When I received the invite for this year's E! Bloggers Ball, I got really excited because this would be my THIRD time attending the event. Very thankful that I've been a part of it since the first one! And because I've been lucky enough to experience the first two runs, I more or less knew the checklist I had in order to prepare for a formal event. This year, the only difference is that I opted to rent a gown from a gown rental shop in Makati.


With the holidays coming up, you might come across a formal event or two. That's why I've decided to share with you some tips on preparing for a formal event:

Check the Dress Code


When attending a formal event, see if there are any restrictions on the dress code or any specific theme. Are they strict or do you have a bit more freedom to interpret it as you wish? Maybe it's a wedding and the bride and groom have listed down colors to avoid, or a debut that has a Grecian theme. The E! Bloggers Ball 2018 theme was "High Shine," which, I think, could be interpreted in many ways. You can high shine through your make up, your accessories, or even your outfit.

Source Your Outfit


Whether you're renting, borrowing, or having an outfit made, make sure you have enough time to be able to check if the fit is perfect or if anything needs to be adjusted. I was glad to come across Gowns for Rent by Damsel on Facebook when I was looking for gown rental shops in Makati. They are located on the 2nd floor of Makati Cinema Square and have a large room filled with gowns in nearly every color! As much as it might be every kikay girl's dream to be in a room filled with gowns, it can get overwhelming.


Here's what you need to do if you're renting a gown from GFR by Damsel:

1. Check their Facebook Page and look through the albums to pick out gowns that you like. Their albums are categorized by dress color. Each photo will most likely have the rental price and size already in the caption, to make it easier for you to narrow down.
2. Take a screenshot, save the photo, or take down the name of the gown(s) that you like.
3. Go to www.damsel.setmore.com to book an appointment to fit these gowns. It's free to set an appointment!
4. Arrive during your appointment and show the styling assistant your chosen gowns. They will pull these out for you from the gown room and bring it to your dressing room.
5. Try them on and hopefully, find The One!


While they also had suits available, we didn't find what we were looking for for Jon. It wasn't a problem though, as we found the perfect suit from Paulo Lazaro's ready-to-wear (RTW) line. It was great that they also tailored it to fit him right!

Book Your Hair & Makeup Appointment


If you're getting your hair and makeup done, be sure to book an appointment in advance. In the last two years, I've been able to book my appointments 2-3 days prior to the event day through Blo Blow Dry Bar in Serendra.


This year, however, I decided to get my hair and makeup done at home as I was a bit pressed for time on the day of the event and didn't have time to run to a salon and back, plus change, etc. This year's makeup is by Albrenn Malinao (@albrennclear on Instagram).

Double Check the Event Details

When preparing for a formal event, or any event at that, be sure to double check the event details at least a day before in case they have reminders for you. It's not fun walking up to the event and forgetting something you need like the invitation or whatever it is, and finding it harder to get in.


Lastly, ENJOY! I know I definitely enjoyed this year's E! Bloggers Ball. Everyone looked so amazing in their own high shine looks. Plus, I was happy to be able to share it with Jon, as he's such a supportive person when it comes to my blogging.