Freida Pinto Takes PEOPLE Inside Her Glam Night at the Room to Read Gala (Exclusive)

Meet the Beauty Pros

"The wonderful Antonio Velotta on hair and the equally as wonderful Crystal Choo on makeup. The fantastic natural light setup at The Peninsula New York was exactly what we needed."

Makeup Galore

The makeup pro's kit was filled with the essentials – and more! "Crystal's setup!"

Good-Looking Lineup

Pinto gives a peek at the all-star products, including some from Tatcha, reserved for her look of the night.

Glam Chair Catch-Up

"We had a great time chatting about life, the Room to Read Gala and my involvement as an executive producer on the upcoming animated and live-action film series She Creates Change."

Soaking In the Sights

"I love the views from The Peninsula New York. They are so classically New York!"

Dressed to Impress

"The night's look was a beautiful embroidered Erdem dress and Stuart Weitzman shoes."

A Touch of Gold

"The outfit couldn't be complete without something sparkly from MARLI New York."

One Last Look

"Final checks!"

En Route

Pinto passed through the Big Apple sights on her way to the function. "Our commute."

Practice Makes Perfect

"Keeping an eye on the time and doing a final read-through of my award acceptance speech."

Close-Up Ready

"A quick stop on the carpet."

Quick Tip: Stay Cozy

"And off to the Changemakers Gala we go! My gala advice is to always bring something warm because these ballrooms are freezing." If you want to recreate Pinto's look, pick up the Sézane Mederick Coat ($485).

Room to Read is an education nonprofit to benefit children in low-income communities around the world. This year's New York Gala celebrated changemakers Pinto and Peter T. Grauer, chairman of Bloomberg. Learn more about the organization here.