How-to: 'up' your formal chic factor

If you’re a teenage girl (or a mother of one), you’ll know that a formal can mean as much as a wedding. The planning, the dress, the hair and make-up – it’s so important that a single thing doesn’t go wrong.

Which is why it’s so disappointing when you look back at formal photos and cringe a little. “Why did I go so heavy with the glitter?” “Why did I think that pink princess frock was a good idea?” or “Why did I curl my hair so tightly?”

These are questions you definitely don’t want to be asking in years to come, so why not opt for a more classically chic look than being bang-on-trend? I guarantee you’ll thank yourself for it in the years to come…
 

TIP TO LOOK MORE CHIC AT YOUR FORMAL #1: Choose the right juice

Nothing says “Teenager” like a sweet, fruity fragrance – especially when it has a Disney star plastered over the packaging. Not to say there’s anything wrong with celebrity scents – they’re just not exactly the ideal thing to reach for when you’re trying to seem more grown up and effortlessly chic than usual. What you should be looking for is a scent that doesn’t overpower your presence, but complements it by revealing soft undertones that captivate the people around you without being too in your face. Jo Malone Peony & Blush Suede Cologne is a lightweight, fruity floral scent that features notes of red apple, jasmine, rose and gillyflower. It also features undertones of soft suede and is rounded off by the scent of peonies in fresh bloom. This is the perfect scent to have your friend’s thinking they’ve got a real woman in their presence. Get yours, here!

TIP TO LOOK MORE CHIC AT YOUR FORMAL #2: Borrow mum’s jewellery

No, we’re not saying you should raid your mum’s jewellery box and dig out her most expensive jewels, just that while costume jewellery is great fun and can add a dash of colour to your look, the bid to look truly chic requires more. Why not team a string of real pearls with your black, lacey frock? Or your mother’s signet ring in an attempt to set off your red grown? We’ll even suggest throwing your hair into a chignon and rocking that pair of chandelier showstoppers you’ve been eyeing. A big pair of earrings is a fast way to make you look and feel as chic as Audrey Hepburn?
 

TIP TO LOOK MORE CHIC AT YOUR FORMAL #3: Rock a red lip

Gone are the days where a set of velvety red kissers are reserved for women over 30, or Marilyn Monroe. While it can seem a little daunting, a good red lipstick is the perfect weapon to stand out from the crowd and will have you channeling an old school, elegant Hollywood Starlet. Everyone will be seriously impressed with the courage you’ve assembled to rock such a bold lip hue – and the girls wearing the pink, glittery gloss will wish they’d taken the plunge along with you. Just don’t forget to bring it with you for touch-ups. Faded lipstick isn’t nearly as chic as the perfect kind.