My 2016 Grammys Makeup Look & Outfit

Monday night, I had the absolute honor of joining CoverGirl, Olay, Pantene and Crest at the 58th annual Grammys. A quick tidbit about myself: I grew up wanting to be a singer more than anything. I was in choir all throughout high school and into college, and even had my own “single” with a music video. Going to the Grammys was something I always dreamt about… who knew I’d still get to make that happen after going down the blogging life path?

CoverGirl and the other brands planned a whole day of pampering leading up to the event. We all met at The London hotel in Los Angeles, where the Glam Squad was waiting to get us ready for music’s biggest night.

First up: hair. I had been pinning updos all week and had a loose idea of what I wanted: a messy bun with a lot of texture and some loose curls to frame my face. My hair stylist went to work and created the most gorgeous curly side-bun ever.

Makeup was a joint effort between the Glam Squad team and celebrity makeup artist Julianne Kaye, who has worked on Gigi Hadid and Selena Gomez (who she said I remind her of!). We started out with the CoverGirl & Olay Simply Ageless Serum Primer and the TruBlend Liquid Makeup, which gave me the coverage I need for my problem areas, but with a natural and luminous finish. Then, we contoured using the new TruBlend bronzer paired with their TruBlend blush in Medium Rose (I reviewed the two here).

I told my artist that I don’t shy away from a good highlight, and she knew just the trick to get me the look I wanted. She cracked open the CoverGirl TruNaked Nudes Eyeshadow Palette (which I swatched and reviewed here), and actually used the third shadow in, a shimmery pink, as a highlighter! I love how it turned out, and will definitely be using that secret again.

When I said I wanted a deep lip, more improvising had to happen since we didn’t have quite the color I was looking for. After lining my lips with the TruNaked Waterproof Eyeliner Duo in Penny (a deep copper shade), she actually mixed the Outlast Longwear + Moisture Lipstick in Amazing Auburn with a black eyeliner to get a super dramatic oxblood shade. I was head over heels with how it turned out— I had never thought of mixing products like that!

After the face and lips were done, Julianne was in charge of finishing my eyes. Since I went so heavy on the lips, we kept my eyes light and shining. She used the TruNaked Roses Eyeshadow Palette to give them a rosy halo look, wetting the shadow to bring out the metallic finish. After a healthy dose of winged liner, mascara (the new Plumpify BlastPro to be exact) and bold brows, I was glammed and almost ready to go!

Last to finish getting ready, but far from least, was my dress. I was so stressed trying to pick out the perfect Grammys gown. Grammys fashion can go one of two ways: totally out there, or beautifully classic. The week before the show, I found out that T.J.Maxx recently launched their Special Occasion section on TJMaxx.com, and I scoured the categories for something that would make me feel amazing. I was surprised with how many name brand designers they had for such affordable prices. Since the site made it really easy to search by size, color, and price, I found what I was looking for right away and picked out this glamorous designer full-length lace gown.

It flared out at the bottom with an elegant train, and had a rosy slip that peeked through the lace. Very old-hollywood with a twist, and the it made me feel like a million bucks (even though the dress cost NOTHING near that!). Paired with some nude pumps from Nine West and a black clutch, I was ready for my red carpet moment.

We took some pictures, and mingled around a little before it was time to hop on the party bus and make our way to the Staples Center. With minutes to spare before the show started, we darted to our box suite just to the left of the stage, which was stocked with every delicious food you can imagine— steak, potatoes, shrimp, sushi, cookies, cakes… I was in heaven. My friend Stef and I grabbed the front row seats in the box and had the best view of all the goings-on down below amongst the stars. The show began, and we fan-girled every step of the way.

After the show was over (complete with confetti pop and all), we all said our goodbyes and were chauffeured home. I was in a daze for a few hours, rewatching my snapchat story and reliving the night over and over again. It was definitely a memory I will cherish for years on end, and one that I’m very thankful to have been a part of.

A huge huge thanks to everyone at CoverGirl, Olay, Pantene, Crest and T.J.Maxx for making every aspect of the night possible, and to all of you who continue to support my adventures in beauty. Without you, I’d have nothing.