Within the past few weeks, the reigning queens of popular music have all come out with some amazing music videos to songs that make you want to dance, sing and let loose. These videos not only provide the soundtrack to your Saturday nights but they also provide you with some great new hair and makeup inspiration! The looks are simple to imitate but they make a bold statement–perfect for a night out on the town. Check out the videos and get your groove on, then check out these tips and get your pretty on!
1. Beyonce – Countdown
Let me start off by saying Beyonce can do NO wrong. In this video, Beyonce rocks about 10 different looks, and looks absolutely flawless in every single one. Did I mention she is a few months pregnant and executing perfect choreography, while looking gorgeous the entire time? Yeah, I’m extremely jealous too. Throughout the video, Beyonce gives nods to classic fashion and beauty moments, like a 60’s mod girl, a 50’s housewife and an 80’s dancer.
One of my favorite makeup moments is when she is in front of a colored background and the background color and her eyeliner color change rapidly in unison. To achieve this look, first create a black cat eye with liquid eyeliner or black gel eyeliner and an eyeliner brush; a great tutorial for a cat eye can be found here. Then, using highly pigmented eyeshadow (MAC and L’Oreal make some great ones) in the color of your choice, dampen a clean eyeliner brush and create another cat eye directly above the black cat eye using the bold color. For a less dramatic look, skip the bright color step and wear a classic black cat eye, which Beyonce also sports in the video. Finish off with heavy mascara on the top and bottom lashes for a 60s Twiggy-esque look.
2. Rihanna – We Found Love
This video is definitely intense and Rhianna’s choice of Chris Brown’s virtual twin to play her love interest was … interesting. However, the video really fits with the meaning of the song and the fun parts of the video are entertaining. Rihanna opts for a laid-back, rocker-chic vibe with her hair and makeup in the video.
One look to emulate which can be worn either day or night is a slick wet-looking eye shadow. For day, use eye shadow primer and neutral eye shadow color with a little bit of shimmer to it. Then, using your finger, pat a little bit of Vaseline all over the center part of your eyelid, closer to the lash line. Staying away from the crease will prevent creasing of the eye shadow. For nighttime, you can try using the neutral color eye shadow but adding a red lip for increased drama. You could also swap the neutral color eye shadow for a smoky gray color to up the sexy factor.
Extra! The Hair Accessory of the Moment
Both Rihanna and Beyonce wore a super cool hair accessory in their videos in a unique, laid-back way. The accessory of the moment is the head scarf, tied in a knot on top of your head. This hair accessory looks especially good on girls with bangs. To recreate the look, simply pull your hair into a high ponytail or bun with a lot of volume. Then, fold a scarf into a long rectangle and tie it into a knot or bow in front of the ponytail and behind your bangs if you have them. Girls without bangs can make this look work by making sure the ponytail is not too slicked back and by keeping hair slightly parted in front of the scarf. A great tutorial for tying a head scarf can be found here. This is a great daytime look that really spices up your average ponytail!
3. Britney Spears – Criminal
In this very dramatic and cinematic music video, Britney features her real-life boyfriend (who is also her manager) as her bad boy love interest. The video goes along well with the song and is full of action and realistic love scenes between Brit and her beau. The gunfire scene at the end of the video is a must-see; it looks straight out of a Michael Bay movie. In the video, Britney switches from a more glamorous done-up look to a casual tough-girl style, providing plenty of inspiration for the beauty-obsessed.
Two hairstyles that I really liked in the video were a high, full ballerina bun and causal, undone waves. A ballerina bun can be easily achieved by twisting a high ponytail and pinning the ends into place. However, a very unique method, found here on YouTube, is the sock bun method, where you use a tube sock to create the illusion that you have a much fuller bun; it’s a great technique for those with shorter hair. While there are a million tips out there for undone waves, a simple trick is to NOT use the clamp on a curling iron. Simply wrap your hair around the iron, holding the end of the section with your fingers, slightly loosen the hair by opening the clamp a tiny bit, wait about 10 seconds and then slide the hair off the end. Voila–a very pretty, loose wave.
Alright collegiettes, I challenge you to try out one of these new looks for your next night out. Listen to a playlist of these songs while getting ready to get yourself feeling inspired. Most importantly, don’t forget to channel the fierceness of Beyonce, the confidence of Rihanna and the sassiness of Britney when you step out for the night!
Sources:
Cat Eye Tutorial: http://thebeautydepartment.com/2011/04/get-catty/
MAC Cosmetics Eye Shadow, $15; http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/shaded/154/363/Eye-Shadow/index.tmpl
L’Oreal Paris HiP Studio Secrets Shadow Duo, $8; http://www.lorealparisusa.com/_us/_en/default.aspx#/#/?page=top{userdata//d+d//|diagnostic|main:pdp//objectid+Cos41g_10//{pdp_tab:pdp_overview//objectid+Cos41g_10//}|media:_blank|nav|overlay:_blank}
Head Scarf Tutorial: http://www.keikolynn.com/2011/07/head-scarf-tutorial.html
Sock Bun Tutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I13J7ArHTkM
Photos:
Beyonce video stills (photos): Sony Music Entertainment, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XY3AvVgDns&ob=av2e
Rhianna video still (photo): Def Jam Records, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tg00YEETFzg
Rhianna with Head Scarf (photo): Sharp N Chic, http://sharpnchic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/rihanna-scarf.jpg
Britney Spears video stills (photos): RCA Records, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6b33PTbGxk