One of my favorite things about going to themed events is getting to try a new makeup look. This weekend, I'm going to Party Arty at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, and the theme is "Night of the Shining Sun."
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What to Wear to Party Arty
The theme is Egyptian-inspired, and that means dramatic winged eyeliner and lots of gold and metallics. If you are going to Party Arty and are trying to plan your makeup, here is some inspo I picked out to get you started. Keep scrolling for my look and a tutorial on how to do it!
Party Arty Makeup Inspo
My Party Arty Look
Primer + Foundation
Every great makeup beat starts with a great base. Even if you buy all of your eyeshadow, blush and lipstick from drug stores, it is crucial to have a long-lasting primer and foundation that feels good on your skin. I always splurge for Hourglass because this stuff stays and is also great for my skin. It doesn't dry me out or clog my pores, and it creates a perfectly smooth canvas for everything I add on top of it. I use the Sephora Pro Large Domed Stippling Brush to blend the foundation. This trio is seriously the dream team for beginning your makeup look.
How to apply: Use clean hands to smooth a small amount of primer over your face. Squirt a dime-sized circle of foundation on the back of your hand and use the stippling brush to pick up small amounts at a time and tap it onto your face. Once you have splotches all over, use a circular motion with the brush to blend it in, making sure to drag it down past your chin and blend it into your neck.
Concealer + Powder
For concealer, I prefer a full-coverage, matte cream that stays exactly where I put it. This little pot from NARS lasts me months and blends so easily. I usually just dab a little bit with my same foundation brush and stipple it over where I need some more coverage. I like to seal everything in with bareMinerals' original foundation. I use the foundation as a setting powder because it doesn't give flashback in photos like a lot of translucent mineral powders do. bareMinerals was the very first foundation I ever owned in 7th grade, and it's still serving me well!
How to apply: Use a small brush or your finger to scoop out a tiny bit of concealer and pat it where you want it. Be careful not to rub too hard to make it come off. Small pats are sufficient! Use a big fluffy brush to sweep the powder over you entire face and down onto your neck. If you are wearing your dress while applying makeup, put a towel across your chest for this step!
Contour + Highlight + Blush
This is where you don't necessarily need to use high-end brands unless you want to. I personally can't find another contour powder I like as much as Kevyn Aucoin's, but as long as you apply your contour over a good base and have a fantastic setting spray, it should hold up pretty well. Since I currently have light blonde hair and a lighter skin tone this winter, I am using a softer shade of blush so I don't look like a porcelain doll with my makeup painted on me. If you have a darker complexion or a darker hair color than me, I would recommend a deeper shade of blush to go with this theme! But, if you're in the market, I really like this Natasha Denona mini for an everyday glow.
How to apply: Using an angled blush brush, lightly sweep the contour powder from the hollow of your cheek up to your temple. Without picking up anymore product, continue that sweeping motion to blend the contour. You can also brush some on the sides of your nose, along your hairline on your forehead, and along your jawline, but keep it very light and be sure to blend. Use a similarly shaped brush for your highlight and blush to sweep it on your cheek right above the contour. You can also highlight the bridge of your nose and the arch under your eyebrow.
Face + Body Glitter
The fact that I already owned this face and body glitter before I ever found out the theme for Party Arty should really tell you all you need to know about my personality. I love to sparkle! This is another item that also works for an everyday glow if you do a light spritz. But if you want to amp up the sparkle for Party Arty, spray away.
How to apply: Hold the bottle a few inches away from where you want to apply the glitter and squeeze the yellow ball to spray. Use a bright light to see where you applied. You may not be able to see it indoors, but once you step into the sun or brighter light, you'll have a major glow!
Eyeshadow Palettes
These are my two go-to palettes for almost all of my makeup looks. The Urban Decay Naked Ultimate Basics is all matte shades, and the Beauty Crop Espresso Yourself has very similar shades with lots of shimmer. The two formulas blend well together and also do not rub off throughout the night. I also use eyeshadow to fill in my brows.
How to apply: Smooth a light, matte shade all over your eyelid for a base. Use a darker matte shade in your crease and a shade lighter than that on the center of your lid. Apply a shimmery light color on the arch under your brow, and blend the colors with a larger eyeshadow brush. From there, be creative with colors and shimmer. Use an angled eyeshadow brush and a matte shade that matches your brows to fill in the gaps between your hairs.
Stay tuned for an article with how I apply this eyeshadow, the final dress I pick and my complete look!
Cream Eyeshadow + Eyeliner + Mascara
This eyeshadow stick is super creamy, and I like to use it to highlight the inner corners of my eye or sometimes the arch under my eyebrow. The tattoo liner by KVD is obviously the best eyeliner for detailed drawing to create a cool Egyptian cat eye, and Too Faced has one of my favorite mascaras for volume, though I rotate through mascara regularly and usually use whatever trial size I currently have gotten free from other purchases.
How to apply: Draw the eyeshadow stick like a crayon wherever you want a little bit of creamy shimmer. Hold the eyeliner like a calligraphy pen and use even, steady stokes to draw the shape you want. Take a couple sweeps of mascara over your top and bottom lashes (or even apply false lashes if you have some!), and your eyes are done.
Setting Spray + Perfume
Last, but definitely not least, I seal in all of my hard work with Make Up For Ever's hydrating setting spray. I love that this one is not made with alcohol and doesn't have any gross chemicals that hurt my skin. It's very refreshing and locks in everything I did without feeling like I have hairspray on my face! I used this setting spray at my cousin's graduation from the Naval Academy in Maryland, and while everyone was complaining about sweating all of their makeup off sitting in the hot sun, I got so many comments that my makeup looked perfect the whole day.
While perfume isn't really a part of a makeup look, I just had to include my favorite. If you have never tried Viktor & Rolf's Flowerbomb, get yourself a sample as fast as you can! I recently splurged for the huge 5-ounce bottle so I will never run out. It's such a luxurious scent that makes me feel like I'm going to a fancy gala every day!
How to apply: Hold the setting spray several inches away from your face and squirt about three times in the shape of a triangle to cover everything. I apply perfume to my chest and wrists, and sometimes I spray my hair too.
Flash Tats
Oh wait! Don't forget the body makeup! I'm using these metallic flash tattoos from Amazon on my arms since I'll be wearing a sleeveless dress. Since I already have a butterfly tattoo on my left tricep, these will help incorporate it to fit the theme. I'll be applying the bands to look like arm cuffs inspired by Egyptian jewelry. I have five sheets, so if you are going to Party Arty and want to wear some of these temporary tattoos, DM me on Instagram, and I can get them to you for free!
How to apply: Cut out the specific tattoo you want to use. Peel off the plastic lining and place the tattoo facedown on your skin. Soak a paper towel or washcloth with water and hold it over the back of the tattoo against your skin for about 60 seconds. Carefully peel the paper off, and if any part of the tattoo starts to lift up from your skin, gently smooth it back down and do another round of water over the paper.
I'll be releasing my finished look this week before Party Arty. Stay tuned!
Follow Hayley Hyer @hayhyer