. This I apply with a brush and “melt” it onto the skin with my fingers, and follow with powder.’

Shaw uses products from her own make-up range, Lorac, which includes a line-up of lipsticks named after well-known clients and friends, like Meg, Winona and Geena (currently only available in America, inquiries, tel: 001- 310 589 6075).

A good oil-free foundation and concealer combo: Revlon’s New Complexion Even Out Makeup (£8.50), a sheer, oil-free foundation that’s a bestseller in the States and will be available at UK counters from 19 April, choose from 6 shades; and Tesco make-up’s Concealer (£3.10), a cream-gel concealer which blends brilliantly, available in 3 shades (at selected stores).

Movie Star Make-Up

According to the make-up artists behind the scenes, the “full on”, heavily made-up face is out. ‘The look is a lot fresher and more modern,’ reports Lobell. ‘It’s less “retro” and reflects more what’s happening on the runways and in magazines right now.’

Playing-up either the eyes or lips - not both - is celebrity make-up artist Bobbi Brown’s recipe for sexy, up-to-the-minute Oscar night glamour. ‘Last year, we went for a very fresh, pretty look with either a deep stain on the lips and minimal eyes, or a neutral, glossy mouth and smokier eyes,’ recalls Brown, who set up an exclusive “beauty suite” at the Four Seasons Hotel for nominees and VIP guests.

Create either a beautifully bare or sultry-eyed look with Bobbi Brown Essentials’ new Cream Shadow Sticks (£14 each), available in 6, easy-to-blend matte shades, from Wood to Lavender (for stockists, tel: 0800- 525501).

Lobell slicks stars’ lips with a tinted lip gloss, rather than using a lipstick and liner, on Oscar night: ‘Better to have faded lip colour than be left with a line around your mouth,’ she explains. ‘Also, with a gloss you can just touch it up when you’re sitting in your seat.’ Lobell applies Stila’s Lip Shine (£13.50), available in a range of shades, including Rose, Pink, Nude and Plum. Look out, too, for hot new make-up brand Pixi’s Wand Lip Gloss (£11), available in 16 gorgeous shades, which are seasonally updated (at Pixi, 12 Ganton Street, London W1, and by mail order, tel: 0171- 287 7211).

Nails are usually left to the last minute, to avoid chips and splits. Top Hollywood manicurist Kristi Marie Jones will spend much of tomorrow zipping around town, tending to the stars’ extremities: ‘On the day, I’m cruising around the city “on call” in my car full of polishes,’ she says. ‘I always get through bottles of pale pink polish, but people are getting a lot more adventurous with colour.’

American nailcare company OPI’s Nail Lacquer (£7.25) is a hit with celebs. Calista Flockhart wears Hollywood & Wine, a deep, dark burgundy. She’s also a fan of Nicole’s Nail Lacquer (£9.95) in Stolen Kisses, a bright, sparkly red, as is Kate Winslet (for OPI and Nicole stockists and mail order, tel: 0181- 868 3400).

Bodies Beautiful

Plunging necklines and backless little numbers allow no hiding place for spotty shoulders and lizard-like skin. Smart stars check in for body-buffing spa treatments a few days before the big night, or book a sneaky self-tanning session (the St Tropez treatment is one of the best, on both sides of the Atlantic, for your nearest salon, tel: 0115- 9221462).

To add a sexy gleam to his star clients’ skin, make-up artist Vincent Longo has created the New Age Body Collection (£25): a set of 3 Body Divine creamy shimmers, in Gold, Silver and Bronze, along with 3 matching Diva Dust sparkling body powders. Jennifer Lopez was the first to try it - she loved it - closely followed by Bond girl Denise Richards, who turned up at this year’s American MTV Awards smothered in the stuff (available now at Selfridges and stockists nationwide, tel: 01252- 741601).