Prom is fast approaching for many schools and girls are starting to get ready. Preparing for prom is a stressful experience for girls in making sure everything is perfect. Here are some tips for making this a little stressful.

Shoes- Make sure you can walk comfortably in your shoes and that they match your dress. Neutral colors are good, or silver and gold. If you’re not comfortable in heels don’t wear them. No one will judge you for not wearing heels, everyone ends up taking them off after a couple hours. 

Purse/Clutch- Clutches are small and easy to carry but keep up with any things you have to bring, like money, your phone, and anything to help with any wardrobe malfunctions. Things to have in your clutch: fabric tape, your lipstick, mints, blotting sheets, setting/brightening spray, and bobby pins.

Jewelry- What jewelry you wear depends on your style of a dress. With dresses that are incredibly detailed and extravagant, you want to get subtler jewelry. On the other hand, if your dress is on the simpler side, then you can go bigger and sparklier. Jewelry also depends on the neckline of your dress. If you have a high neckline that comes close to your collarbone then forgo a necklace and stick with statement earrings. For a deeper cut or heart-shaped necklines then you can add a shorter necklace with subtler earrings.

Matching your date- One of the most difficult parts of preparing for prom is making sure your date matches. Stick with simple suit colors; grey, black, and navy for example. Match his tie to the color of your dress or if your dress is black, navy, or grey, pick an accent color for his tie to be. Making sure you get the exact color match is another feat you have to conquer. If you need dress alterations, ask for some of the scrap fabric that comes from you dress so that you can match that to your date’s suit or tie. Rather than that, you can match a bottle of nail polish to your dress and then match that to your date’s outfit.

Alterations- Most prom dress stores have suggested alteration places where they trust them to successfully alter your dress. Take their recommendations or use someone who you know well and trust to make your alterations. Some dresses have really complex beading that will have to be undone and then stitched back into place properly. When you go into alterations make sure you have already gotten your shoes. The way your dress hangs and what is done depends on what kind of shoe you’re wearing. Be sure to schedule your dress alterations with enough time before your prom.

Hairstyles- Hairstyles depend on the length of your hair, how thick it is and what type it is, and the cut of your dress. The shorter your hair is, the harder it is to do specific hairstyles. Luckily, a simple google or Pinterest search for “short hairstyles for prom” gives you millions of options to choose from. Also, extensions are always an option. One problem that also crops up around prom is that girls with naturally straight have difficulties with their curls falling out. Now if your hair doesn’t naturally hold a small amount of curl then it’s much more difficult to curl your hair, but there are some things you can do. Do not wash your hair the day of prom, wash it the day/night before. The natural oils from your hair will help hold the curls longer. If that is not an option then spray texturizing spray into your hair before curling it. Make sure your stylist is also using the correct kind of heat tool and lets the curls cool and set before tousling. Girls with naturally wavy or curly hair don’t usually have this problem. How you specifically style your hair depends on the style of your dress too. If your dress is strapless then it’s suggested to wear your hair down; with a v-neck, it is suggested to do a half up half down style; a one-shoulder dress should be paired with a side swept look; and a high neck dress should be accompanied with all your hair up.  Make sure to schedule your hair appointment ahead of time and send what you want to your hairstylist to make sure they can do it.

Makeup- Just like hairstyles, makeup totally depends on your dress and what you want. First, you want to make sure you have a reliable makeup artist that you trust to do what you want and execute it well. With the internet and social media, it is quite easy to find makeup artists nowadays. If your makeup artist is not stationed in a makeup store, make sure you know whether you need to supply everything, some stuff, or nothing. It is recommended that no matter what, supply your own foundation and anything else you have to match to your skin. You do not want your makeup artist to try to match your skin tone on the spot unless they have a very large array of foundations. Make sure you make clear to your artist what kind of makeup look you want, supplying pictures is the best way to show them exactly what you want. If you’re not sure what you want, ask them for suggestions based on your dress and hair.  Schedule your makeup appointment when you schedule your hair to make sure they don’t overlap. Be sure to leave enough time for your makeup and hair to be done if you’re having different people do each.

Fake Tan- With prom season starting in March and ending in May no one is perfectly tanned. Girls with naturally dark skin don’t necessarily need to worry about how their skin looks compared to their dress, but girls with naturally lighter skin always seem to worry. A lot of colors that look good on fair skinned girls also accentuate their fair skin. A fake tan is a perfect way for girls who feel insecure about their skin to simply brighten up their skin for prom. You can either opt for a spray tan, self-tanner, or a tanning bed. A tanning bed runs the risk of severely damaging your skin and self-tanner could end up streaky. The safest way to go is to get a professional spray tan. Make sure to talk to people who regularly get spray tans and look at reviews online. Also, ask for tips on what kind of tan you would like for the occasion and how it would look on your skin tone.