Formal occasions are the perfect time for wearing sophisticated hairstyles and makeup. You can use the following pointers for complimenting your formal dress, jewelry, shoes, and manicure with flawless makeup and a gorgeous, elegant hairstyle.
As a general rule, your hairstyle should flatter the outfit that you’re wearing. You will not want to wait until the day of a formal event to figure out which hairstyle looks best with your dress. Start experimenting with hairstyles about a week before the event to see what does and doesn’t work for you. You can also experiment with hair accessories such as feathers, hair jewelry, or combs.
There are several hairstyles that will look amazing for nearly any formal occasion that you may be attending. For example, you may not think of a ponytail as a hairstyle that you would wear to a dressy event, but you can easily jazz up a basic ponytail style for events such as proms, dances, and parties. First, put your hair up into a regular ponytail, using elastic to secure your hair in place. You can then dress up your ponytail by adding ribbon or hair jewelry, curling the ends of your hair, or twisting your hair into a fancy bun. Be sure to leave two 1-inch wide sections of hair loose in front so that you can curl them or twist them – this adds more elegance to your ponytail style.
As with hairstyles, you will want to experiment with makeup products, colors, and application techniques at least a few days before a formal occasion. Generally, your makeup should emphasize either your eyes or your lips, but not both. If you have chosen your eyes as your focal point, use the following tips to create an elegant, formal makeup look. Use a light-colored beige eye shadow on your eyelids, and apply the same color under your eyebrows. Then, brush a darker-colored beige shadow onto your eyelids so that the two colors blend together. Finish the look off with a thin line of brown eyeliner on the top and lower lids of your eyes. For your lipstick, choose a color that is no more than a shade or two darker than your normal lip color.
As a word of caution, if you are using glitter as part of your makeup routine, you should apply it sparingly. Keep in mind that glitter is well-suited to formal high school events but may not be appropriate for some adult gatherings.
