After a long January break students have returned to Amherst from far and wide, and now that have classes have resumed, its time to party! After five or more weeks at home, or four months abroad, I’m sure we’re all excited to be back at a college party. Because of this, I wanted to write about how to make a splash at parties with some outfit ideas and make-up tips.
For starters, I think it is important to note that when we go out there may be pressures to look a certain way. It is super fun to dress up and want to look good, but us gals should remember that we are dressing for ourselves and not others. When going out, outfits should make you feel confident and fun. The sole purpose of a look should not be to get the attention of others. If you feel good about yourself your confidence will shine brightly enough. Girls rule and we should wear clothes that help us show just how fun we are! If you are in need of inspiration, you could listen to the seminal 1980s pop hit entitled ‘Sisters Are Doin’ It For Themselves’ by non other than Aretha Franklin and Annie Lennox.
Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, lets talk parties! When getting ready to go out I like to think about what I want to accentuate. This could be my legs, face, hair, or really any other body part. I like to pick one area that I want to pop. For example, if my hair decides to be on my side for the night I may wear a simple tank and black jeans and use a shine serum so that my tame-for-one-night-only hair stands out. I think this strategy is good because it allows for some room for imagination for the others at the party. This is not to say that we can’t wear little tops and skirts paired together, if an outfit makes you feel sexy then you should wear it! I just like to keep in mind that sometimes more is not better. If you are feeling good about your legs then a skirt and blouse is a good option. The skirt will show of your legs and a shear or printed blouse will give the look some style. If you are feeling trendy, pick a blouse with a geometric patter. You can pair this look with booties with a heel to make your legs look more toned.
Additionally, there are a few trends right now that I love and I think could work really well for going-out outfits. For example, whites and creams were everywhere on the fall runways from Carolina Herrera to Michael Kors. You don’t need to wait until spring to wear white, winter white is definitely a thing and I feel like we shouldn’t be afraid to wear it. Flirty pleats and edgy fringe are also on trend right now and can be worn on all occasions. A crop top with longer fringes will let you show some skin while being trendy and fun. Add on-trend tribal bangles and big earrings to give this look some color and shine. As for pleats, try a circle skirt, sneaks and a tighter tank that you can tuck in to the skirt. This sporty look is cool because you can look supa hot but not necessarily like you are going out. As a general rule of thumb, I think simpler make-up is a go with trendy outfits. Keeping the focus on the clothes will make them really shine.
Now that we are on the topic of make-up, as a die-hard fan and proponent of neutrals, I think that make-up should be no exception. I realize that a lot of make-up ads show models with about 35 eye shadow colors, but that same amount of ‘wow-factor’ can be achieved with simple shades and easy applications. For face, applying blush to your cheekbones as well as the bridge of your nose can give you an all over bright glow. Combine it with liner, a bit of grey or brown eye shadow, and mascara and you have a really quick going-out beauty routine. Depending on your skin tone you could use a darker shadow and more liner. If you are a bit frightened of the smoky eye look you can use metallic shades for a spin on the traditional darker shades. Make-up can be a lot of fun but it shouldn’t feel heavy or masked on because lets face it everyone is scared of clowns and nobody should look like one due to aggressive make-up usage. Lastly, if nothing in your closet is jiving with your mood, throw on a lax piney and have your own theme party.