WhoWhatWear

"It was a process to pick my dress," Pekarek says. "I tried things on for four hours." Although she originally thought she'd wear something beaded and '20s-inspired she ended up loving a purple David Meister frock. "What's nice about this one is that it's modern, but it has that dropped waist which feels '40s-inspired. It's a lot more elegant than I thought I was going to go, but the Grammys are a special occasion," she says. Her modern-meets-retro dress led her to pick a red lip and loose curls.

"Normally I just get out of the shower and shake my curls out, but I just got bangs so I've been doing a little more," Pekarek says. "Like last night I straightened my hair for a Grammy party, but for tonight I really wanted soft curls. I found this image of Lizzie Olsen I love." Hairstylist Nicolette LeFebre started with Pekarek's already-straight hair and a 1 1/2-inch curling iron. "I curled and pinned her hair to get a nice shape, then I flat-ironed her bangs, giving them a little curl under so they stay off to the side." Once Pekarek's hair was cool, LeFebre released the curls and gently brushed them out.

To add even more texture and volume to Pekarek's locks, LeFebre reached for two more irons. "I really want the curls to be different sizes and textures, so I decided to create flat iron curls and waves using a 3-barrel curling iron," she says. LeFebre focused the waving iron at the musician's roots and the flat iron around her face. Once Pekarek's hair had soft waves and curls, LeFebre pulled pieces from her face and pinned them with a set of Conair Barrettes.

"I've had a few makeup artists that were great, but most of the time I end up wiping off a lot of what they put on," Pekarek says. "So today I'm going to do something I would do myself on a show day, but elevated with a red lip." Before she started she reached for Rohto's Ice Redness Relief Lubricant Eyedrops ($8)--her secret weapon for a busy schedule. "I read that the Olsen twins use these drops before a shoot so I got them," she says. "The drops are kind of scary because they burn for a few seconds, but they make my eyes really bright!" Next Pekarek started on her skin, reaching for Urban Decay's Pore Perfecting Complexion Primer Potion ($31) before smoothing on the brand's Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup ($39) with her fingers. " I love concealer--anything to make me look like I'm not tired!" says Pekarek. She used the brand's 24/7 Concealer Pencil ($19), applied directly from the stick and blended with her fingers. To set her skin, Pekarek applied the brand's De-Slick Mattifying Powder ($32). For color she dusted on blush and bronzer from NARS' Highlighting/Bronzing Blush Duo ($41) in Orgasm/Laguna.

"My mom grew up in the '60s and doesn't wear makeup, so I never learned how to apply it," she says. "But doing a ton of theater I started to learn a lot about it." Pekarek started with Rimmel London's Glam Eyes Shadow Trio ($5) in Orion 621. "I just applied the darker shade in the crease and the light shade on my brow bone and the inside of my eyes for brightness," she says. "If I could only wear one thing on my face it would be eyeliner, because it makes me look awake!" Her formula of choice? Sephora's Waterproof Smoky Cream Liner ($12) in Must Have applied on the inside waterline of her eyes with a thin brush. A few coats of Urban Decay's Big Fatty Mascara ($20) finished her eyes. And her pout? "I had a phase where I had a pixie cut and so I wore red lipstick a lot," Pekarek says. "But now I just wear it on special occasions." The musician applied Make Up For Ever's Rouge Artist Intense Lipstick ($19) in 44 right from the tube to finish her makeup.

Pekarek slipped into her dress before getting a few finishing touches from LeFebre--a spray of OSiS by Schwarzkopf's Freeze Pump Finishing Hairspray ($20) and Chi's Shine Infusion Spray ($15). "I feel great!" she says. Pekarek thanked everyone in the room for all their help before heading to the show--as if we needed another reason to like her.