The Ritual of Getting Ready

Between the Academy Awards this past weekend and the blur that is fashion month (Paris! New York! London!), the internet has been abuzz with articles chronicling every model, make up artist, actress and It Girl's hair and makeup routine before a big event. I've noticed that despite the glamour and rowdiness which seems to characterize A-list events, a number of these women make time for a little bit of peace before a night on the town (or a long day on the runway). I, myself, love spending a few extra minutes when primping for a special occasion, so I've pulled together a list of my favorite tips so you too can make a ritual out of getting ready.

1. Set the mood with music. I love a mix of dance-y yet soothing melodies (a genre which I've lame-ly dubbed 'hip bar music') to play in the background while I get ready. Follow my Spotify playlist here. Also, consider lighting a few candles or making a cup of tea to calm yourself before the whirlwind of socializing to come.

2. Exfoliate and then moisturize. For your softest, silkiest skin ever spend a few extra minutes exfoliating in the shower either with a natural grain scrub or a charcoal sponge. Immediately after drying off, slather yourself in lotion to seal in moisture and add glow. Want a little extra shimmer? Apply a bronzing lotion.

3. Let hair begin to air dry while you apply a sheet mask. One of the reasons sheet masks are so great is because they have a cooling effect on the skin which reduces puffiness and redness. Plus, you can just massage the remainder of the serum into your skin instead of moisturizer and apply makeup right on top. Wait until hair is about halfway dry to begin styling.

4. Perfect your blow dry. Every special occasion requires a bouncy blowout, so apply a dollop of volumizing mousse to roots and massage through ends of hair. Then rough dry most of your hair until it is almost 100% dry and then go in with a round brush to smooth out sections.

5. Go bold. Apply the boldest part of your makeup look first so that you won't have to re-do everything else once you've started. Most red lips, winged eyeliners and smokey eyes require a bit of tweaking before they are perfected. Apply face makeup last and set with powder and highlighter.

xoxo

Ashley