Guest Post Alert! I'd like to introduce you to...ERIS

 I was lucky enough to connect with Eris on Reddit's MakeUpAddiction subreddit!! r/MakeupAddiction. She was looking for blogs to do some guest posts for writing experience. I find that admirable at 18! I remember what I was doing..it wasn't voluntarily looking for writing assignments! (It should have been!)

She's welcome to post here anytime! You'll soon see why...

Okay, enough from me, it's her time to shine! Here's a little bio from the lovely Eris herself..

Age: 18

Skin type: Dry/combination

MAC color: NC20

Full-time student

Favorite drugstore brand: Maybelline

Favorite department store brand: MAC

From Shower to Spectacular:

Special Event Edition: Prom Night With Eris

Prom night is all about glitz and glamor. It’s the closest most high schoolers will ever get to attending a red-carpet event, and as such, many girls go crazy with their makeup. Kardashian smoky eyes, heavy eyeliner, and bright lips are all popular looks for the night.

Then you have girls like me. I decided to go stag, on a last minute whim. I didn’t spend hours on my hair and makeup. I didn’t spend time perfecting my smoky eye, knowing that I would definitely sweat it all off jumping around like an idiot to “I Gotta Feeling”. I didn’t shove upwards of forty bobby pins in my hair (unlike junior prom) knowing that I would get tired of them stabbing me and rip them all out by the end of the night. Makeup needs to be functional as well as glamorous, and so I set out to do something quick, easy, and melt-proof.

What I had to work with:

I have smooth, unscarred skin with acne, dark circles, redness, and general unevenness to cover up.


What first?

I actually started with applying false eyelashes, figuring that if I messed them up or stabbed myself in the eye or just hated them, I wouldn’t wreck the rest of my makeup. I used ELF Natural Lush lashes and DUO lash adhesive.The lashes were hard to work with because their spine was so flimsy, but I highly recommend the DUO.

You can see what a difference falsies make as far as intensity of a look, and why you shouldn’t take pictures of yourself without making some attempt at arranging your features in a flattering manner.


Foundation:

At this point, I realized I had no foundation without SPF. Sunblock is a must-have for fair-skinned girls, and more foundation has it than not. But when you’re being photographed, it will reflect the light back and wash you out. I learned that the hard way from last year’s prom pictures. I also do not have a MAC, Sephora, or Ulta anywhere near me, so the usual standbys (MAC Face and Body, MUFE HD) were out of the question. I picked up Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse, $7.49, from my local Target.

Applied with a stippling brush (my ripoff 187, the Face Secrets Bronzer Brush) it did give an “airbrush finish”, though it was dewier than I expected so I set it with MUFE HD powder.


Nails? No? Ok.

Again, last-minute whim. If I’d known I was going, I might have sprung for a manicure. I did buy those Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Strips, but they did not work for me at all. I couldn’t even get them to stick to my nails. I wanted pretty houndstooth nails but I went bare instead. Oh well!


The problems created by flash photography:

Things that look gorgeous in person can look gross, unflattering, and just plain strange in photographs. Day to day, this isn’t a concern for most, but for a photo-heavy event like prom, it absolutely must be taken into consideration. Here are some things that you might love normally but need to be avoided when you’re being photographed:

-The wrong foundation. A day-to-day foundation should have a good SPF and provide either a natural or dewy finish. That same foundation will make you look oily and pasty in photos.

-Sparkles. Most of my favorite blushes have shimmer, because it brings out a pretty glow, but in photos you’ll look like a disco ball.

-”Translucent” powder. Many translucent powders actually cast an ashen tone that is really brought out when the flash goes off

-It is tragically apparent when you don’t blend as well as you should. Blend, blend, blend. Harsh lines are not pretty.

Solving these problems:

Your basic rule of thumb is pretty simple here: Whenever possible, go matte. Matte foundation, matte eye products, matte blush/bronzer. Anything that reflects, diffuses, or otherwise bounces light around is bad news.


So what look should you go for, anyway?

My dress was a very classic, strapless red gown so I went with a more dramatic cat eye and neutral lips. You’ll want to tailor your look to match the feel of your dress, but the reason I chose such a simple look was this: I didn’t want to spend more time in the bathroom touching up than on the dance floor. I also wanted to be able to go straight from prom to after-prom (bowling!). Sure, I love elaborate eyeshadow as much as the next person, but I knew that would only end in disaster. Here’s what I came up with:

Here is my product list for this look:

-Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse foundation in Natural Ivory
-MUFE HD powder
-ELF Natural Lush lashes/DUO Lash Adhesive
-Maybelline waterproof liquid liner
-Maybelline Full n’ Soft mascara
-NYC Blushable Creme Stick in Big Apple Blush
-Revlon lipstick in Rose Velvet
-Tarte lipgloss

*It is an unfortunate fact of life that my face is so much darker than my skin, but in my opinion living with that is better than washing my face out (I’m plenty pale as is) or getting skin cancer trying to tan enough to match.


End result:

It went over really, really well! People told me all night how beautiful I looked, which definitely did not happen my junior year. Prom was at 8 and I was out until about 3 am, with minimal damage to my makeup. I did end up taking off the eyelashes around 1:30, but my eyes are pretty sensitive since I wear contacts.
One more prom tip: bring a change of clothes if you’re heading straight to after prom. Sure, it was hilarious to watch my friends try to bowl in floor length dresses with gel manicures, but I was a lot more comfortable in blue jeans and a T-shirt!