Prepare for Prom: Beauty Checklist

Prom is in the air, my friends! While it’s been a hot minute since my own, I got to go to two different prom dances back in high school, and I still live across the street from my old stomping ground, so I can hear all the students buzzing with excitement.

As a plan-o-holic, I started prepping for both of my proms months in advance. Bookmarking dresses, practicing makeup looks, and of course getting details together for the afterparty-turned-massive-sleepover that my mom was so gracious to let me have. With all of the craziness around the event, it’s easy to let things fall through the cracks. But fear not— I’ve got you covered with a prom checklist to make sure you’ve got everything taken care of… at least on the beauty side of things.

1. Skin Care

You should be thinking about your skin care routine when prom is at least a month away, if not sooner. According to dermatologists, it can take 4-8 weeks to receive the best results from a new skin care routine. If you battle acne like I do, I suggest downloading the Oxy 28 Day Challenge app, which will ask you a few questions and give you a customized, dermatologist-approved acne treatment plan for your acne level. Then, you can pick up the recommended products and use them over the next month to get clearer skin and put your best face forward on prom night! The plan is guaranteed to clear up your skin in 28 days, or your money back (guarantee details).

The app also provides daily tips to help get the best results, and daily alerts to keep you on track. You can even plug in before-and-after photos of your progress. It makes skin care effortless when you need your brain power to organize everything else for prom night.

2. Dress & Shoes

You think you’re the only one shopping for prom dresses in the spring? You want to have your dress in your hands about 90 days out, with plenty of time for you to find matching shoes. It’s extremely important that you try on your dress and shoes together in advance— or even better, while shopping— so that if any tailoring is needed, they’ll be able to fit you in among the sea of other prom dresses they’ll be handling.

3. Hair & Makeup

Are you trusting yourself to do your own makeup for the big night, or are you hiring a professional? If you’re going to be working with a makeup artist, book appointments as early as two months before to make sure there’s a time slot that works for you. Start pinning a ton of inspiration so the makeup artist knows exactly what you’re looking for, and don’t forget to check out their portfolio to make sure you like their work

If you’ve taken on the brave task of doing your own makeup for prom— hey, I did it myself, too!— then practice, practice, practice. On nights where you have nowhere to go, grab your makeup go to town. Try out different looks to compliment your dress, and when you find “the one,” practice that at least once a week up until prom night. You don’t want to end up like me: getting eyelash glue all over my face two hours before prom because I had never done lashes on myself before.

You’ll also want to use prom as excuse to splurge on some long-wearing makeup. I used a lot of the Make Up Forever HD products on one of my friends for her wedding, and I know they’d work great for prom.

4. Nails

This will be another choice between salon or DIY. If you’re going the salon route, book your appointment in advance, but for a day and time slot as close to prom night as possible. You don’t wan to risk chipping or smudging! If you’re forced to get your mani a few days before, apply a non-chip top coat every day leading up to the dance.

5. Clutch Essentials

The beauty preparation doesn’t end after you’re done with hair, makeup and nails. Be sure to pack clutch-friendly beauty products to help you stay looking picture-perfect all night long.

• The night’s lip color for touch ups
• Bobby pins and hair ties for hair emergencies
• Oil blotters to keep shine off
• Safety pins for wardrobe malfunctions
• Q tips to fix makeup smudges
• Concealer to brighten up during the night
• Nail file in case of breaks
• Tide pen for clumsy moments during dinner

Tell me your best prom prep tips below!