The Perfect Makeup for Your Prom Dress Style

By Pretty For Prom: Your Source for Prom Dress Fashion Tips

Prom season is just around the corner, and it’s likely you are already thinking about the hottest prom dresses and hairstyles. With all of this attention focused on your dress and prom hairstyle, have you thought about your makeup to accompany? Your face is the first thing your date and your friends are going to look at when you walk into prom (before your dress and your hair), and you want it to be breathtakingly beautiful. Makeup designed to accompany a prom dress can be very different than your normal dab of foundation and mascara as you rush out the door each day. Once you select your dress, you should begin thinking about and shopping for your ideal skin and nail colors as soon as possible. If you are not quite sure where to start with your makeup colors, look for your personal and dress style below and check out our tips for customized makeup. You will also find an ideal hairstyle idea to complete each look.

Bohemian Baby
If you are a fresh-faced flower child with love and peace on your mind, chances are you have chosen a boho/hippie look in your prom dress. The boho style includes prom dresses with peasant blouse tops, feathery skirts, or tie-dyed colors. To accessorize your granola girl side, you will want to create a natural make-up look. You are all about fresh, natural beauty and you should show it with honey-toned blush and eye shadow, a light application of mascara, and caramel-colored lipstick. Buff your nails in a clear polish to complete the natural look. For bohemian style hair, leave your tresses down with a messy side part and allow your natural texture to take the reins. Create two tiny braids on both sides to frame your face and finish the look with a flower or feather tucked behind your ear. You will look as beautiful and fresh as a summer morning.

Glamour Princess
A true glamour princess loves fashionable flare and attention-drawing features in a prom dress. If you are wearing a ball gown with a full, floor-sweeping skirt or a dress in a bright, dramatic color, feel free to join the ranks of prom queens and glamour princesses. On the night of your prom, live out all of your princess fantasies with pastel makeup that keeps you looking pretty, not prissy. Try a bright, emerald shadow on your eyelids with two coats of mascara on your lashes, taking care to add extra mascara to the outer lashes. Use a pale pink cream blush to add a bit of color to your cheeks and a rosy-pink lip color to give your lips a glossy finish. To complete your glamorous look, pull your hair into a sleek French twist and slide on a tiara. You’ll look as beautiful and classy as Audrey Hepburn!

Renaissance Romantic
If William Shakespeare is your true dream date to the prom and images of Romeo and Juliet style romance fill your wildest prom fantasies, you are a true Renaissance romantic. Your prom dress likely includes an empire waist, long, flowing sleeves, flowery pastels, or a floor-sweeping, full skirt with a split overlay. You will want to live out your romantic, prom-night fantasies with rosy, feminine makeup in monochromatic tones. Try using touches of pink on your eyelids, cheeks, and lips in a shimmery shade to catch the light and bring a glow to your face. Use a small amount of mascara on your eyelashes to make your eyes stand out, but try a dark brown shade instead of solid black for a more natural look. Embrace your inner Juliet by creating flowing, ringlet-style curls in your hair. To keep your tresses naturally twirling, part your hair in the center and use a heat-protective styling spray before curling. With such a beautiful, romantic look, you may just find your own Romeo on prom night.

Retro Rocker
You have to admit, the 80s did have their crazy edge, but they also had a lock on the outrageously wild fashion scene. If you are a Madonna-loving, 80s child at heart (even if you never actually spent any time living in the decade), the retro rocker look is definitely for you. Your prom dress likely contains a daringly short or asymmetrically cut hemline and is in a bright, bold color or print. If black is your prom color of choice, you fit in this category, as well. For a great prom look with retro flare, try pairing some cat-eye makeup with bright red lips. Apply two coats of mascara to your lashes, taking care to create more coverage on the outer and upper lashes. To finish your eyes, use a couple of swipes of black eye pencil at the outer corners to give the merest hint of cat-eye wildness. Be careful not to overdo the makeup; you want to encompass the good parts of retro style and leave the mistakes behind. For a stoplight red look in your lips, use a bright shade to carefully outline and fill in your upper and lower lips. Finish your bold, rock star look with bangs and a simple up-do. Too much product will flatten your bangs so be careful to use only a light shine infuser. Madonna would be so proud!

If you have found your perfect prom personality above, the featured makeup and hair tips will help you complete your look. As a final reminder, when choosing a prom personality, be sure to select a dress, hair, and makeup style you are comfortable with. You will want to add just enough glamour to make your look a touched-up version of yourself. It is far better and more flattering to feel comfortable in your own skin than to choose a look that is too daring. Have fun, look beautiful, and dance the night away!