A Diva's Guide to Viva Las Vegas

[Miss Kitty Baby]

For all you Diva’s out there-I’ve decided to share a few of my tips and tricks to make Viva Las Vegas go a little smoother.  For as much fun as we’re supposed to have, it sure is a lot of work to have all that fun!

First topic: Planning your wardrobe.

It’s pretty easy to look amazing and fabulous for a night when you have your whole closet full of goodies to choose from to build that perfect look.  When you are trying to do this away from home, it takes a lot of advance thought and planning to look your best for four days.  Plan your outfits from head to toe…including hair accessories(and even styles), jewelry, undergarments, shoes, & purses.  Sounds crazy and obsessive compulsive?  Read on…  I make a schedule for each outfit that I am going to wear and what time of day & which day it will be worn.  Trust me, with the whirl wind of fun and friends at Viva, all of this planning comes in handy when you run back to your room for a quick change and you are wondering, "What the hell did I want to wear with that dress?"  It’s recommended that you make full dress rehearsals.  This is just a check to find out if that perfect combination you have daydreamed about all fits together like you want it to.  It’s also a great time to make any alterations, repairs, and improvements.  The ultimate goal is to look and FEEL your best.  You will have the most fun if you feel good about yourself and feel confident.

*Helpful Hint: bring a couple of more casual backup outfits.  By Sunday night you just might have glamour fatigue and need to bring it down a notch, but you still want to be presentable. 

Your Wardrobe at Viva: 

On the first day take the time to hang up anything that can be hung on hangers and IRON it if it needs it.  Trust me, this will come in so handy later.  I remember getting stuck on the strip without being able to get a cab back and then I was frantically getting ready for an event with my friend ironing my dress for me while I slapped on extra makeup.  Unpack all of your shoes, accessories, flowers, etc and make them accessible.  Bring a sewing kit/safety pins and extra hose/nylons. 

Your Feet at Viva: 

You may think this is the ideal time to show off all of your prettiest and highest heels.  Yup, they look amazing at home.  After four days of wearing heels morning, noon, and night you will have a serious change of heart.  Make a plan that includes some flats or lower, more comfortable shoes each day so that you can slip into those heels when it really counts.   Try to pick your more user friendly heels cause you will be wearing them for hours!  If you dance, this puts you in a whole new category and you don’t need to be told any of this cause you know the drill.  Personally, I bring a plastic tub in my suitcase and pack my stuff in/around it.  I bring some Epsom salts and soak my feet morning and night.  I also bring an anti-inflammatory to take like Ibuprofen.  Another little trick that helps is getting gel pad inserts for the balls of your feet.  They aren’t magic, but they help a little and you can find them at your local drug store.  If you are planning on walking around the car show in heels, make sure they are shoes that stay on well and are easy to walk in.  Remember that the car show is the time your shoes are most likely to end up in a photograph and it’s totally understandable if you want to sport that killer pair of shoes that make your legs look the longest.  I know I will!  Keep in mind if you think none of this applies to you and you are desperate by Sunday to have a comfy, lower pair of heels that still look good with your dresses, those Remix low heels will run you about $150.  They are a great investment and I bring mine every year(they are the BEST for dancing in!), but I bought mine out of desperation once… 

The Car show and The Sun: 

I hate sunburns and tan lines, but I want to show off my tattoos, those toned arms I have been working on since after Christmas, and my other ’assets’ of course.  A few hours out in that hot Vegas sun mid-day is going to be a disaster later.  I have developed a great sunscreen formula.  I don’t care for the lotion sunscreens.  Instead I use spray on 30 SPF sunscreens.  Spray it on and then rub it in with your hands to get full coverage.  Have a friend do your back.  This stuff dries shiny and that’s not the best look.  Wait until it is totally dry, then dust all over with a translucent powder using a large makeup brush.  This will take away that shine and give you a nice, even look without ’muting’ your tattoos.  You don’t have to use your most expensive powder either.  If you go to a lot of car shows in the summer, buying a container of loose powder from Max Factor and a big brush at the drug store will do the trick and last a long time.  This is also ideal for daytime photo shoots that force you out into the sun for hours at a time.  Another option is a parasol.  If you don’t already have one, the vendors usually sell them for pretty reasonable prices, or you can find them at some Asian gift stores.  Don’t forget to wear sunglasses too.  The sun reflects so brightly off of the white paint of the buildings that you will be squinting and blind in no time. 

Your Minty Fresh Breath: 

Find yourself feeling a little self-conscious about leaning in close and chatting all night?  Really need a new piece of gum to freshen things up a bit?  Remember that the hotels DO NOT SELL GUM.  Bring plenty of gum with you for the whole weekend.  Enough to share with your friends and your new friends too.  Yep, you will meet girls in the bathroom at the lipstick mirror that would kill for a stick o’ doublemint, or a boy desperate to find a pack of gum that his girl sent him to go get. 

Shopping & Accessories: 

You will find plenty of hair flowers, jewels, bangles, shoes, clothes, etc to add to and jazz up your collection.  Just remember-if you are in dire need of these items and on a tight budget, that you will pay a markup for them.  On the other hand-it’s the best place to get a hold of all that stuff that you can’t find anywhere else but the internet.  The vendors at Viva have been selling there for a long time and are amazing at getting us all the stuff we love and need and handling the crowds.  If you want the best selection…get there early on Thursday when they set up and early in the mornings each day when they open.  If you want the best deals:  shop on Sunday night.  The selection is not as great but you can usually bargain for better deals.  My recommendations:  Don’t forget your VLV t-shirt before the one you want sells out, Boss Vintage, V-Male Detroit Vintage, and Re-Mix Shoes. 

Manners:   

You will have a lot of compliments thrown your way.  Be pleasant and say Thank You.  Remember that just because you just heard how fabulous you are 20 times-that next person that told you has only told YOU once.  Their compliment to you is genuine and needs to be genuinely accepted.  Don’t be afraid to compliment other girls as well.  If you see something you are very impressed with, Say So!  If you see a gal who is a little shy or less comfortable in her skin that has something really great about her, say so.  It will go a long way and make her feel more confident.  Nothing feels as good as getting a compliment from someone you really look up to, or someone you feel is 10x more glamorous that you are.  Boys-If a boy nicely compliments you, be polite and say Thank You.  If he is drunk and rude...just move on.  Not worth the trouble.  If he is drunk and very flirtatious-carefully think your reaction.  Viva gets really crowded and you may not know that his girlfriend/wife/wife’s best friend is closely nearby.  Best just to smile and say Thank You unless you know for sure.  Don’t be a snob!  You will have so much more fun if you leave all that at home.   

The Cameras & Photographers: 

The best way to connect with photographers, see your images later, and get published is to exchange information.  Have business cards with you at all times.  Trade cards with any one that takes your picture.  Send them an email after Viva is over.  This will give them a way to contact you for future projects, a place for them to send your images, and a way for them to get in touch if they need your permission to publish you in a magazine or website.  Now for the rest of the pictures:  Keep in mind that boys will want to snap a shot with you or have you pose next to their car and they are going to be really proud of their collection of images with all the pretty girls.  Be polite to them, as long as they are respectful to you and respectful that you may be there with your husband or boyfriend.  It’s not always about you, but what you represent.  Be proud of that. 

Your own camera: 

Don’t forget to make room in your purse for your point-n-shoot,  and it’s perfectly ok to bug people to take pix of you and your friends.  It’s Viva after all!  Remember that ’camera’ is the key word here, NOT ’camera phone’.  Having pictures of all your friends having a blast at Viva=Priceless.   Making people stand around while you try and explain to some one how to figure out your complicated camera phone with no flash that can’t take a picture indoors anyway=Annoying. 

Most important advice for Viva Las Vegas: 

Have Fun!  Come back next year!

xo Kitty

www.misskittybaby.com  

[Bugsy]

Thank you so much! I needed some direction! And now I don't feel like a freak for planning every detail! haha

[Lily Fawn]

Great advice… and thank you Kitty… I was just about to write out a similar list for a friend who's coming for their first time this year and you just saved me a ton of work.

Here is one friendly add on:  

If you are planning to shop at various vendor tables, remember to phone visa / Mastercard before your vacation and let them know.  Each vendor is from a different party of the country.  Last year my Visa was frozen for the whole weekend because VISA assumed it had been stolen due to all the random shopping in "various states and cities outside of my own country" (which is Canada by the way).  It really sucked and on the long weekend it was difficult to get this reversed.

I was screwed for money and that pin up dress just had to stay behind!    GRRR  !

[Cupcake Terror]

I'm headed to Viva for my first time this year and I can't wait! This is such a great post for first timers... though I attend many conventions and advice like this is Perfect. Thanks so much for sharing!