September signals several things in our fair city: the Ex is over, school is back in session, and King West can be an absolute traffic jam of celebrities with the annual arrival of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

Whether or not you’re a film buff, there’s lots of fun to be had in Toronto right now, what with all the great local events, star sightings, and many other opportunities to glam it up. To help you slay your red carpet look during the festival, I’ve rounded up my TIFF essentials below.

{Red Carpet Ready for TIFF}

Skincare & Fragrance

We all know that a gorgeous look starts with fabulous skin. Ensuring that your skin has a smooth texture, even colour, and is well hydrated will keep it your best supporting actor for years to come.

“In The Buff” Dry Brush (Saje Wellness)

This gem is my sure thing, the Meryl Streep to my Oscars. Made with natural sisal bristles (made from fibres in agave leaves), the In the Buff Dry Brush helps to exfoliate and revitalize your body by removing dull, dead surface cells. By brushing towards your heart with slow, circular motions, you stimulate your nervous system and help your body grow new and healthy skin. I use it on my legs, belly, arms, and shoulders before I shower, then rub on some moisturizer after I get out.

Due to my skin sensitivity, I don’t apply much pressure, and I never use the brush on areas with thinner dermal layers, like my chest, neck, or face. Since using the dry brush regularly, I’ve noticed a huge difference in my body’s skin texture: whereas I had reasonably soft skin before, but still had patches of dryness or dullness, now my whole body is glowing and endlessly touchable.

Eyes-Absolute (Filorga)

All those late-night film screenings can take a toll on your eyes! Lately, I’m loving Filorga’s Eyes-Absolute, a multi-use anti-ageing eye cream. The metal applicator is wonderfully soothing to any puffiness, and the complex cream formula nourishes the entire eye area. Packed full of plant extracts, peptides, and even trace amounts of white pearls, this triple-threat cream (see what I did there?) helps reduce wrinkles, eliminate dark circles, thicken eyelashes, and reflect light to brighten the eyes.

Dahlia Divin (Givenchy)

To complete your glowing goddess vibe, top off your look with the perfect fragrance. Givenchy’s Dahlia Divin is a rich and sensual scent that adds some serious va-va-voom to any ensemble.

Makeup and Hair

For TIFF, I tried two different makeup looks – romantic and edgy – and have shared the products that have starring roles in each.

The Romantic Look

My must-haves to achieve a romantic makeup look are:

• a brilliant glow
• voluminous lashes
• a dark lip.

Glow: For a warm and dramatic highlight, my pick is Stila’s Heaven’s Hue Highlighter in Kitten. The putty texture helps the product melt into your skin, making your highlight seem much more authentic, rather than floating on top of your other makeup like so many others do. Kitten’s rose gold hue works on many different skin tones, and it has major staying power.

Lashes: False eyelashes are huge right now, and I particularly love Esqido mink lashes for their deluxe feel and extremely high quality. They have tons of styles available (and even a quiz to find your perfect lashes), but my TIFF-themed pick is “Lash Named Desire.” Voluminous and glam without being overpowering, they ooze romance.

Lips: A dramatic pout anchors a romantic look, complimenting the glowing highlight and plush lashes. I like to balance the intense glow of a gold highlight with a matte, dark lip. For this look, I’m wearing Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Notte.

The Edgy Look

An edgy look needs a few simple things:

• graphic eyeliner
• a nude lip
• hair with mega volume.

Of course, a “LWYMMD” attitude doesn’t hurt, either.

Eyes: The key to putting together graphic eyeliner is having the right tools. Luckily, Annabelle Cosmetics has just come out with a series of eyeliner pens that are specifically created to help you create angles sharper than the plot twist in your favourite thriller flick. The Eyeink line has Sharpie, bubble, and tulip pen styles available.

Lips: A nude lip completes the edgy look without competing with the bold eyeliner. Since I didn’t want too much gloss, I used Caryl Baker’s Nirvana lipstick  in Spirit. Its creamy formula has a saturated colour that is rich and hydrating, and the colour is the perfect compliment to intense eyes.

Hair: Big attitude and big hair inevitably go hand in hand (very Brigitte Bardot). For instant volume, I love Cake Beauty’s newest offering, The Hair Raiser. A direct shot to the roots creates major lift, while working it through the length of your hair adds incredible texture.

Star-Gazing

After many a TIFF celebrity stakeout ended in a disappointingly blurry cell phone picture (“It’s not a rabid yeti, it’s Jake Gyllenhall, I swear!”), I knew I needed to get a better lighting situation. My LuMee Duo phone case has saved me from having to lug around tons of extra equipment when I’m out star-gazing during TIFF, and has allowed me to document both the celebrities and selfies of my new favourite makeup looks with ease. The case fits over your phone, and with the push of a button, you can light either the front or back of your phone, ensuring you get the perfect shot every time.

And that’s a wrap on my TIFF red carpet report! What are your film festival must-haves for getting red carpet ready for TIFF?