Holiday Lookbook: Cocktail Party

Dress- Lulu's, Coat- Asos, Heels- GoJane

  

When I shop for fancy dresses, my eyes always gravitate toward the full sequin sheaths that are, of course, made of spandex and skintight. Sequins+spandex does not work for my body type and I always end up looking bigger than I am. With this LDB, I still get the effect of sequins on the fun criss-cross straps, and the thicker black fabric is actually slimming. I feel much more confident in this dress than in those full sequin numbers! The beauty of wearing a black and gold dress is that you can have fun with your outerwear, which is why I chose to wear my leopard faux fur coat on top. Faux fur is really in for party wear this season! (See here, here, and here.) I finished off the look with glittery gold heeled sandals.

Bracelets- J.Crew Factory. Francesca's

   

No need for a necklace with this dress, and when attempting to wear dangly earrings, it was just too much. Instead, I focused on sparkly arm candy. I couldn't do without earrings completely, so I wore my favorite little gold hammered studs that I got on the Ponte Vecchio in Florence this spring.

Clutch- Francesca's

  
A little gold clutch went perfectly with my outfit. The embellishments on the front flap make it feel a little special. It also has a gold chain strap, so I don't have to carry in in my hands all night.

I see a lot of updos and think, "I'd like to recreate that." But when I try, it's a major fail! Enter this 

super easy look that only requires a curling iron, a few bobby pins, and hairspray. All I had to do was curl my hair as usual, then pull all the hair to one side. I pinned it to the side with the guidance of this youtube video (she has AMAZING hair tutorials) to make sure I got it right. The spray and you're done!

Sleek eyeshadow palette in Original, NYX blush in Spice, Benefit They're Real Mascara, Revlon lipstick in Wine with Everything, 
Revlon Fantasy Lengths Lashes in Flirty

I wanted to stick with something easy but impactful for my makeup as well. I started with a highly-pigmented teal shimmery shadow and applied it all over my lid. I created a rounded shape along the top edge just above my crease with a stiff brush. I skipped eyeliner so the teal shadow would really pop, and I applied some false lashes after clipping of the last 1/4 inch so they didn't completely overwhelm my eyes. I also popped a light gold shimmery shadow in my inner tear duct. Next I applied my favorite cinnamon colored blush to the apples of my cheeks. I finished with a wine colored lipstick.

Covergirl polish in Constant Caribbean

For fancier occasions, I like to skip nail art and go with a solid polish color. I loved that this metallic teal polish matched my eyeshadow.

Shop the Look:

Don't forget to check out last week's casual get together and office party holiday looks! My last look will go live Thursday featuring a look perfect for for family Christmas gathering.

Linking up with  Style Sessions | Love It Link It | Trend Spin | Holiday Style