Look Glamorous at Prom with These Makeup Tips

Whether you're going to the prom in Laredo, Texas, or New York City, some things are true everywhere. Great shoes are necessary. The right accessories. And of course, the right makeup. Having been to proms, Mardi Gras balls and country club dances, I have perfected the way to put on makeup for a dance.

There are three things to keep in mind when choosing prom makeup: level of perspiration, the fact that prom is in spring and the size of your purse

Unless you have problematic skin, forget the base. You've probably heard it before, but youthful skin is, on it's own, beautiful. If you wear base, you'll end up several times in the bathroom for extended periods patching your face after dancing. Instead, use either a small chamois cloth or obtain some rice paper facial tissues. The best chamois cloths or micro fiber clothes for this purpose can be obtained from any place that sells good eyeglasses. Bert's Bees makes some lovely facial tissues that they've titled "Wings of Love." The paper or the cloth will quickly remove any oily glow you might get from dancing after which you can simply dust on a little blusher, a much easier and quicker process than patching base. Simply rub the cloth or paper across your face to remove excess oils. Bert's Bees papers also include a small amount of powder that aid in the drying process.

You may want to wear a base if you have blemishes, but it's my experience that you should avoid base unless it is absolutely necessary. Dancing, by it's nature, leads to perspiration, and should you then slow dance before re-powdering your makeup, your partner might find himself wearing your makeup on his shoulder, collar, or sleeve. Not a pretty sight. A girl I knew melted all over her date slow dancing at the Prom. One-half of her face looked like a horror movie, but at least she could go to the bathroom and fix it. Her date had to wear the reminder of what had happened like a badge of shame for the rest of the evening.

I'll give you another tip: if you truly must hide some blemishes, avoid a base by only touching up the worst blemishes with a concealer product. Blend it well, and then do a light dusting of powder over the areas where you have applied the concealer to help it set. You won't be able to use the chamois cloth or papers to refresh your look, but you won't have the heavy base look, and you've cut your chance of makeup smudging onto your date by keeping your makeup down to a minimum.

My tip for the blush is similar to what I said about the base. Use powder, not cream blusher, again because of the perspiration factor. If you use cream blush, you really need to dust it with powder to help it set, and what's the point of doing all that? We're trying to cut down on makeup, not wear more! No, powder blusher is the only way to go on this night and, in my opinion, every night. Cream blusher is wonderful for older women, but we're not there yet.

Do not try to match your blusher to your dress. While it is fine to coordinate your makeup with your clothing, it is more important that the blush look good on you keeping in mind that everybody looks good in more than one shade. And, with that in mind, consider the season when deciding what blush to wear. Several of us tried to tell that to a girl we knew, but she wouldn't listen. She was married to that maroon blush. She looked like a ghoul at a spring formal dance when it would have been fine at the winter party. It was just too heavy. Pink, a shade of spring, would have been lovely.

Your eyes are where you can have a little more glamour fun. All you need is to use waterproof products to beat the heat of perspiration. Waterproof mascara has been around for years, but now even waterproof eye shadow is available. Dior, Mary Kay, Honey Bee Gardens, Serengeti, and Kitten Toes all have excellent products. What's more, they work! Of course, waterproof products have their limitations. If you're like one girl I know who boo-hooed all over the stage when she was crowned Prom Queen, don't expected your mascara to remain pristine.

Perhaps even more important than wearing waterproof eye shadow is wearing an eye primer. An eye primer goes on your eyelid before you put on your eye shadow. While it may not sound attractive, think of putting on makeup as painting a house. Just as you prime the walls, you have to prime your face. The eye primer will help intensify and maintain your eye shadow. It is well worth the extra effort. To apply it, all you have to do is to put it on the same area where you plan to put on eye shadow. The primer smooths your lid your eye shadow.

There are some rather expensive primers out there that do an excellent job. Actually, they are worth the money, but the problem is that we girls don't always have the money to spare on something like eye shadow primer. The beauty budget only goes so far. So I'll give you another tip. You know those little eye shadows that you get in the free gift when you buy something from department store retailers like Lancome, Este Lauder, and Clinique? Have you ever noticed that sometimes there is this rather neutral shade? Try using this shade as your primer, or base coat. Although it is covering powder with another coat of powder, it does seem to work so long as you've well blended the first, neutral coat onto your lid before putting on the second, colored coat.

Have some fun with eye shadow for this special event. Go easy on the eyeliner, and regarding the mascara, one coat is enough. In springtime, keep with the adage that "less is more" and you will look just right. You are what should shine, not your makeup.

Lipstick, if worn, should coordinate with your blusher. Do not line your lips as it is simply not done except by much older women and only by very few of them. Most people need professional training to line their lips properly, and it seldom looks right in springtime, even for an evening dance. Besides, lip gloss is much more fashionable right now. It looks more natural and more kissable.

As always, experiment with these makeup tips before the big night so you can determine which works best for you.

Complete your look with a good manicure. I always try to finagle a professional manicure because it makes me feel so special, and when I feel special, I feel pretty, and when I feel pretty, I AM pretty. A great deal of beauty is in attitude. However, if a professional job isn't in the cards, Maybelline, Cover Girl, and Sally Hansen are well known for fine polish. Accent that manicure with some fabulous jewelry, and do not forget the all-important purse.

Besides just looking good and matching your shoes, your purse is very important tonight. It is a party purse, so it is small, perhaps even dainty. That means you must be selective about what goes in it. A cell phone is a must, as is some cash because a girl should never be without funds even if her date is a high roller, whatever you need for your hair, and then, you guessed it, the makeup.

If all goes well, all you will need is a chamois cloth or powdered tissues, your blusher, and your gloss. Voila! Maybe you'll need a bit more room for some concealer and powder. If you need to carry more, just don't let your night be ruled by your makeup. So remember this: real beauty doesn't come in a bottle. It comes from your smile. And it's that smile that your date will see when he bends down to kiss you. My final tip to you is simply this: wear a pretty smile and you'll look great.