The Nine Point Checklist You Need for Your Next Night Out

SO I went to a wedding this weekend and every time I have an event such as this, I’m always reminded of two things; my pageant days and the movie Wedding Crashers. If you are foggy on the movie, bookmark this post and go watch it right this second. If you just want to brush up on The Rulebook HERE is the full version.

Back on track. The checklist. 

Just like the rules of crashing, there are rules for primping. Follow them and things go smoothly. Ignore them and go rouge? You’ve got disaster cued up and ready to roll. For instance, we’ve all had that one terrible night while getting event ready when absolutely everything goes awry. What began as a harmless cat eye, has now reduced you to a broken, shell of a women, hunched over the bathroom sink with black eye crayon smeared from lash line to brow bone. Your dress was wrinkled so you ironed it, inadvertently melting polyester to your apartment-grade carpeting. You are now five seconds away from telling your date you have mono and giving up on life all together.

Sheesh, If I had a nickle…

So after years of doing pageants, special events, fancy dinners-you name it- I’ve figured out my perfect routine for pre-event primping via one hundred nervous breakdowns and countless pair of nylons. At least I learned from my mistakes? Sure. There’s that silver lining.

1. Know Your Venue: Simple yet oh so easy to disregard. Will you be going up and down stairs all night? Outdoor garden party where heels will be sinking into three inches of sod? Find out the details and plan accordingly.

2. Be Real About Prep Time: Give yourself ample time for beauty blunders or unexpected hold ups. It’s better to be sitting around in your dress-ups than rushing and forgetting something serious like setting spray. 

3. Run a “dress rehearsal”:During my pageant years, this was mandatory. I learned the hard way that you think you have everything you need but in reality you have nothing. I guarantee there is something in your arsenal that is broken, stained, snagged, or missing. Try on everything from top to bottom. Trust me.

• Shoes- Walk in them. Make sure they fit and match. Check ALL MIRRORS available to confirm level of hotness vs. comfort.
• Stockings (if wearing)
• Panties- No panty lines ladies. Let’s just not. If you can’t make it work, they are optional anyway. Again, check all mirrors. 
• The Outfit- Duh.
• Jewelry- In my glory days, I attended a fancy graduation celebration for a friend at a University. My black tie attire was on point but I picked out the jewelry a few hours before. Guess what? The bracelet was lame and snagged my nylons every time I had my hands in my lap. I had to haul to the RR and remove them. Good thing I shaved my legs…
• Hair and Makeup- See the Dont’s
• Handbag- Decide what you can’t live without and find a bag to fit it. If you have to “pack” you are probably taking too much, but at least you picked your handbag last week. Now you don’t have to choose between that third tube of lip gloss and your wallet.

4. (And Crashers Rule #112) Have fun! It’s why you’re there!

1. Try a new makeup the day of the event- Oh, let me count the times I have bought a new makeup product the morning before an event and I was consequently late for said event due to having to redo my face. I was tempted last weekend for a wedding but I resisted. Lessons learned.

2. Give yourself a serious facial- IF you eff this up because your mind is going a million miles a minute, you will be sorry. I’m sure you give great facials (no pun intended) but we are trying not to tempt fate. Red faces and irritated skin are no fun come event night.

3. Get your hair Cut/Colored the day before- A few days is enough cushion in case disaster strikes. I trust Lauren (The Salon at Ulta) with my life, but she’ll be doing my hair at least one week before a big event. No exceptions.

4. Watch YouTube and test a new technique- New Year’s Eve LAST YEAR I had the bright idea I would try a new eye look from my favorite blogger. Her skill level is just…not where mine is. Five minutes later I was rewashing my entire face and starting from scratch. Stick with what you know. Trust me, you are pretty.

5. Skipping Meals- DO NOT starve or skip a meal. No matter how little you eat the day of the event, the dress with fit the same. Weight or inches cannot be lost in a day. If you are prone to bloat, avoiding food wont help either since you will eventually be famished at the event and the likelihood of you sneaking off to the bathroom with five complimentary chocolate truffles is very high. Eat foods that are easy to digest and take up little room in your tummy.

My go-to snacks for 3 hours pre-event are: 2 tbsp Peanut Butter, a handful of Roasted Nuts, Hard Boiled Egg, Hummus and a few Almond Crackers or any combination of those. Vegetables are hard to digest unless they are steamed so go with a fruit instead. No fizzy or carbonated beverages unless you want to be known as the gassy, bloated girl at the party.  

And above all…

Rule #76: No excuses. Play like a champion!

So spill ladies. What are your party primp commandments? Sharing is caring!

♥Liz