Seth McFarlane, host for the 2013 Oscar Ceremony, was impeccably groomed pre-show by men’s grooming, style and haircare expert, Diana Schmidtke.   Schmidtke, a Los Angeles-based stylist who counts George Clooney, Orlando Bloom and Robert Pattinson among the men she has made even more appealing, was at the rehearsal the day prior and all day at The Oscars, working with McFarlane during this much-viewed event. 

“Men’s grooming is not just the hair-- it’s hair, skin and body,” explains Schmidtke. “Knowing he was going to have a very long day, I started Seth off with the Royal Shave, a four-part shave from ‘The Art of Shaving’.  I wanted him to have the closest shave possible to avoid 5:00 shadow.”

HOST SKIN/ THE ROYAL SHAVE:

FIRST:  Prep the skin with a hot towel and pre-shave oil.  NEXT: Apply a shaving cream with a badger bristle brush. “This is the best way to apply shaving cream. The bristles retain moisture, they keep the shaving foam warm and they exfoliate.” FINISHING TOUCHES: After the shave, there is a clay mask applied followed by after care—a balm, lotion or gel. 

“This process is so hydrating to the skin and moisturizes it so well that I need almost no makeup—just some under-eye concealer.  There wasn’t a lot of sleep happening in the week leading up to the Oscars.”  

Schmidtke uses Jouer Cosmetics.  “Their concealers are so nice and light and in so many right tones. I’m always combining colors to get the perfect shade.”  And for a moisturizer, she used Kiehls with SPF 30.

“I’ve been using Kiehls for years and I’ve never had anyone react to it. I like to use the same things so in the event someone has a breakout then I can track it.”

HOST HAIR:

“For something this special, I like it a little stepped up, slightly unrealistic but still cool.”

STYLE: “I used Aquage Transforming Paste.  I know it will last a long time without getting too sticky or too flakey.  I can get him ready and that’s that. I don’t like it when a guy looks different in every shot.  I understand it with girls but not with guys. It’s about the show, it’s not about him.  And certainly it’s not about his hair.”

FINISH: “I never leave home without the Spray Shine from the Paul Mitchell Awapuhi line. I love it because most serums, while great for girls, are too shiny for guys.  They invite too much light in that shines right down on the scalp. This is a spray that adds a nice ‘dust’ of shine. “

So, that’s all pre-show—what about during the show?  “Backstage, it’s an art within an art,” says Schmidtke.   “It’s completely nerve wracking but at some point you have to snap out of it and approach it knowing you’ve done this a thousand times and you know what you’re doing. I have to work harmoniously with the stylist, we become a team.  About every 30 minutes, I found Seth to check on him.  I take notes during the rehearsal to know which side of the stage he will be on.  Because it’s so dark backstage, you can’t risk using powder and having particles flying all over so I use Peter Thomas Roth Anti Shine. “

CAREER HIGHLIGHT:  

“In 85 years, the Academy has never given credit to the host’s personal hair and makeup stylist.  This year, they did.  Seeing my name in the credits after the show was so exciting.  Funny thing is, they spelled my last name wrong.  In my very first cover shoot, my last name was spelled wrong, too, so it kind of came full circle. It was such a great experience.”

DIANA’S RED CARPET PICKS:

--I was able to get a close-up view of Jennifer Aniston’s dress and it was absolutely gorgeous.  Jennifer Lawrence’s dress was a piece of art

--I loved Jeremy Renner.  His hair looked nice and full, with a nice side part, and the perfect amount of volume. Very classy.  Channing Tatum, I like him in that close crop, It was just perfect.

--I liked Bradley Cooper’s groomed beard.