Prom Beauty: Top Trends to Embrace—And Avoid

Allure Daily Beauty Reporter

By Kate Sullivan,Allure magazine

The night of my senior prom, a friend's mother took mine aside and paid me a hilarious compliment, one I've never forgotten. With true admiration in her voice, she told my bemused mom, "Katelyn looks like she died on the Titanic."

What she meant was that I had gone with a classic look for the dance: Simple up-do, makeup with just a tad more glitz and finish than my weekend look, a short-nail DIY manicure with clear nail polish. That year, dark makeup, butterfly hair clips, and French mannies with colored tips were all the rage, and they were worn with neon dresses with stomach cutouts-yeah, I didn't wear one of those either. I had learned from the comically dated prom photos of others, that what's too cool today, looks like Romy and Michele's High School Reunion tomorrow. Bad prom pictures are hilarious-so long as they're not yours.

Now, I know, you crazy kids think the latest trends will never go out of style, but please read this post. To guide you, I've asked makeup artist Jackie Gomez, hairstylist Sean James Decuers, and manicurist Sheril Bailey which spring beauty trends (which might be just perfect for a date) are not what you want on your parent's mantle for the next decade-as well as which looks will be fun now, but won't embarrass you down the road.

MAKEUP
Jackie Gomez wields her brushes on the famous faces of Beyoncé and Zoe Saldana, among others.

Brighten up your lips... "I say absolutely do a bright lipstick, like a fuchsia, as long as you keep your eyes a little toned down- try a cat eye or a sheer wash of dark tones or even light pastel tones."

... Not your lids. "Lime green and vibrant blue shadows are in, but I would stay away from this if you want to look at the picture ten years later. You might not be happy with bright eye color. Definitely try a strip of lashes-something that's very full and feathery and flirty. You'll still look different from your every day, but full lashes are always classic."

Use rose-gold-it's popular for a reason. "A rose-gold is similar to a nude but it gives you a sparkle. There's something very youthful about a rose-gold lip gloss, and it compliments every skin tone. Pair it with smokey eyes, and I guarantee you will look good. (If you've never done smokey eyes before, do a sheer wash of a dark tone- a grey or light brown.)"

Just say no to face art. "For prom night, I wouldn't suggest any face art-no heart drawings! If you really wanted to do a stick-on gem for extra sparkle, do a small one on the inner corner of the eyes. But I would suggest that you substitute a sparkly gem for a sparkly shadow, which is more formal."

Don't over-color your brows. "Thick brows are a real trend, but if you're in high school and you're not used to filling your brows, they will probably look too dark. Keep it light and fresh: less is more when it comes to prom makeup."

HAIR
Sean James Decuers is a hairstylist at Rita Hazan Salon in New York City who works with Jessica Simpson and Cynthia Nixon. He has styled at runway shows for Marc Jacobs and Proenza Schouler.

Accessorize-with caution. "There are fads, trends and classics. And you can be a little trendy-wearing a headband-but for prom, don't fall into a fad, like doing a bunch of little clips in your hair or colors in your hair."

Ponytails are forever-braids, not so much. "A neat ponytail is classic. You can place it in different areas to make it more flattering-for example, a higher ponytail can lift up your cheek bones and eyes. I love braids, but they were really cool three months ago. Even if you're wearing a bunch of braids that lead up to a bun, it's going to look too faddish."

Pump up the volume. "Height is very runway. A ponytail that's teased in the front-use a little dry shampoo to give it height-is beautiful right now, and it's timeless."

Get a head start on highlights. "If you've never gotten highlights before, try them a month or six weeks before the prom. If you do it just a couple of weeks before and it's the wrong color, you'll have to correct it, and your hair could become dry and brittle."

NAILS
Manicurist Sheril Bailey's work has been featured in ad campaigns for Jimmy Choo, Prada, and others and innumerable magazines (including Allure!).

Don't overdo it. "Animal print: You will definitely regret it. It's a trendy thing that comes and goes. Bling on the nails will embarrass you if it falls off in the middle of the dance floor. Pointy nails are for Lady Gaga-not to mention a bit gothic and strange for pictures you'll have the rest of your life."

Be bold. "You won't regret a bright color; they are always fun. Bright orange nails are just right before summer-you want a lively, rich shade."

Top it off. "Your nails should be neat and short. Many girls get tips for the first time in their lives for prom; they just make the nails uniform in length and look clean and chic if you keep them relatively short. But don't get French tips-it's old, and passé. So many people still wear them, but they're so out."

Coordinate. "If you're not sure what nail polish shade compliments your dress, get one that comes closest to matching it-it will blend in. And I think it's best when toes are done in the same color as the fingernails, not a different color. Please, no white tips in those sandals! When I see women with French pedicures on the train, I want to take my clippers out; it looks like the nails have grown too long. I don't care how clean your feet are, it's so gross."

More from Allure:


Photo Credit: Getty Images