Beauty Tips for Your Mardi Gras Celebration

Mardi Gras is a fantastic time of fun and frivolity. It's traditionally celebrated in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama, in the United States. However, you don't have to be from the southern coast to appreciate this season. Mardi Gras, which is French for "fat Tuesday," is held in the month of February, but you can throw a Mardi Gras bash for one or hundreds any time of the year. Here are some beauty tips for dressing up for the Mardi Gras celebration of your choice.

Keep in mind that the traditional colors of Mardi Gras are gold, green, and purple. During the celebratory parades that are held on the chic city streets of Mobile and New Orleans, beaded necklaces in these colors are thrown from opulent floats. You can take this tradition to a more upscale level, however, and replace the plastic beads with something a bit more muted. While you probably can't afford the real thing, go for some faux emerald and amethyst or garnet stones in a pearl-style necklace strand. These establish that you're in the know when it comes to the season's traditions, yet also that you want to do it your own way. With this option, you can go from a Mardi Gras party to dinner at a restaurant without getting double takes.

If beaded necklaces aren't your thing, go for the celebration with your clothes. Go bold with a bright purple top and cute green skirt. The look would look great with a short or long skirt, and it would even be good to go with a straight style or pleats. If you want to be less in-your-face, simply wear a pastel version of the outfit. Another cute look would be a top that has green and purple stripes with gold pants. Sure, it's flashy, but that's part of the charm that the holiday has taken on.

Whether you're dressing up to the max or taking it easy, try to be festive right down to your makeup. Choose shades of green and purple in your eye shadow picks for the evening. Remember that less is more when it comes to bold makeup colors unless you are going for a flamboyant costume look. Accent the eyes. You may even opt for a touch of purple, green, or gold glitter on your face and throughout your hair. If ever there's a good time for body glitter, it's this bold celebration known as Mardi Gras.