How Sofia Vergara Preps for the Emmys

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With four nominations for her role on Modern Family under her belt, Sofia Vergara is an Emmy’s pro. The actress depends on three things to get her red carpet ready: her seamstress, a clean diet, and the right shampoo.

I’ve never been into any crazy diets or any crazy exercising, I have never been the last girl at the party, and I never drink a lot,” says Vergara, who will splurge on a glass of wine with dinner. Instead of suffering a pre-show detox, Vergara says, “I try to do the whole year in moderation. I do eat carbs, but I try to eat clean from Monday to Thursday, you know, add a lot of fruits and vegetables and protein. Sweets are the hardest part for me. I try and cut down on the sweets just a little bit the week before an event and work out a little bit more. I don’t have that much time because of work so I try to make it easy for me.”

As for her red carpet attire, Vergara relies on a team of trusted pros. “A stylist helps me; she brings me the dresses very late! [Laughs] I say that because she is right here in front of me,” Vergara says, adding that her stylist is a “mind reader” when it comes to selecting gowns she’ll love. “Because of my body type, I need to take a little bit more time than other actresses with less curves,” she says. “My best friend is my seamstress.”

Vergara chalks her confidence up to her Latin roots. “We are always kind of sexy and we are always taught you can’t leave the house without lipstick or doing your hair or wearing high heels,” she says. “I think all those things, believe it or not, can change how women feel about themselves. We all need help, we are all not perfect!” Not surprisingly, she suggests highlighting your best assets. “If your midriff is not good but you have great cleavage you should find an outfit that shows that,” she says. “You need to play with what you have.” It’s why Vergara depends on her signature hair and makeup look, never veering far from her comfort zone. “I think it is important for women to know what looks good on them,” she says.

As for that signature hair, Vergara swears by anything hydrating. “In my time off I just put natural coconut oil in my hair.” A spokeswoman for Head & Shoulders—her whole family has been using the dandruff shampoo for over 20 years, from Colombia to Miami to Spain—she says she doesn’t feel awake without using the brand’s apple-scented shampoo every morning. “Everyone compliments me, and I am always shoving my hair in people’s faces,” she says. We’re guessing absolutely no one has a problem with that.