Glam Camp with Nora Fink

This past Saturday, I was invited to attend stylist Nora Fink's Glam Camp, an all day event that teaches women how to refine their personal style and improve their makeup and hair skills. Nora, a personal stylist, has a contagious, upbeat personality. She is a joy to chat with and has a knack for providing style tips that are encouraging and not overwhelming. You can't help but to absolutely love this girl!

I arrived at Nora's office to find a styled selection of delicious snacks to keep us happy "campers."

We were also greeted by fashion shows from New York Fashion Week. They played on the big screen in the background, setting the scene for a full day of fun.

To kick off Glam Camp, we sipped the cutest margaritas served in mini Patron bottles while browsing magazines to compile clippings of our favorite looks. We were asked to select outfit, hair and makeup styles we would like for our ourselves, even if they are far from our "actual" selves.

After big kid craft time, we presented our style collages to the other campers, talking through our signature style and illustrating areas in which we would like to explore or improve.

During my presentation, I pointed out my longing to try fringe bangs and desire to experiment with bold lipstick. I feel like I have my personal style figured out - pretty much southern chic with a pop of sass.

After defining our desired style, we began makeup class. Nora asked us to bring along our makeup bag for analysis and discussion. Each camper learned to apply makeup in a manner that would achieve her favorite look. Since I wanted to experiment with bold lipstick, Nora went with Dolce & Gabbana Intense Liquid Eyeliner (color: Peacock) with a Dolce & Gabbana Ultra-Shine Lip Gloss (color: Delicious). No eye shadow. Just intense liner on the top and bottom lid with a bold lip. 

I always thought I had pretty good hair knowledge. After all, I used to style my friends' hair for dances in high school. As an adult, it's a different story though. I definitely don't get as much practice. I normally wear my hair down in curls or up in a messy bun. 

Nora and her assistant, Melissa, shared so many helpful tips for experimenting with new styles. In the image below, Melissa demonstrates a technique for achieving bouncy curls with a straightening iron. Who knew? Notice how Melissa grips the hair, turns the iron slightly towards the head and then pulls the bottom of the hair tight while slowing moving the iron down the strand. The concept actually reminds me of  the curly ribbon/scissors trick. 

Melissa and Nora decided they would try the high sock bun on me. I love the polished bun, but have never successfully achieved it on my own. I even tried using the "As Seen on TV" Hot Bun contraption with no luck. To my surprise, Melissa put my hair in the perfect bun using a similar tool within minutes. She said the key to achieving a great bun is to rough up the pony tail with sea salt/beach hair spray and then to use hair pins (not bobby pins) to secure the bun.  I loved the Frederic Fekkari Summer Hair spray they used and will definitely be putting it on my to-purchase list! 

Once each camper was pampered with hair and makeup treatments, we changed into a fresh set of clothes and prepared for our very own photo shoot. Since I needed some new head shots for the blog, I brought a casual, but colorful dress. Once dressed, we headed outdoors with the photographer.

I'll leave my shoot a "mystery." You'll have to wait until the professional images come back. 

Overall, this event was a ball! A special thanks to Nora and Melissa for a full day of fun, styling and socializing. I can't wait to share this experience with my friends and family next year.