Carrie Underwood’s Leggy Look and More Celeb Style From the CMA Awards

The Southern United States has given rise to some of the most talented and influential celebrities in the entertainment world. From musicians and actors to models and athletes, these Southern stars have not only captivated us with their talents but also inspired us with their dedication to health, beauty, and self-acceptance. In this article, we'll delve into the secrets behind the amazing bodies of 20 Southern celebrities. From workout routines to skincare regimens, dietary philosophies, and personal journeys to self-acceptance, these celebrities offer valuable insights into maintaining a balanced and healthy lifestyle in the heart of the South. Join us as we explore their tips and tricks for looking and feeling fantastic.

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1. Carrie Underwood

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Carrie Underwood was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and raised in Checotah. Her trainer, Eve Overland, shared her workout secrets with E! News. “Day one could be upper-body push exercises, like chest presses and triceps extensions, and lower-body pull exercises, like hamstring curls and deadlifts. Day two could be upper-body pull, like lat pull-downs and biceps curls, and lower-body push, like squats and lunges."

2. Maren Morris

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Singer Maren Morris is originally from Arlington, Texas. She has amazing skin, and her makeup artist, Kristine Studden, shared the secrets behind Morris’ Grammy look to People. "I started with True Botanicals Ginger Turmeric Cleansing Balm to cleanse away any dirt, oil, or impurities. I love how it leaves the skin clean, soft, and supple without drying."

3. Kelsea Ballerini

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Kelsea Ballerini grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee. Ballerini is open about her love of the 80/20 diet. She tells The Nashville Edit, “The 80% is really, really healthy and the 20% is ‘Oops, I did it again.’ I work out pretty hard four days a week and the other days I sleep in. I drink a ton of water and drink a ton of wine. I believe in balance. The most important thing to me isn’t necessarily how I look but my ability to run the life I want. To keep up with a crazy schedule, I have to eat more salad than I care to.”

4. Kacey Musgraves

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Kacey Musgraves is originally from Golden, Texas. She has amazing hair, and shared one of her favorite products with Glamour. “I love the Oribé hair line, especially their Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil. That's my favorite. I'm also loving a good leave-in moisturizing hair mask called Goldwell Dual Senses Just Smooth.”

5. Carly Pearce

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Singer Carly Pearce is originally from Taylor Mill, Kentucky. She likes to run to keep herself in shape. Pearce shared how she got into running to Garmin.com. “I was 18, and I was working in Pigeon Forge, people know I used to work at Dollywood. I was getting ready to work at another theater and I needed to lose a little weight to fit into some of the clothes. I’d never really thought about running, I started running and fell in love. Dropped the weight but never quit. It’s become a lifestyle for me. It’s truly something I’m really passionate about. Some people think it’s weird [laughing]. I used to not be able to run to the mail box. It’s very different now.”

6. Molly Sims

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Actress and model, Molly Sims, is from Murray, Kentucky. She talked about her struggles with body image, and how her children has changed it to HollywoodLife. “Having to be a size two for 20 years is never easy on the mind. I think I’ll always have some type of body dysmorphia just because of that. You know, my hands still sweat when I try things on. I don’t think that’ll ever go away. I think my mindset, now that I have kids, is just different. I use my jeans. I don’t weigh myself. I know that I’m not good with a number on a scale, but I am good with a pair of jeans or a pair of pants or a dress, to know my body and where I am.”

7. Chrishell Stause

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Actress and Selling Sunset cast member, Chrishell Stause, was born in Draffenville, Kentucky. She shared her skincare secrets in an interview with Refinery29. “I wash my face with Dermalogica Resurfacing Cleanser and put on the Tatcha Dewy Serum and Dewy Skin Cream to moisturize. Sometimes I put on some eye patches if I'm really tired and hope it helps wake me up.”

8. Christine Quinn

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Selling Sunset star, Christine Quinn, is from Dallas, Texas. After having her first child, Quinn revealed in an interview that she didn’t want to pressure herself to lose weight. “I’m definitely not putting pressure on myself. My body and my hormones will never be the same, but that’s something I really embraced and I’m kind of rolling with it.”

9. Selena Gomez

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Selena Gomez is from Grand Prairie, Texas. In an interview with SiriusXM Hits 1 LA, she talked about embracing the single life. “I think everybody goes through the phase of, 'Oh, it'd be nice to like have someone,' and I get that," she said. "But you know, I'm just enjoying where I'm at, and I just want to be happy with who I am so that whenever that person comes into my life, I can just have them add on to me instead of being this insecure, you know, person that I normally used to be."

10. Kelly Clarkson

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Kelly Clarkson is originally from Fort Worth, Texas. She revealed in an interview with People that she doesn’t feel the need to worry about her beauty routine. “I just don’t care about things I feel like people put a lot of weight and gravity in. I do thank my upbringing for that. I just, I care about things that I feel like are important. So my beauty mantra is just to be a beautiful, kind, nice and thoughtful [person].”

11. Nastia Liukin

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Olympic gymnast, Nastia Liukin, is from Dallas. She shared her diet secrets in an interview with TODAY. "A lot of protein, a lot of vegetables, a lot of greens. I don't really eat too many carbs, and if I do, it's brown rice or quinoa. And I really love green juices. I don't necessarily do green juice cleanses for a week long, but if I'm not feeling that great, I'll just do a one or two day juice cleanse, and it will just pick me right back up."

12. Viola Davis

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Viola Davis is from St. Matthews, South Carolina. She opened up about finding self-acceptance in an interview with RealSimple.com. “I'm a darker-hued African-American woman, so from the time I was very young, the societal idea of what I should look like—and what I didn't look like—came for me,” Davis said. “Because of that, I didn't feel like being beautiful had anything to do with me. Early on in my career, I felt that I wasn't pretty girl material, so I settled. That's just how you come to feel when you go on auditions, and the only auditions you get are certain characters. I was never the girlfriend or even the wife. I was always the best friend, maybe a mother in one or two scenes. It wasn't until I got How to Get Away With Murder that I realized I could redefine beauty for myself and love the way I look. It was then that I truly appreciated the way my skin radiates, my smile, and my abilities.”

13. Hayley Orrantia

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Actress Hayley Orrantia is from Dallas. She shared some of her skincare tips with New Beauty. “I have really dry skin, so I found a good combination in some Drunk Elephant beauty products. I mix the B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum ($48) with the Protini Polypeptide Cream ($22-$68) and the day/night serum depending on the time of day and my skin loves me for it. If I’m feeling extra dry, I top it off with their Virgin Marula Oil ($38-$68). Makeup-wise, I am obsessed with the Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Hydrating Primer ($26) (Soft Silk). It feels like butter on the skin!”

14. Mark Ballas

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Dancer and singer, Mark Ballas, was born in Houston. In 2014, he revealed in an interview with SELF that he had quit smoking. “For me, it was living a cleaner lifestyle, and also because I’ve dedicated my whole life to this entertainment industry, and I don’t want to slow myself down at a young age. It’s all about my health, stamina, endurance, vocal clarity and keeping my voice in good condition.”

15. Ciara

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Ciara was born in Fort Hood, Texas, and spent her teen years in College Park, Georgia. She talked about her diet in an interview with Shape. “When I'm on a strict eating regimen, at some point I have to have French fries, a cheeseburger, and some pizza. And Oreos and vanilla ice cream! I also believe that drinking tons of water and flushing out your system is crucial for training. It really helped me drop the weight. I tell myself that water is my medicine and that to stay well, I have to drink a gallon of it every day."

16. Danielle Brooks

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Danielle Brooks was born in Augusta, Georgia, and grew up in South Carolina. After having her daughter, Brooks has learned to embrace the changes her body has gone through. "It's something that I've had to mentally come to grips with: that it's okay to have changed," she said to Shape. "I created an entire human being, and that should be celebrated, and my body took a beating for that. It's constantly a struggle...but I'm learning to accept the new me, and that's still a beautiful human being, and that's still a sexy human being."

17. Anna Camp

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Actress Anna Camp is from Aiken, South Carolina. She talked about her diet and exercise in an interview with People. “I’m on the run a lot in L.A. Whether I’m hiking with my dog Rocky or driving from meetings to sets, having good snacks on hand is a top priority. I always carry almonds, fruit and water with me to fight the afternoon crash.”

18. Jaimie Alexander

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Jaimie Alexander was born in Greenville, South Carolina, and also lived in Grapevine, Texas. She opened up about her diet in an interview with Shape. “My day starts with a green shake called Garden of Plenty, which is packed with superfoods and grains. When I'm working, craft services makes me these amazing gluten-free wraps with lots of vegetables and ‘vegannaisse' or hummus. I generally keep my diet pretty healthy, but if there's pizza, I'll eat it. And I will knock back a beer or some bourbon, too. I don't deprive myself. And I hate being skinny. It's not a good look for me. When I eat well and work out, I'm truly at my best."

19. Reese Witherspoon

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Actress Reese Witherspoon was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. She has amazing skin, and shared some of her secrets with Harper’s Bazaar. “As far as skin care is concerned, just really making sure I'm cleaning and washing my face twice a day, particularly on heavy-makeup days, and moisturizing and adding all the serums, because they really do make a big difference.”

20. Hunter Hayes

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Hunter Hayes is originally from Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. In an interview with Wondermind, Hayes revealed that he is going to therapy, and shared what he took from them. “I really loved [therapy] the first time [around 2011] because it was a chance for me to just talk through things that I didn’t know how to talk about with other people. … I was wound so tight when I started touring. I was just like a giant stress ball, and in the first session, it was like: ‘Alright, here are things that might help you, like, chill the fuck out during your day.’ I learned] little things like when you're walking from the bus to the stage, walk slower. [And my therapist] also gave me mindfulness exercises when I felt like I couldn’t nap and breathing techniques to help me before meet and greets or interviews. So it started as that, and then I started seeing somebody else who got to some of the deeper things and scarier things and fear-based things.”