School Ball Beauty
School ball season is upon us so our friends over at Beauty Bible have put together a comprehensive guide that covers everything you need to know.
Makeup
DIY
There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing your own makeup at home in fact, I quite like the idea as you can spend the money you would have paid a makeup artist on products, and these will last you longer than just the night of the ball.
Make sure you practice the look you want to go for in advance so you can work out what products you already own, and what products you need to purchase, or borrow.
One product I really recommend purchasing is a primer primers help your makeup last the distance so youll still look freshly made-up at the afterball. You can check out Beauty Bibles pick of primers here.
Hitting the makeup counter
If you get in quick, you can secure an appointment at your favourite makeup brands counter or store where one of the trained artists will apply your makeup. You have to pay for this privilege but most places will let you redeem the fee for product a win-win situation really!
It helps to take your dress (or a fabric sample) along with you so the artist can create a look that will suit what you are wearing, and getting your hair done before your makeup will mean the artist can tie your makeup in with the style of your hair.
If you have a particular look in mind then take a picture a long with you but if you dont then dont sweat it, the makeup artist will be able to work with you to create something beautiful.
Top tip: Planning on doing your makeup at home, but want a little bit of glamour? Make an appointment to have someone at the M.A.C counter apply a set of false lashes for you to really make them pop. It only costs the purchase price of the lashes and it looks amazing.
FYI: The Stephen Marr crowd have created Belle Du Jour especially for you and all the rest of the teenage flotsam and jetsam out there. They have collaborated with choicest NZ labels so they can share a piece of fashion pie with you. Its all about making your mark at the ball and turning tradition on its head, taking the best from the past and mixing it up with a new generation of cool (thats you!).
As part of the Belle Du Jour package you will receive a $90 Marr Lab voucher to redeem on product or services plus go in the draw to win a bag of winter goodies from topshop! To book yourself in for the Belle Du Jour $195 hair and makeup package call one of the following salons…
Newmarket +64 9 5246702 | Ponsonby +64 9 3600588 | Takapuna +64 9 4880585
Hair:
DIY
Some people are good at doing their own hair, and others (like me) could not do it if their life depended on it. If you have hair that is easy to work with or the magic touch when it comes to styling, then doing your hair yourself is a great, inexpensive option.
Trialing your look well before the day is not an option it is a necessity! If you need products and/or styling tools and dont want to spend the cash, ask family and friends if you could borrow from them.
If its curls or a big, bouncy blow dry you are after make sure you check out our how to videos.
Off to the hairdressers
On ball days, popular, central hair salons are going to be frantic, so make sure you get in quick. If you are trying to save money and time, why not book in with a lesser known suburban hair salon – they wont be as busy and the prices may be slightly lower.
Try to decide what kind of style you want before you go in and take magazine pictures with you.
Go in with clean hair (wash it that day). The rule used to be that you should have one day old dirty hair but this is on old wives tale. Hairdressers have products that can create oil in the hair if neeeded so start with clean hair.
Top tip: Make sure you wear a top that does not need to be pulled over your head when removed (i.e button or zip up) so you dont ruin your hair and makeup when you take it off.
Tanning
Whichever option you go for, you should tan two days prior to the ball to let it settle in and to prevent it from rubbing off on your dress.
Spray tanning
Spray tanning is done by a trained beauty therapist with an airbrushing machine. You strip down to just your (very old) knickers, stand in a small tent and strike a variety of poses while the therapist applies the tanning solution with the spray gun. I love this method as, providing you have a very experienced therapist, you get a great, natural look and the therapist can use the tan to contour you to bring out your best features and hide the worst. Do all hair removal the day before, and exfoliate thoroughly before hand. Make sure you dont have any moisturisers, fragrances or deodorants on your skin when the tan is applied.
Many spray tanners work on a mobile basis so they can come to your own home. You might like to get a group of girls together and all do it at the same time if you have a certain number of girls all in one place the price is normally cheaper too. You will need to let yourself dry for 15 minutes before you dress and wear dark, old clothes.
Doing it yourself? Check out our guide to creating a flawless fake tan.
Skin
Make sure you have a great basic skin care routine going at home consisting of cleansing, exfoliating and moisturising – preferably using a moisturiser with an spf incorporated for use during the day. Using an spf will help reduce the risk of sun damage and redness and also allow any freckles to fade.
During the weeks leading up to the ball a skin treatment at Dermalogica is great plus you receive a personalised product prescription which would let you know exactly what the best products are for you to use at home. MicroZone treatments take 20 minutes and can be very targeted on the needs of your skin. Usually priced at around $50 these are a great option for busy young people with budget constraints. If you are able to have a professional skin treatment it is best to avoid it on the day of the event.
Cleansing
For teenage skin a foaming gel cleanser is usually best as it will lift some of the excess oil off the surface of the skin. Many gel cleansers can also have an anti bacterial effect which will reduce breakout activity without over drying your skin. Cleansing your skin morning and night will really help reduce breakouts.
Exfoliation
This will smooth the surface of your skin and leave it looking bright and ready for a great makeup application. Regular use of an exfoliant will also reduce the breakouts you experience. Before a big event such as a school ball I would recommend that you start exfoliating several weeks before as this can give your skin time to adjust to the deep cleansing action and reduce the risk of you having a breakout on the day of the event. It is important not to over exfoliate though as this can lead to redness and irritation.
Masque
If you do have an area of your skin that is blocked or more breakout prone the use of a clay based masque can really help refine the area. Masques can just be used where you need them to target a problem area and usually would be used 2 x a week for about 7 10 minutes and washed off.
Some of the latest products on the market actually combine a masque and an exfoliant. These are super convenient and get a great result. They would usually be applied to a problem area left about 5 minutes and then gently massaged with wet fingers before you wipe them off.
Spritz Toner
These can be formulated with plant extracts to help control shine while reducing the build up of oil that can cause annoying breakouts.
An oil controlling moisturiser
To reduce shine and prevent your makeup from slipping off your face use a moisturiser that has micro sponges. These literally mop up excess surface oil to keep your skin shine free.
Eat right
Eating a healthy diet before any big event is key to looking good. Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables especially those that are bright green or berry coloured as they provide skin nourishment. Drink lots of water!
Relax and dont worry
Stress can cause breakouts so make sure you are sleeping well and feeling relaxed before the ball.
If you do get a pimple before there are plenty of things that you can do to minimize its appearance. If you have the opportunity to see a Skin Therapist they can use a high frequency machine to make the spot heal faster. Alternatively there are lots of products that will speed up the healing process containing ingredients like algae zinc and sulphur. These can either be applied directly onto the pimple or be used at night to treat the breakout prone area while you sleep.