Getting ready for a big night out and want to amp
up your glam factor without adding on to the
time it takes to get ready? Enter: The Style Scout,
New York City-based stylist and Elle
correspondent Alia Ahmed-Yahia. Why do we
love Alia? Because she’s all about speed. “Who
has time to comb through all the fashion blogs
and magazines? That’s my job,” she says. Alia
just launched Sixty Second Style, a newsletter—a
trend cheat-sheet for your inbox, really—that she
co-writes with other fashion industry insiders.
They break down the trends and curate the best
tips, tricks and shopping links. And to grant our
wish, Alia agreed to take us through her party-
ready routine.

Prep: Make Your Skin Sparkle
“I’m religious about taking care of my skin. It’s
an investment—just like you want your designer
handbags to last you a lifetime, the same goes for
your skin!” says Alia. For a big night out, it’s all
about the glow. Pre-cleanse with makeup
remover like Take the Day Off, then pair a
cleanser with the Sonic System Purifying
Cleansing Brush—it feels amazing and removes
any leftover traces of dirt or makeup. Next,
switch out your everyday toner for the
Turnaround Revitalizing Instant Facial. It gently,
immediately reveals smooth and calm-but-
radiant skin. “A few extra seconds of facial
massage gives my skin a naturally rosy glow,”
says Alia. So, while you rinse off the mask,
massage it over your skin. Follow with
moisturizer on your face, neck, and décolletage,
again spending an extra minute massaging it in.
“I’ll also mix an extra dab with my foundation in
the palm of my hand before applying—it helps
the foundation distribute seamlessly (and
quickly) and makes my skin look fresh and dewy.”

Pop: Go For The Wow Factor
“I love makeup but only spend about five
minutes doing it. A bright lip is a pretty pop of
color, and you barely have to do anything else,”
says Alia. She creates her own signature shade.
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned from producing
photo shoots, it’s that makeup artists always
custom blend lip color,” she says. Her favorite
combination: Clinique Pop Lip Colour + Primer in Passion Pop, a true red, and Poppy Pop, a
bright coral.

“Keep the rest of your makeup streamlined. A
sheer wash of gold eye shadow and clean, crisp
black liner are perfect—special, but understated,”
says Alia. Her picks: Lid Smoothie Antioxidant 8-hour Eye Colour in Bit o’ Honey, which is a
cream shadow with sheen, not shimmer, and
Pretty Easy Liquid Eyelining Pen in Black. “Dab
just a hint of gold on the inner corner of your eye.
It catches the light, so it opens up your eyes and
makes them twinkle. Draw your eyeliner directly
on top of the upper lash line, and extend it just a
bit,” she advises.

Party: Make a Statement In Layered
Metallics
How many times have you stared blankly into
your closet, wondering what to wear to a party?
“You can never go wrong with metallic, which is
easy to layer and make interesting,” suggests
Alia. “Choose one metallic hero piece, pair with
one metallic accessory, like a belt or clutch, and
then hit pause. A third metallic can be too much.
Instead, choose diamond or clear-color stones to
give the illusion of sparkle.” Your makeup should
balance your look—head-to-toe shimmer can be
more disco ball than chic. And colors should
complement one another; “a cherry-red lip is the
perfect partner to a bronze top, since both hues
have warm undertones.” But you’ve been
warned: when wearing metallic clothes, keep
your makeup sparkle-free. Think opposites, and
veer towards matte textures. 

Photography: Jacqueline Harriet | Words: Rachel Hayes | Hair: Kyungmin Chon | Makeup: Miriam Robstadt | Prop Styling: Manny Norena