NYE 2014 // DRESS 2 KILL

NYE is maaaybe my favorite holiday because it's the one holiday we get to dress to the nines (no matter if you're in a scummy bar) and you'll magically never feel over-dressed!  Normally I don't plan things until the last minute, so if you're like me I thought I would give you and idea of what I'll be wearing tomorrow and some tips on how to stay in the spotlight on a glitter-bombed night of attire.

I love sequins...I have 3 completely-covered-in-sequin dresses in my closet and of course NYE is pretty much the only occasion they can be worn.  But I'm always trying to be the show stopper, and on New Year's I've come to realize one thing....EVERYONE will be in sequins. So my look for this NYE is SANS sequins....LET US ALL GASP

My thoughts and ventures have led me to experimenting with texture more than anything.  Also, jewel tones will have you killing the game amongst the silver, gold, and black sea.

I am going to be back in Lawrence, KS for NYE.  I know you may be asking,  "why the heck would you not want to be in the city for this?"  I am going to be back in Lawrence, KS for NYE because my Bear Club Boys will be doing the night right, exactly how I like-- great music, great humans, and great dancing.  I want to be dancing...which leads me to my outfit of choice:

a Teal Velvet One-Shoulder Romper.
it's got the feels, the uniqueness of not being a damn dress....and i can DANCE in this (i shudder at the thought of trying to have fun in a strapless number)

the trouble with a romper...a one-shoulder romper...a velvet one-shoulder romper...is pairing accessories, like, how do i do this??

My advice is to keep it pretty simple to keep it stunning.  Black tights because it's stupid cold this time of year, and simple black heels or boots to match.

**The important thing with statement dresses/jumpsuits for anyone that does decide to stick with a mass of sequins or sparkles is to keep your accessories pretty tame, you will get lost under the lights so fast!**

With such a neckline you just can't do a necklace (maybe a choker, if you must). Also bracelets may look a little stiff with the one-shoulder (dear lord, why did I choose this?) But, alas!  I find the drama can be best brought to your ears with some really sparkly, long/big earrings.

To complete the overall look you must weigh your makeup and hair into the equation just as equally as your apparel.  Lately I've been SO very interested in the "glossy eye".  I've recently tried it out for a few photo/video project shoots.  It catches light in such an interesting way (with all the other girlies wearing cakes of glitter on their faces, you will feel incredibly superior).

To do a glossy eye:

IT'S STUPID EASY.
1. Put some eyeshadow on ya eyes...stick to a fairly light color at least for your first outting (if you touch this or have more hooded eyes it will smear pretty quickly!  I've experimented with mostly orangey brown and red tones.  If you're worried about making a mess of it consider a light gold or pearly pink
2. Don't do much on eyeliner (if any) and stick close to the lash line. It will smear and crease and as you can tell in the above photo after not even an hour of wear it's getting weeird
3. Get some clear lip gloss or a liquid kind of chapstick and gently dap it on top of your eyeshadow. Test this before you coat your whole eye and make sure your eyes don't feel irritated.  To make it more dramatic...coat with a thicker layer of lipgloss!  I used this kind without any bother
4. Mascara shouldn't affect your gloss, just be careful when applying!

I like a bold lip pretty much all the time but if I'm trying to keep my lids in check and my lipstick from getting all over the place I'm going to be so high maintenance to be around UGH.  I would consider using the same gloss on your lips and leaving things neutral.  If you still want a little more drama, go bolder with your bronzer or blush.

Let's also consider our nails in this NYE plan of attack--
NOW IT'S TIME TO SPARKLE!

With our nice jewel tone base of the teal, I'm drawn to a nice olive green tone to pair.  A nice warm topaz or deep ruby would be interesting as well.

For my look I used Wet 'n Wild's Sage of the City as a base with Nabi's Dark Green Glitter.

 I then used some small craft glitter I had in my arsenal and applied while the nails were still wet.  A bunch of top coats are a good idea to keep things intact. (I'll need a chisel to get this off!)

Finally for the hair I chose to keep things up and out of the way.  I wanted a more casual accompaniment and a high pony works wonderfully. For a more classic, pulled together look so a high doughnut bun also seems fitting. With this neckline (as it loves to cause problems) hair is best kept up off the shoulders.  If down, I suggest swooping it behind the shoulder entirely or over in front of the shoulder with the strap.

So we've got texture from the velvet, texture on the glossy eye, rough chunks of stones on the ears, and 3D sparkle on the nails but I am missing the biggest component of the season.  FUR!

I bought this coat at Ragstock down the street from where I worked in Wicker Park.  It was down in the basement with a random assortment of some (i'll say it) "pretty hideous fur coats" and I didn't need it but what can you do when you find the most perfect rabbit fur coat for a 20 dollar bill??

So I hope you look fabulous tomorrow evening! If you are in Lawrence and need a place to have fun, meet me at the Taproom, we will bounce with the goombas into 2014--