In the home (away from home and Hollywood) of Grace Kelly the Monte-Carlo TV Festival is celebrated in his honour. Her husband Ranieri III wanted it and today the tradition continues with his son Albert II of Monaco.
But in the Principality the appointment is not a red carpet like the others, but a real protocol to be respected in order to meet His Highness. Before Covid, the royals organized a special welcome cocktail at the Palace, complete with a written invitation from the Chamberlain and a dress code that prohibited black.
Today there are other rules for the occasions when celebrities meet royals and they all go through a beauty and relaxation treatment to make the moment even more memorable.
AND Vanity Fair exclusively visited the various headquarters dedicated to beauty and located in the hotel where the stars stay (from John Goodman, president of the jury 2023, to the cast of Ted Lasso).
As happens to mere mortals, even celebrities make wardrobe mistakes, last minute changes of mind: to comply with the dress code there is a real atelier (a sort of Carrie Bradshaw’s wardrobe to the nth degree) divided by color that replaces the styling of the agenda at the Festival.
Then there are various beauty corners in the key points of the event and a make-up and hair home service. The first step is an appointment in the Wellness suite by French facialist Celine Nanot, which also has two salons in Paris: «Divas – she says – can be reasonably agitated to meet the royal family and want to look their best. To shine, however, the whole body must be relaxed and emotionally free from the burdens of everyday life. We talk about massages but also about detox with mine holistic breath-based technique and on the face workout. In short, our face must reflect a well-being that starts from within. And it is helped by natural products such as those of Sentara and by small tricks, such as facial strips ».
She is echoed by the founder of the French make-up brand SLA, Serge Louis Alvarez, who has been preparing the stars for the meeting with the Prince for six years, starting from the basics: «Never overdo or compete with the hostbut keep a natural and sophisticated look at the same time. Our brand was born for the cinema and has expanded into various boutiques. However, this event is special: Monte-Carlo frames and enhances the beauty of serial stories and Prince Albert II gives his approval to a form of storytelling that now reaches the public in many ways. Our make-up artists have 25 minutes to get a star not only ready for the cameras but to meet Her Royal Highness.”
Even if Albert of Monaco dispenses selfies and autographs on the red carpet and then takes to the dance floor dancing at the after party of the final evening, this closeness shouldn’t be mistaken for confidence. Contact, for example, must be encouraged or requested by the prince, even though many stars know him very well by now.
“The rule to appear at your best to his suspicion is to maintain a dignified elegance capable of mixing naturalness and the ability to shine,” he adds.
The challenge is subtraction and every year SLA brings a preview of the products from the new collection to the festival focusing on two factors: long life and ease of application. This is the secret of the stars, which can also be applied to everyday life, adapting to the various moments of the day. To confirm the trend of less is more, this year the brand focuses on glossy effect lips and pastel colors like lilac and light blue (like LipCrush, a matte liquid lipstick).
«Never exaggerate – explains the founder – not only in front of a member of blue blood, but in life in general. The meeting with Albert II teaches us to tone down a few notches, to enhance natural beauty without being flashy». In fact, what distinguishes him is uniqueness, certainly not a heavy, elaborate and pompous make-up.
Just look at Princess Charlene: clean lines, sober features, nude effect make-up. Even if mother nature has blessed you with the DNA of Miss Mondo America, Audra Mari (wife of Josh Duhamel, who remarried her after his divorce from Fergie).
The idea of ​​making an impression is often confused with the desire to be seen at all costs, resorting to a flashy and baroque detail. No. The ALS guru absolutely rules it out. And since the rdaily facial routine that she calls Skinimalist (a kit with three products to remove make-up, but also to rehydrate and protect the skin).
And if you want to give a little help to the genes of beauty, Shiny ink coat Millie it is a plumping product on which the CEO aims to obtain a full but never vulgar effect on the lips.
In short, a prince-proof make-up.
Source: Vanity Fair
I’m Susan Karen, a professional writer and editor at World Stock Market. I specialize in Entertainment news, writing stories that keep readers informed on all the latest developments in the industry. With over five years of experience in creating engaging content and copywriting for various media outlets, I have grown to become an invaluable asset to any team.
