Finding your style doesn’t have to be boring. It’s fun to experiment with styles for different occasions and different moods. You don’t always feel the same, so why should you always look the same? Sometimes you might want to go a little edgier, sometimes preppy or sporty. If you have an interview for a job or internship, you’ll need a professional appearance. For a black-tie affair, you’ll want to be glamorous but appropriate. Here’s how to have it all.
Preppy is collegiate, outdoorsy, and healthy. Think J. Crew, Ralph Lauren, Tory Burch, Tommy Hilfiger, Izod, Lilly Pulitzer—need I say more? So your makeup will be light. Preppy girls wear makeup, but they are so good at making you believe they aren’t. You will first spend some time covering up any blemishes because preppy girls have flawless skin. Then follow with a natural blush like you just pinched your cheeks. Almost invisible eyeliner on the top only for this look. Just apply a couple coats of mascara, and then brush up your eyebrows for a super-groomed appearance. Choose a lipstick, gloss, or lip balm (the formula doesn’t matter) in a color that looks like you just bit your lip. Or go Palm Beach with a bit of frosty pink.
It used to be that all preppy girls had very straight hair (or at least wanted that). Now preppy can be any kind of hair texture. You don’t want to look like you had your hair set or blow-dried. You want to be neat but look like you just stepped out of bed. Headbands, either thin grosgrain or thick tortoiseshell, are great accessories.
Every athlete has her own unique style. Venus and Serena Williams love to wear rock jewelry, cool hairstyles, and even makeup on the courts. No matter what your athletic look is, you will want to stick to waterproof formulas for all your beauty products. You have to consider sweat, which will make regular mascara run (and you don’t want that stuff smearing and getting in your eyes when you’re trying to compete or have fun). I once saw Morgan Pressel on HDTV crying tears of joy after winning a tournament. Her black eyeliner and mascara made it through the tears! Thanks, black gel liner! Make sure when you are outside that you have adequate SPF protection either in a tinted moisturizer or underneath any makeup. Your lips should be clear, and you only need mascara on your eyes. You can also skip blush because your cheeks will be naturally flushed.
When you have a job interview, you always want to be polished, presentable, put together, and pretty. This means your makeup should be classic, but you will most likely need concealer. I haven’t met a person who doesn’t look more polished with concealer under the eyes. Apply the concealer, and then even out the rest of your skin using your normal routine.
For your eyes, stick to the basics. Apply a dark brown or navy liner to the top and bottom, as well as eye shadow in a taupe or sandy shade. Curl your lashes and apply mascara. Fill in your brows very softly, and apply a bit of natural-looking blush. A touch of tinted lip balm or natural lip color is best. Pay attention to your hands, your nails should be short and impeccably groomed. Warning: under no circumstances should you have chipped nail polish (and no red or black nail polish either, please).
The clothes you wear will depend on the job you are going for. If you are headed to the White House as an intern, your look should be totally conservative (minimal jewelry, super-neat hair, pants or a skirt, a blouse, and a handbag that can hold a folder). If you are going to Vogue, you better look really fashionable, put together, and of the moment. No matter where you are headed, don’t forget about your shoes. I notice an applicant’s face first, and then I notice the shoes. Don’t wear ratty old shoes, platforms, or sneakers. No sandals or flip-flops, even if it’s 100 degrees outside. I love clogs, but they are not for an interview.
Another rule no matter what job you want: look people in the eye. When I meet a girl who is hunched over and looking down, I figure she isn’t comfortable and confident. That makes me think the person won’t be strong enough to tackle a job. Even if your stomach is doing somersaults (everyone’s usually is during an interview), keep your shoulders back and your head up. Then no one will know how nervous you really are.
When you head out to a party or club, the important thing to remember is that your makeup and outfit need to balance each other. If you are wearing something out there, keep your makeup soft. If you are going to do a strong, smoky eye, go easy with the cleavage and your skirt length.
Even if you decide to do a smoky eye, you want your makeup to look like you aren’t trying too hard. You aren’t on the runway or in a Gucci ad. For the perfect smoky eye, clean off the lid with face powder. Use a light color that’s close to the natural shade of your lid. Start with a gray shadow with a bit of shimmer on your lid. As you move closer to the lash line apply a deeper slate-gray shadow that’s matte. Closest to the lash line, use an ashy black shadow also in matte. For your liner, use a wet-looking gel liner in super-black. Add tons of black mascara. Keep your lips very subdued in a neutral color. Smoky eyes and strong lips are never paired together except for a photo shoot. Apply a bit of blush so you don’t look tired. (Remember: if you’re using powder shadow, do your eyes and concealer first, and clean up any messes with a non-oily makeup remover and cotton swabs before you move on to the rest of your face.)
Throw on a simple top and jeans; it really doesn’t matter. Your makeup job will be so amazing, no one is going to be looking at your clothes.
The way to get this look is to experiment with trendy colors, such as ashy silver or purple metallic with silver in it for the lips. Unusual shades don’t look good on everyone, so you really need to judge if they work on you.
Edgy means different, funky, and experimental. It’s almost plain old ugly. But worn with confidence, it can also be kind of cool and pretty. Think Chloë Sevigny. Edgy definitely needs black liner, even for the day. The more eyeliner you put on, the stronger it looks. You can decide, depending on your normal style and comfort level, just how edgy you want to go. A little edgy—apply a medium line on the top of the eye. Super-edgy—go for lots of liner on the top and bottom of your eye (but remember, the top should always be thicker). The eyeliner should be accurately applied. Messy takes it to a place I’m not a fan of. Edgy or funky is fine as long as everything is pretty. That’s the secret. Follow your black liner with a couple of coats of mascara in black. To soften all the gray and black on your face, add a little blush in your natural tone.
This style definitely doesn’t work with a scowl. I like the edgy look best for girls who smile and get good grades. It’s an unexpected twist for the good girl.
You don’t need a lot of makeup for a romantic look. Your skin should be very peaches and cream, which you can achieve by first evening out your skin tone with whatever foundation, tinted moisturizer, or makeup stick you use. Then make your cheeks look extra flushed by picking a color that’s in the pastel pink family (deeper plum works on darker skin). You don’t want to use your normal blush, which matches the color of your cheeks when you are exercising, because working out is great but definitely not romantic. Use a little bit more of the soft, pastel color on the apples of the cheeks than you normally use. Because the color is pretty fair, don’t worry about using more than usual. Make sure it is well blended so it almost looks like you have been embarrassed.
Create romantic rosebud lips by choosing a tinted lip balm in a pinkish, half-shade-softer tone than your natural color. For darker lips, go for rose tones. They will give the same look. The effect will be sweet with a little sheen. Your eyes should complement the understated and soft tones in your face. Use some soft smudged shadow in a natural brown color just above the lash line and then follow with brown-black mascara.
Your hair should be an ethereal border to your beautiful face. Think of Victorian hair, either pinned loosely around the face or free-flowing and soft. You can’t really mess it up.
A black-tie event is not the same as walking the red carpet. Aim to be classy, not dramatic or funky. There will be a lot of grown-ups with jewelry and nice clothes. (And if you’re the girlfriend, everyone will be looking at you.)
Start with a polished face, employing your regimen of concealer, foundation, and blush. Remember the rules of proportions. If you opt for a conservative dress with some pearls, go for a stronger, smoky eye. If your outfit is sexier, try a red or deep rosy lip with a bit of shimmer on the eyes and some black mascara.
Here’s something I’ve learned from years of attending black-tie events: if you do go with that dress with the plunging neckline, make sure you bring a wrap. You might have felt great showing off your cleavage while you got dressed in the privacy of your own home. But once you show up at the event and wind up talking to Great-Aunt Milly, you might feel different. Plus, a lot of ballrooms get really cold.
My other black-tie rule of thumb: if you find yourself struggling with bra strap or underwear lines at home, change. The problem is only going to get worse once you are out. And the point of the party is to have fun. So be comfortable.
