Dancing with the Stars wrapped up its 24th season last night, and all eyes were not only on the celebrity finalists, but also the gorgeous pro dancers, whose perfectly toned and tanned physiques graced our TV screens for the last several weeks as the competition heated up. We got a chance to catch up with one half of the lucky winning duo, British beauty Emma Slater, a professional dancer who joined the cast back in 2013, to get the inside scoop on what takes place in the hair and makeup chair behind the scenes.
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Good hair is a big deal.
“The hair department at DWTS is no joke! They seriously have everything you can think of that involves hair. Hair pieces, products, heat tools, nets, accessories, wigs and the list goes on. One of my favorite looks was a dreadlock look that I did while dancing a mambo with Tommy Chong. Mary who is the head of the hair department added blond dreadlock clips to my hair and crimped my natural hair in between it for a really voluminous ‘Islander’ effect. I loved it!”
Setting powder works wonders.
“Everyday, to complete my beauty routine, I use a loose finishing powder on my face. This sets my liquid foundation by blotting any excess oil and takes away the unwanted shine, which is helpful when you are being active and dancing every day! It also helps to keep all my make up in place so it doesn’t slide. I use Laura Mercier Invisible Loose Setting Powder—it’s magic! The pressed Blot Powder from MAC Cosmetics is also great for this.”
The self-tanner secret is revealed.
“I’m extremely proud to have partnered up with Norvell for a new line of amazing self-tanning products, Dancing with the Stars Self Tanner with Vio-7. I’ve been using these products on the down-low for ages now, so I’m thrilled they will soon be available to buy in store! This is the only self-tanner on the market that features Vio-7, which is an unique blend of bronzers to counter any unwanted orange undertone. That is beyond important when you don’t want to look like a tangerine on national TV!”
Warm-up sessions are intense.
“I try to drink lots of water; it’s such a key element to staying healthy and active. My football legend celebrity partner Rashad Jennings took over our daily warm-ups and we did lots of hamstring stretches through a series of drills over a 20-yard stretch. I also needed to warm my neck up a lot to because I am most prone to tight shoulders and neck twinges!”
Maintaining a tight, toned body takes a lot of work!
“I love to do workouts such as bar method training, which is the perfect mix of Pilates, dance and cardio for me. While the DWTS tour is happening, we get a lot of cardio in just by doing the show, but all the female dancers usually still went to the gym together during the day. I like to do leg lifts out to the side and behind me, alternating each leg. To mix it up, you can add some push-ups in between changing sides so you can get a more complete workout. Planking is the best for a strong core!”
