No-Fail Prom Makeup Tips to Look Gorgeous on Your Big Night

The weeks before prom can be crazy. There's nothing better than planning your dress, shoes, prom makeup and hair. To make things easier, we've compiled the five prom makeup musts for this year's event. If you live by these prom makeup tips, we guarantee you won't look weird, boring or too much like your regular, everyday self for this year's prom. Have fun!

Prom Makeup Tip #1: Pick your eyes OR your mouth
The biggest mistake people make when putting on makeup is that they highlight both the eye and the mouth. You need to pick one or the other and downplay what you rejected.

How to pick? Simple. What do people compliment you on? Do you have Angelina Jolie's lips or Kate Bosworth's eyes? If you choose to focus on your lips, you'll want to go bright.
Red is hot for prom, as are dark pinks. Just stay away from brown (leave it for your grandmother) and make sure you keep your eye makeup soft and simple.

For the right way to wear red lipstick check out this article . If you want to play up your eyes, go all out with liner, shadow, mascara and even false eyelashes (the ones that AREN'T obnoxious and outlandish). Just make sure you stick with light lips capped with a light gloss.

Smokey eyes are a great look for prom. Here are step-by-step instructions .
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: 5 minutes
Here's How:

1. Prep the lid. The key to keeping eyeshadow from melting into your eyelid crease as the day goes on is to kept eyelids oil-free. To do this start with an eyeshadow base (also called "primer"). I prefer to dab at bit of MAC's 'paint' on lids before shadow application. Or try Fresh Freshface Perfecting Eye Primer.

2. Apply eyeliner. If you're going for a typical black, brown or gray smoky eye, apply liner in one of those colors above the upper lash line, drawing line thicker in the middle of eye. If your opting for a jewel-toned eye (violet makes a gorgeous smoky eye), line eyes with a purple, blue or deep green liner.

3. Blend in color on bottom lashes For color on the bottom (a key smoky eye look) you'll want a lighter eyeliner. The key is to "smudge it." You can also apply a bit of shadow to get full smudge effect.

4. Apply light base color Again, the key to a smoky eye is pairing a lighter base with the darker hue. I prefer a nice cream shade for my base. Sweep a light, shimmery shadow over the lids to your browbone. I love Stila's whipped eye shadows $20. The moist "mousse" consistency seems to stay on forever. My favorite colors are taupe and pearl.
5 Blend in darker color, but keep dark color below the crease. Now that you have the base and eyeliner on, it's time to get the smoky effect. You need a darker eyeshadow shade. Using an eyeshadow brush blend in color starting at your lash line, blending up. Make sure to blend color into the lash line so the eye liner disappears. Stop deep color at crease.

6 Doublecheck your work Make sure eyes match and blend color with a Q-tip if need be.

7 Finish with several coats of volumizing mascara. Tried and true mascaras (featured in "Elle" magazine's March 2006 issue) include DiorShow Mascara & L'Oreal Paris Volume Shocking Mascara. Elle's writer says they are the best volumizers she's tried.

Tips:

1. Remember to keep lips nude. When applying strong makeup (like smoky eyes or red lips) put the focus on either eyes or lips, never both. (Think Angelina Jolie: She either plays up her huge eyes or her huge lips, never both. If she did, she'd look like a clown).
2. For a bit of fun, try a blue or purple mascara. It will make blue eyes "pop."
3. Liner doesn't have to come in pencil form. Makeup experts know eyeshadows make some of the best eyeliners. To do this take an eyeliner brush (available at Sephora, MAC or any dept store), wet it, then dab wet brush into the dark shadow. This allows for a deep, precise line. You can also use the dark shadows without wetting brush first. Either way, eyeliner is necessary for smoky eye.
4. This season go jewel-toned (blue is great for you blue-eyed girls) and keep your eyes smoky but stay away from dark browns and black. Instead, go for a deep purple, a gold-brown or any of the many vibrant colors in this year.

Prom Makeup Tip #2: Perfect your skin tone.
Perfecting your skin tone can be more important than eye makeup. But the secret is to make it look like you're wearing hardly any makeup. In this article, we show you how to achieve a flawless face.

While we're firm believers that few women under age 25 need foundation, if you have acne or an uneven skin tone, you'll want to cover it up with concealer and foundation.

To avoid the pancake batter look, only apply foundation on the areas of skin that are discolored or have blemishes (usually the forehead, cheeks and chin). Make sure to choose a foundation that perfectly matches your skin and blend in well along the jawline.

Unsure how to pick the right foundation? Skip the drugstore and head instead to a department store or Sephora, where you can try before you buy.

Prom Makeup Tip #3: If in doubt, mimic a celebrity
A good trick for those of us overwhelmed with hair and makeup choices is to mimic a celebrity look. Whomever you're into, whether it be Mischa Barton (pictured right), Carrie Underwood, Kristin Callaveri or Ashlee Simpson, you can adapt their look for your prom.

Chances are a professional makeup artist did the celebrity's makeup. If you're having your makeup done at a department store counter before prom, you can bring along the picture for your makeup artist to perfect.

It can also be easy to do it yourself since many magazines name the products used on the celebrity. This way you can apply the exact makeup the celeb used. Here are some of our favorite looks:

1. Penelope Cruz's smokey eyes). Remember to keep your cheek color natural and use a very light lipstick. See directions for how to get a smokey eye above.

2. Sienna Miller's sweet and sexy look). Keep cheeks dewy with a pink blush and plump up lips with a colored gloss.

3. Red lipstick is a great look, just make sure to pick the perfect shade and go light on your eyes, otherwise you'll risk looking like a Cameron Diaz 'don't').

4. Dark-rimmed eyes, like Katherine Heigl's, are gorgeous. Again, a light gloss on the lips will do you.

Tear out a picture of your favorite celebrity and practice the look before the big night. Once you're at prom, no one but you has to know you're the OTHER Mary-Kate Olsen.

Prom Makeup Tip #4: Three things to remember when taking pictures
You'll have those prom pictures for years, so don't forget these three things:

1. Apply liner and lipstick WITH A MIRROR before you pose.

2. Powder your oily areas (forehead, chin and nose) immediately before the picture. Or better yet, keep blotting papers in your purse.

3. Find out how to stand so you look ten pounds thinner.

Prom Makeup Tip #5: What to bring in your purse
Every purse needs blotting papers (better than applying powder all night, which can leave you looking like a mime), lipstick or gloss, powder (just in case), breath mints and a small bottle of hairspray.

One last thing: Remember, a happy, fun attitude is your biggest beauty weapon. Who doesn't look beautiful when they're happy and smiling?

Source: http://beauty.about.com/