Capitol Culture Couture

My friend Ryan turned 30 this month, and to celebrate, he threw a Capitol Culture-themed bar crawl celebration.

When I first got the FB invite, I had no idea what Capitol Culture was-- I had never heard of it. The invitation suggested we google "Effie Trinket" for inspiration. Following Ryan's advice, I promptly flipped open the macbook and got to Googling. It didn't take long to realize this was a Hunger Games theme. I've not seen any of the movies or read any of the books, which explains why nothing on the invitation made any sense to me.

However, whether you've seen the movies or not, the theme was crystal clear.

What I learned was that Capitol Culture is all about luxe. Being overly frosted, sparkled, and made up. More is more. To me, it seems like a satirical view on society and our country's obsession with material things and outer appearances. Either way... I was into the theme because the brighter the colors and wilder the make up = the better the pictures.

Here are some of the photos I used as inspiration for my outfit and hair/makeup:

One thing was certain: I needed drama. Drama on my eyes. Drama in my hair. Drama everywhere.

Another thing was also certain: if I went too dramatic with the whole get up, I could run the risk of looking like a Baltimore City street walker, so I needed to subtle-it-down a little.

My friend Kelly manages a hair salon and was able to help me accomplish the hair and makeup looks I had in mind. (Thank you Kelly, again, for your help!) Here's what we came up with:

This was about halfway done the makeup application. Lashes applied,
bright lip, green shadow, and the start of the gemstones being glued to my face.

My hair was everything. Several french braids and fishtails pulled to the left,
tied together, and crimped. Then all of it was teased. The bottom was dyed pink and silver .

I used a pin (for clothes) as a bright hair accessory to match the pink hair dye.
Because my hair and makeup were... aggressive (albeit pretty, IMO)...
I went with a bright, but simple, dress choice.

In the elevator on the way to the party-- excited to see everyone's looks!

With my friend Mallory and the birthday boy.

Close up of final make up, and Mallory's fierce eye shadow.

The group.

B&W version of the makeup photo. I just thought it looked cool without color.

If you were going to this theme party, what would you do?! Any good ideas for next time?

Until then,

GJU