Ash K Holm is a Who What Wear editor in residence, a celebrity makeup artist and educator, and the co-founder of the luxury medspa Dripology

It’s officially award season, which is basically the Olympics for celebrity makeup artists, hairstylists, nail artists, and stylists. While it’s a super-glamorous time for the A-listers hitting the red carpet, it’s a real hustle behind the scenes. It’s not just about showing up at your client’s door the day of. There’s a ton of prep that happens in the days leading up to the red carpet.

For me, that means pulling inspiration and making mood boards for the makeup look, coordinating with the rest of the glam team, and prepping my kit with all of my essentials. I always tell makeup artists who are just getting started that how you prep is everything. You can’t just show up on set with the products you need for the look you have planned. You need to be ready for anything, from last-minute changes to different lighting and even unexpected weather.

Lindsay Lohan, Shay Mitchell, Penelope Cruz, Hailee Steinfeld, and Eiza González on the red carpet.

Here are just a few of the red carpet looks I’ve created on clients Lindsay Lohan, Shay Mitchell, Hailee Steinfeld, Penélope Cruz, and Eiza González.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Glam typically takes two and a half to three hours, depending on the client. I never want the process to feel rushed, so I always get there at least 30 minutes early to set up, swatch shades one more time, and check them against the dress to make sure they work with the look. Once the makeup is just right and our client gets dressed, we spend another 30 minutes taking photos and doing final touches before they head out the door.