Picture Perfect Series: Candlelight Dinner Date

Candlelight dinner for two, yes please.

It’s been a while since I wrote something in this series and I decided that the holiday season is a good time to write one about looking good on a candlelight dinner date. Now that the holidays and the year-end are near, people are feeling more relaxed than usual. Bonuses are given out and I suppose this means higher chances of you getting asked out! So how should you dress up so that if someone came and took a picture of you, you’d look picture perfect?

1) Makeup

Play up your most important feature. Follow the rule to enhance and bring it out, while toning down the rest. However, not too much makeup should be used, because honestly, guys prefer women who look presentable – not scary. Don’t head out to a candlelight dinner with too much glitter on the eyes – as if going for a hen’s night in Vegas – even though you’d want your date to be able to see your eyes under the dim lighting. If the place you’re going to has lighting that’s too dark, it’s the wrong place. Skip the red lips if it’s your first dinner together because although it’s sexy, it can scare some guys away. However, make sure you wear a long wearing lipstick or risk having to touch up regularly throughout the meal. A simple evening smoky eye with long lashes should do the trick. Nothing too heavy – remember this. You don’t need shadowing of the cheek hollows either – just highlighting your cheekbones will do; Candlelight can give you facial features you never knew you had.

2) Let Your Hair Down

It’s a dinner date. So, it should be relaxed, chilled, and fun. It’s a time when you and your guy spend some hours getting to know each other better. Let your hair down. Let him see how you normally look when you’re not on the job. Of course, do style it nicely – it’s a date after all. Curl it, straighten it, volumise it. Whatever it is, do something to show that you take care of your looks even when you’re just being you. In other words, show him your feminine side. Leave the hair clips and hair bands at home. If you’ve got a fringe that gets in the way when you work, this is the time to let it down.

3) Accessorise, But Not Too Much

It’s always good to accessorise and look put together. Earrings, rings, bracelets or a cute necklace charm. But don’t overdo this because you don’t want your date to  be distracted every time you reach out for that glass of champagne or cut that steak. Pick something that goes with your attire. A simple sparkly necklace charm could do the trick. You could also wear a set of accessories, you know, the ones that come together when you buy them.

4) Proper Dressing

I think most people know and agree with this. Always dress proper where ever you go, but you should keep this in mind even more when going for a candlelight dinner date. Chances are, the restaurant’s guests are also going to be well dressed and you don’t want to look like Snooki in a sea of elegant Tilda Swintons. I’m not saying wear a gown because while you should be properly dressed for the occasion, you aren’t going to a ball and you don’t want to scare your date away (picture him wearing FCUK and you wearing a red Valentino). Unless, of course, you are going somewhere that requires a ball gown, in which case he should be in a tuxedo.

5) Shoes That Maketh a Lady

I’m a heels kind of girl so I’d say always wear a pair of heels when heading out to dinner with a guy, especially if it’s one of your first dates. However, make sure you wear something comfortable (like Jimmy Choos) because you don’t know where the night will lead and how long it’s going to be. You might end up going to other places after dinner and you’re going to have to walk in those heels. If that happens, you can only blame yourself for choosing the pretty but hurting-as-hell shoes. Some might ask, why heels when you can wear something that’s easier to walk in? Well, mainly because heels, rather than flats, usually go better with formal outfits. Also, I’d suggest leaving the Alexander McQueen alligators at home.

TODAY’S RANDOM

Many-colored Rush-Tyrant (Tachuris rubrigastra) via {link url="http://500px.com/photo/3274210"}Glenn Bartley{/link}.

Isn’t this cute? The boyfriend sent this to me. I call this “The Pufferbird,” y’all.

Image Credits: Simplicitychef