LOS ANGELES -- It all seems so easy, but getting all the stars ready for Oscar's red carpet takes months of preparation.

It's even more complicated with a recession looming; you don't want to offend the viewers with over-the-top looks.

From the perfect gown to the perfect tan, here's a look at the A-list celebrity treatment.

While celebrities might look flawless, glowing and glamorous, it really is just a tribute to their 'glam teams.' I met up with a top beauty therapist, stylist, tanner and hairstylist yesterday to see what Oscar preparation is all about.

First things first: The dress. Tara Swennen, personal stylist for Angie Harmon and Britney Spears, is looking after 16-year-old Disney star Miley Cyrus for this year's Oscars. For Swennen, the Academy Awards are as pressure-filled as it gets.

Last year, Cyrus turned a lot of heads in her red Valentino dress. That outfit is believed to have brought in $15 million for the famous couture company -- publicity that has designers trying to get stars into their creations months in advance.

And that kind of cash definitely can't hurt, especially in these penny-pinching times. The dresses are worth between $1,000 and $50,000 and are normally on loan to the star for just that night. But sometimes, Swennen explains, the stars get to keep the outfits.

"Miley and I tried 30 dresses in a month," she said on the day the outfit's final adjustments were made.

That's not bad, she added, considering that some stars need to try on 100 dresses before settling on one.

Cyrus will be wearing a "ver-r-r-r-r-y expensive" couture dress, Swennen said. The designer? No one's saying yet.

As for Hollywood stylist Sherry Hoke, the Oscars are a marathon. Party-hopping stars frequently need to have two or three different outfits per day for the entire Oscar week, she says.

This year, Hoke is looking after The Curious Case of Benjamin Button's Taraji P. Henson, who is nominated for supporting actress. The process of searching for a designer has taken six months, Hoke said. Their mission was finding a designer that creates flattering dresses for curvy women.

Like Cyrus, Henson also worked her way through 30 dresses.

Some dresses are made specifically for A-listers, Hoke said, otherwise dresses from the most recent New York collections are used.

Of course, stylists also have to keep their thoughts on the worldwide recession and must ask themselves the question of whether this is the right time to be covering a celebrity head-to-toe in diamonds.

That's the reason Stuart Weitzman, who is famous for creating a pair of $1-million diamond-encrusted pumps for a nominated actress every year, decided against doing that this year.

Skin-care specialist Nichola Joss has come all the way from London for the Oscars, and she will be making house calls.

Her rolodex is impressive: Scarlett Johansson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Hilary Swank, Cate Blanchett, Kate Winslet, Penelope Cruz.

Joss said her treatments begin with a morning massage, followed by a facial to firm up muscles in the face, a manicure and pedicure -- all topped off with a spray tan. Some may even opt for a diamond-dust exfoliation.

"It's all about helping them feel better and trying to take on some of their stress myself," Joss said from a Robertson Road Spa favoured by Halle Barry and Sharon Stone.

VIP celebrity spray-tanner Fiona Locke will head to celebrity homes Sunday. Such tans are crucial to keep the stars from looking washed out under harsh lights. Plus, a tan makes a star's teeth look whiter, and gives the eyes extra pop.

Locke said a good tan is one of the most popular beauty treatments.