How to Look Perfect at a Party

Co-authored by Jordan Stolch

Last Updated: December 8, 2022 References

Everyone wants to look good at a party, but what if you want to look perfect? First, allow yourself enough time to get ready. Groom yourself properly by taking a shower and moisturizing your skin. Next, choose the perfect outfit that matches the occasion, compliments your body type, and accentuates your skin tone. Last, avoid any stain-prone food or drinks at the party and have fun!

Things You Should Know

Set aside enough time to groom and choose an outfit without having to rush.
Shower, moisturize your skin, and trim your nails. Then, style your hair and apply makeup (if you wear it).
Choose flattering clothing that's appropriate for the event. Make sure you feel comfortable and attractive in your outfit.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Getting Ready

1
Plan ahead. Think about what you want to do and how long it will take. For example, if you need to plan an outfit and shave your beard, you may only need an hour or so. However, if you want to do makeup and style your hair, you will need as much time as you can get. If you’re on a time crunch, try to do some things ahead of time. For example:
- Plan your outfit the day before.
- Do your hair before you go to work or school.
- If you dye your hair, touch up your roots a few days in advance.
2
Take a shower. A large part of looking great is being clean. While you shower, complete any other grooming activities, such as shaving your legs, exfoliating your skin, or touching up your roots with hair dye. ^{[1]
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Research source} Remember to apply deodorant after showering. Other shower grooming activities include:
- Conditioning your hair to give it a silky shine
- Taking a bath to help you relax for the party
- Scrubbing your skin with a loofah to rub away dead skin
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3
Moisturize your skin. After showering, cover your skin with moisturizer to make your skin glow and repair any damaged skin cells. This step is especially important if you like taking hot showers or if you have recently exfoliated your skin. Additionally, wait thirty minutes after moisturizing to apply any makeup or it may slide off.
- If you’ve shaved your legs, moisturize with baby oil to give them a glamorous shine.^{[2]
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- If your face is oily, use a special moisturizer for acne-prone skin.
- For special occasions, consider using a tinted or shimmering moisturizer.
4
Fix your hair. If you have long hair, you may need to blow dry it before styling it. If you have short hair, you can let it air dry. If you don’t know how to style your hair, there are many helpful YouTube videos that will teach you how. Alternatively, if you’re attending an especially formal event, consider getting your hair styled professionally.
- To straighten your hair, you will need a blow dryer, a brush, a straightening iron, and soft styling spray.
- If you want to curl your hair, you will need curlers or a curling iron and some setting hairspray.
- Men can style their hair with pomade or gel for a finished look.
5
Apply any makeup. If you’re planning on wearing makeup, apply it after your hair is styled. When doing your makeup, apply the foundation first, seal it with a layer of powder, and then add any enhancements such as blush or mascara. You can also enhance particular features on your face. For example:
- To highlight your eyes, wear liquid eyeliner.
- If you want to enhance your lips, wear a bold lipstick.
- To emphasize smooth skin, wear a high-quality foundation.^{[3]
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6
Groom your nails. Everyone looks better with clean nails. If you want to keep it simple, clean the dirt from under your nails with soap and water. Next, trim your nails and file the sharp edge off the ends. If you like using nail polish, choose a bold color that will compliment your makeup and outfit.
- You can paint your nails at home or visit a nail salon.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Choosing an Outfit

1
Consider the occasion. If you’re attending a formal party, the invitation will tell you what attire is appropriate. Additionally, the attire of the party will vary based on the location. For example, if you’re attending an outdoor party, you may need to bring a coat in cold weather. Other examples include:
- Bringing a swim suit and a towel to a pool party
- Wearing a formal dress to a black-tie event
- Choosing nice slacks and a button-up shirt to wear to a business casual event
- Wearing a fashionable outfit to a party with friends^{[4]
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2
Choose clothing that flatters your body type. Depending on your body type, you may look best in certain kinds of clothing. For example, women with an hourglass figure should wear clothing that cinches in at the waist.
- Women with a pear body shape should accentuate their upper bodies with flowing tops.
- Men with an inverted triangle body shape should wear tailored clothing that shows off their shoulders.
- Women with a rectangle body shape should wear heels and short skirts to accentuate their legs.
3
Dress for your skin tone. The colors in your skin tone will determine what colors you look good wearing. There are three basic skin tone groups: cool, warm, and neutral. First, look at the veins in your arm. If they appear blue, you have a cool skin tone. If they appear green, you have a warm skin tone. If they seem to be some color in between, you may have a neutral skin tone.^{[5]
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- Cool skin tones can wear cooler toned blue, greens, silver, and purple well.
- Warm skin tones look best in earthy colors such as brown, deep yellow, gold, and red.
- Neutral skin tones look good in both cool and warm colors.
4
Choose clothing that makes you feel good. If you want to have a good time at a party, wear something that makes you feel comfortable and attractive. Avoid wearing anything that makes you feel awkward. Otherwise, you may come across as awkward at the party.
- For instance, if your shoes hurt when you try them on, they will only get worse once you get to the party. Instead, choose shoes that are comfortable to stand in.
- It's a good idea to wear something in your closet that you already know makes you look good—something new might not fit how you imagine it will, which could affect your confidence.^{[6]
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  Expert Source
  
  Jordan Stolch
  Image Consultant & Style Advisor
  Expert Interview. 3 November 2020.}
- If you do wear something, pick something that fits your style—not something that looks like what you imagine other people will be wearing.^{[7]
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  Expert Source
  
  Jordan Stolch
  Image Consultant & Style Advisor
  Expert Interview. 3 November 2020.}

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Looking Great at the Party

1
Bring emergency cosmetics. If you’re planning on wearing makeup to the party, bring some extra makeup in a small bag for touch-ups. Touch-ups can include fixing smeared mascara, applying powder, reapplying lipstick. Additionally, if you’re attending a pool party, consider bringing enough makeup to reapply everything after swimming. Common “touch up bags” include:
- Makeup removal pads
- Powder and a powder brush
- Mascara
- Blotting papers (to remove excess skin oil)^{[8]
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2
Avoid foods that stain. If you eat these foods, you risk ruining your shirt or dress for the rest of the night. Additionally, some foods may leave a faint stain on your teeth and lips. Combat these stains by brushing your teeth or rinsing your mouth out with water. Stain-prone foods include:
- Dark berries
- Coffee
- Dark wine
- Pasta sauce
3
Relax. Most people find confidence attractive. The more relaxed you are, the more confident and you will look. If you’re having trouble relaxing at a party, try focusing on different things in your environment. This will draw your attention away from yourself and help you relax. For example:
- Think about the color of the furniture.
- Examine the pictures on the walls.
- Force yourself to focus on a conversation.^{[9]
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- Avoid comparing yourself to other people at the party. Just be your authentic self.^{[10]
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  Expert Source
  
  Jordan Stolch
  Image Consultant & Style Advisor
  Expert Interview. 3 November 2020.}

Expert Q&A
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Question

How can I feel more beautiful at a party?

Jordan Stolch
Image Consultant & Style Advisor
Jordan Stolch is an Image Strategist, Style Advisor, and the Founder of MiKADO - a concierge personal styling firm. With over a decade of experience, Jordan specializes in helping people eliminate the confusion and insecurities associated with how to dress in order to build a powerful image and use clothing to their strategic advantage. Jordan trains entrepreneurs, business leaders, and corporate executives in the foundations of "power dressing", from some of the country's preeminent companies such as Morgan Stanley, Deloitte, Berkshire Hathaway, Universal Music Group, Starbucks, and Disney. She works with clients both in-person and virtually, teaching them how to take the confusion out of style so they can operate at a higher level. Jordan earned her BA in Psychology from the University of Waterloo and studied Merchandise Marketing at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIDM).

Jordan Stolch

Image Consultant & Style Advisor

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

The biggest mistake people do when they're trying to find something to wear is to buy something that's new, that they don't know how they feel in it. You're going to feel the most confident wearing something you already know makes you feel confident. If you do buy something new, choose something that's authentically you—not what you think other people expect you to wear.
Question

What should I do for my hair?

Community Answer

Look on sites such as Pinterest or Instagram for inspiration. Alternatively, you can look in men or women's fashion magazines. If you need help styling your hair, watch a YouTube tutorial.
Question

How should I style my short hair?

Community Answer

If you can curl it, that would be ideal. If you can't, headbands and barrettes can work well for hair styling. Remember though, you don't necessarily need to "style" it. You can always just leave it down.