How to get the stars' red carpet glow naturally: A 3-step guide

Do you ever watch the red carpet and wonder how stars like Jennifer Lopez and Blake Lively get their glow? Well, now you can get it for yourself thanks to celebrity nutritionist Peggy Kotsopoulos! Ahead of the Oscars, the health guru revealed to HELLO! the secret to achieving celebrity-grade red carpet radiance and told us the best foods to ensure your skin is always camera ready.

To prepare for your close-up, Peggy recommends eating olives and olive oil, as well as sweet potatoes, watermelon and cucumber. “A natural alternative to expensive moisturizer, olive oil provides hydration and inside-out moisture,” she explained . Meanwhile, sweet potatoes, she revealed, are a must because they're rich in Beta Carotene, which the body convertsto Vitamin A – "a powerful anti-oxidant which has strong anti-aging benefits and protects against oxidative stress and UV damage.”


A juiced cucumber can be used as a facial toner, Peggy tells HELLO!
Photo: Katherine O’Sullivan

Eating watermelon, which is next on her list, can sometimes be messy it but is essential for having healthy-looking hair and skin, which is why Peggy suggests WTRMLN WTR. “It’s my absolute favorite source of these nutrients and celebs like Sofia Vergara, Taylor Swift and Madonna love it, too,” she admitted. “I drink [it] as a beauty tonic because it is rich in antioxidants vitamin C and vitamin A [and it is] loaded with Lycopene.”


Madonna and Taylor Swift are fans of the beautifying powers of watermelon
Photo: Getty Images

The final menu item that is key for the celebrity nutritionist is cucumber – important to eat because of its skin, which contains collagen-strengthening silica that strengthens connective tissues, muscles, hair and nails. Peggy said, “Cucumber’s rich water content helps to hydrate skin from the inside out, giving off that youthful glow."

Another helpful tip, she said, is to “juice the entire cucumber, dab with a cotton pad and smooth over face as a skin-rejuvenating a toner.”

Those looking to achieve the celebrity red carpet glow should bid adieu to alcohol and reduce their sodium intake, the health expert instructed. Removing those from your diet will help reduce puffiness and water retention.

Now that you know what you should and shouldn’t eat, here is Peggy's 3-step guide to achieving the glow of the stars:

Blake Lively and Michelle Williams are fans of juice cleanses Photos: FilmMagic/Getty Images

1. Clear out the toxins.
"Juice cleansing is all the rage when it comes to anyone's pre-red carpet regime. Celebrities like Blake Lively and Michelle Williams claim this secret weapon helps them feel energized, makes their skin glow, and peels off pounds effortlessly. Green Juicing provides an instant surge of nutrients to the blood stream helping to clear toxins from the body, which results in increased energy, clearer skin and brighter eyes. A cucumber base increases the beauty effect."

2. Exfoliate.
"Countless celebrities, such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Victoria Beckham make their own exfoliating scrubs. Start a week before your event with ground coffee. Caffeine is a natural anti-inflammatory that temporarily reduces the appearance of dimples by smoothing out the area. It also helps tighten skin and blood vessels, breaks down fatty deposits and reduces water retention by sucking excess fluid out of cells — making you appear thinner and more toned. Mixing it with a carrier oil such as extra virgin olive oil helps to hydrate and smooth skin at the same time."


Gwyneth Paltrow makes her own natural exfoliants
Photo: Getty Images

3. Stay hydrated!
"If you want a flawless, youthful and glowy complexion, hydration is key. Proper hydration reduces the appearance of wrinkles, eliminates dryness and helps with elasticity. Drink half your body weight in ounces of water to clear your complexion and boost energy. One of the number one causes of fatigue is dehydration. And the same goes for aged skin. Nothing will give you more of a youthful glow than hydrating your skin from the inside out with water. It helps to flush toxins from the body and keeps skin supple.

Watermelon, whether eaten or juiced, is rich in potassium Photo: Getty Images

"Watermelon is one of the best ways to stay hydrated. Made up of mostly water, and rich in electrolytes, particularly potassium, which is essential for hydration on the cellular level. It keeps your skin flawless and fresh looking from the inside out. WTRMLN WTR [cold-pressed juiced watermelon], contains the rind, which is rich in vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that firms up skin and helps to slow the aging process. And it also contains L-Citrulline, which acts as a vasodilator helping to deliver oxygen to all the cells in your body, and is also great for glowing skin. Plus, it’s rich in antioxidant Lycopene (way more than tomatoes), which helps build our skin-firming collagen and prevents against UV damage."

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