Spa Party of the Month: Spaparazzi

Photo: Photobucket user karlapictures

Last month's Spa Party was all about fresh faces, where I provided tips on throwing a back to school facial party for a teen/tween. This month I'll stick to the face but this time for the "Grown& Sexy". This party is a little less "spa" than the others and a bit more "salon". This party works best if stations are set up for guests to rotate through.

Stations

Eyebrows

Rashida B. owner of The B. Spot, a Chicago salon dedicated to Brows, has this to say about having one's eyebrows professionally shaped:

Short of plastic surgery having your brows properly groomed is the one sure fire way short of plastic surgery to update and enhance your look and take years off your appearance. Hollywood starlets have their thousand dollar a day personal stylists, fitness gurus and $600.00 haircuts, but every girl, every woman can have an eyebrow guru.

You can give your guests Hollywood worthy makeovers that'll last after the makeup gets wiped away by having a brow specialist at your party. Depending on the level of specialization and expertise of the brow guru you choose, they may also offer eyebrow tinting, which is good for those people who use hair dye and want their eyebrows to be a complementary hue.

While most make up artists can provide eyebrow services, doing eyebrows as a separate station ensures more attention to the brows, and a better flow for your party.

Make Up

Even if you are the type to pour through all the beauty blogs, and watch all the make up tutorials on YouTube, I'd still suggest hiring a make up artist for your party. Professional make up artists know how to bring the best out in each client, they have knowledge of various skin types and tones; how makeup looks in photos and different lighting settings, how to play up your best features, and minimize those you don't want to shine. Make up artists also have a wider selection of products, and brushes than you'd have at home. Hiring a pro frees you up to have fun with your friends, and allows you to pick up some tips and techniques along the way. Stay tuned, later this month when I explore what to look for when hiring a make up pro.

Vanity

Since makeovers are the order of the day, it is best for your guest's to arrive with clean faces. However, some ladies won't be caught dead outside of their homes without make up on even for a minute, or if your party is after work everyone may not have yet had the opportunity to return to their natural look. Provide make up removal wipes in your vanity area, so that is one less thing your make up artist will have to worry about. If folks really need a good scrub, you can set up a facial washing station in the bathroom with cleansers, astringents, and cotton rounds.

You are bringing in pros for make up but what about hair? Hopefully guests will arrive with their hair looking pretty good. However, it's a good idea for you to set up a vanity area for last minute touch ups, or style changes. Offer a flat iron, 1-3 curling irons, bobby pins, and your favorite hair products for hold, and shine. If you are leaning more towards the vintage glam feel, provide guest with a few hair accessories like the ones in the sleepy albatross, Live in Style, KAANG, and LovMely Etsy shops. Place a jewelry cleaner in your vanity area so that guests can get their wedding rings, and other jewelry photo ready.

While this party is great as a stand-alone event, it is also a wonderful precursor to a girl's night out on the town. If you and the ladies plan to hit some night spots after getting your makeup done it is a good idea to have some of Peaches & Boo Boo's Save My Feet Blister Elixer on hand so you can wear your party shoes without the pain.

Photos

Since you are springing for a professional make up artist, it only makes sense to have a professional photographer to capture the results. While anybody can take a picture, photography is truly and art, and some folks just have the knack for capturing the most beautiful images. Since many photographers charge by the hour, it is a good idea to have them come toward the end of the party when everyone's make up and hair is already complete. In this month's decor post, I'll go over setting up a mini photo station, for group shots and amature pics while waiting for the photographer.

If you are hosting the party for a tight knit group of friends or family and are likely to take a couple group shots, you should set a color scheme or theme of dress to help unify the group's look. One possible look to go with is the little black dress. Try to keep the clothing fairly simple so that it doesn't overpower your beautifully made up faces. Wearing a solid color palette also allows guest to have more fun adding accessories that make their outfit and pictures pop. For a vintagey feel, channel your inner Rachel Zoe and hit consignment and thrift stores for accessories like hats, handbags, gloves, jackets and costume jewlery.

Massage/Aromatherapy

If you want to introduce a bit more spa into the party, offer a mini-relaxation station. Place one or two stationary foot massagers in front of a seating area for your guests to enjoy while they wait for their makeovers.

If you are a gadget person, you may enjoy this towel warmer, which has gotten pretty good online reviews from folks who love having a hot towel when they get out of the shower. That's nice you say, but what the heck does it have to do with my party... Well if you drag this little baby out of the bathroom and into your living room it will allow you to offer your guests warm herbal shoulder/neck wraps without the constant trips to the microwave.

Lastly, you might want to have some hot and/or cold herbal eye packs that guests can use before their make overs to refresh and rejuvenate their tired eyes.

In the next Spa Party of the Month segment I'll provide suggestions of what to serve your guest's to eat!