Prom season is just around the corner. That means it's time to start thinking about your prom makeup. Deciding whether you want natural prom makeup or something more bold can be challenging. At Alexandra's Boutique, we're here to help you choose makeup for prom that will make jaws drop across the venue.
How to Choose Your Makeup for Prom
There are several things to consider when choosing prom makeup looks. Here's how to select the best look for your big day:
Get Inspired on Pinterest
Not sure where to start? Browse Pinterest to find the latest prom makeup ideas. Focus on makeup looks worn by models in similar dresses to what you'll be wearing, as different looks work better for different ensembles.
Choose a Focal Point
When picking out makeup looks for prom, you should consider your entire ensemble: your face, hair, dress, and shoes. If your dress is flashy or your hair will be the show-stopper, go for a more natural look. On the other hand, if you're wearing something more simple, go big and bold with your makeup. Don't risk having an overwhelming or underwhelming look!
Your makeup should also have a focal point. Draw people to your face, eyes, or lips. Otherwise, your look may come across as overwhelming.
Classic or Trending
Some makeup styles are timeless, whereas others are trending right now. Once you pick your dress, decide whether you want to stick to the classics or be on trend. Glitter prom makeup looks have been around for a while, but other trends are just starting to be seen. There's nothing wrong with sticking to a more classic makeup look for prom if that's what you prefer.
Stick to Your Comfort Level
If you're not a fan of heavy makeup, don't wear heavy makeup on prom night. Above all else, you want to be comfortable with your appearance on your big day. It's okay to keep things natural if that's what you prefer. Alternatively, if you prefer bold makeup looks, don't feel pressured to try a more classic makeup look. At the end of the day, your makeup is for you.
Test It Out
Don't wait until prom night to try out your makeup. Instead, test a few different looks before choosing the best one for you. Makeup that looks fantastic on one Pinterest model may not suit your face, hair, or attire, so it's essential to see how it looks on you before committing to it. Once you've found your makeup for prom, spend some time perfecting your application technique. The last thing you want on prom night is to spend hours fixing your makeup mistakes!
Before testing out your makeup, be sure to apply moisturizer to your face and let it sit for 15 minutes. Your makeup will be more even and absorbed into the skin.
In addition to testing the makeup in the mirror, you should also take some selfies with flash on to see how your makeup performs in photos. You may find that you need to match your face and neck better or that you're washed out. To avoid looking washed out in pictures, consider these tips:
- Only apply concealer where you need it, not on your whole face
- Stick to matte makeup looks for prom by avoiding makeup with titanium dioxide in it
- Use mascara, as lashes look bare in flash photography
- Choose colors like gold, red, brown, charcoal gray, and emerald green
- Avoid lipstick colors that make your teeth look yellow
Lastly, don't forget to try on any false lashes you'll be wearing on prom night. Putting them on can be challenging if you've never worn them before. You may wish to experiment with different styles, too. Not all false lashes are the same.
After a few test runs and photos, you can see what will suit you best on prom night.
16 Looks for Prom Night
These prom makeup looks include a variety of styles, so you're likely to find one that fits with your overall ensemble.
1. Taupe Smokey Eye
Who says smokey eyes have to be charcoal?! If you want to keep things simple for prom, natural makeup looks are the way to go. Use an eyeshadow palette with taupes and grays instead of your usual smokey eye palette to get this look. A taupe smokey eye is an excellent alternative to darker colors for those with small eyes, as dark eyeshadows can make your eyes look smaller.
If you've never created a smokey eye look before, it's easy. For the best look, smudge the lines of your makeup, so it blends in nicely. You should also do this to the color under your eyes for the blurred effect of smokey eye makeup.
2. Monochromatic
Match your eyes, lips, and face for a monochromatic makeup look. This works best with red, pink, brown, and purple hues, as the color should be appropriate for your lips. To elevate this look, match your prom makeup to your dress.
When choosing a color theme for this look, you should consider your skin tone. Those with warm skin tones could try rust as a base color, whereas purple and magenta look better on people with cool tones. Choose muted colors like bronze or dusty rose if you have a neutral skin tone.
3. Almost Black Lipstick
Using a nearly black shade of lipstick (like a dark plum), you can achieve this stunning and unique look. If you're wearing a black dress, you'll also create a monochromatic vibe.
You'll need to keep the rest of your makeup light to pull off a lipstick color this dark. Focus on making your brows pop, not your eyeshadow – this will create some balance.
4. Gold and Rose
Rose gold is in right now, so why not create a rose gold makeup look for prom? Most makeup products come in rose or gold hues, making it easy to put together this look. These colors look good on any skin tone since they include both warm and cool tones.
Start by applying a gold eyeshadow base with rosy creases. Then, use a lighter rose color for your cheeks and mauve lipstick.
5. Think Pink
Pink is fun, feminine, and classic for prom makeup. Using a variety of shades to make this look stand out, you can turn this color from an everyday makeup staple to a glamorous fashion statement.
To invoke elegance, use dark pink lipstick and include a darker hue on your outer eyelids. Consider using a pink highlighter to open your eyes more. If you'd like, you can add a bit of glitter to make your eyelids pop, but this is not necessary to complete the look.
6. Polka Dot Eyeliner
This look isn't as easy to create as some of the others on this list, but it's bold and fun, perfect for those wearing a simpler prom dress. While it works well with black eyeliner, you could technically use any eyeliner color to create this look.
Draw a thin, winged line using an eyeliner with a felt tip. Then, use the same eyeliner to make three rows of dots. Use the thin line as a guide when you make your rows of dots for a cohesive look.
7. Blue Eyeshadow
If you're wearing a blue or black dress, consider wearing a matte blue eyeshadow to prom. This look has been featured on countless Fashion Week catwalks, and it's bound to grab the attention of your peers.
Editorial looks are a bit harder to pull off than classic makeup looks, but it's still possible. After applying your eyeshadow, add depth with some brown in the crease and black eyeliner. Keep the rest of your makeup simple with matte pink lipstick and a shimmer highlighter.
8. White Eyeliner
This bold prom eye makeup is perfect for a modern look. Line the top and bottom of your eye with white eyeliner, smudging it out for a smokey effect.
White eyeliner stands out on its own, but to make it really pop, draw a thick line and wing it out to your eyebrows. Keep the rest of your look classic with a shade of red lipstick.
9. Glittery Lips
For glitter prom makeup looks, try applying some to your lips. Whether you find a glittery lip gloss or a loose glitter (make sure it's safe for lips!), you can make your lips stand out on prom night.
Since glittery lips are rather bold, keep the rest of your makeup look simple. Also, be sure to wipe off any excess glitter before you leave the house to ensure that it doesn't leave your lips.
10. Silver Eyes
There's so much you can do with a bit of silver eyeshadow. You can create a variety of different looks simply by changing up the outer lid color.
Try adding a different metallic color to your outer lid to bring out the silver more, like gold or bronze. You could also try a dark color. Keep the rest of your face light, using neutrals and light pinks on your lips and cheeks.
11. Glittery Eyes
Add glitter to any natural base eyeshadow color to make your prom makeup more glamorous. Even better, use a makeup palette with glitter eyeshadows to save time.
You can also add glitter to darker eyeshadow looks, like smokey eyes. Simply use a glitter that compliments that color if you don't have a glitter eyeshadow palette.
12. Lilac and Blue
This unique color combination suits brown eyes and brunettes. With a jewel-tone blue and bright lilac, you can create a beautiful look that none of your friends have seen before.
To achieve this look, swipe lilac eyeshadow all over your eyelids and add winged blue eyeliner. You can also add false lashes to tie your look together. Keep the rest of your face subtle with a peach blush and pink, glossy lips.
13. Subtle Green Eyes
Green eyeshadow doesn't have to be flashy to be fashionable. With just a dash of color, you can compliment your green or black dress beautifully.
Instead of covering your entire eyelid, simply add some green shadow to your crease and lower eyelid. Pair this with peach or light pink lipstick to keep the focus on your eyes.
14. Peachy Glow
If you're looking for a more natural prom makeup look, consider using peach tones. Stick to cool tones and basic shades.
Pair shades of soft bronze eyeshadow with a peach lip. You can also add highlighter to your nose, Cupid's bow, and the inner corners of your eyes for a subtle glow.
15. 80s Modern
80s makeup is currently trending again, but some modifications have been made to the original style. With elements from the past and present, this look appeases peers and parents.
Bring back the 80s with pink blush and pushed-up eyebrows, but keep it modern with nude lips and a brown cut crease. The result is a neutral, elegant prom makeup look.
16. Gold and Blue
This stunning color combination looks great on those wearing blue dresses. It's one of the bolder prom eyeshadow looks on this list, but if you can pull it off, it's sure to stun the crowd.
Swipe some gold eyeshadow on your eyelids. Then, add brown to your crease and outer eyelids. Place a deep blue shadow or eyeliner on your lower eyelid, and then put icy blue shadow in the inner corners of your eyes. Top it off with long false lashes. To keep the focus on your eyes, pair this look with a nude lip.
Shop Prom Dresses at Alexandra's Boutique
These are just a few makeup looks for prom that could work for your event. No matter which makeup look you're going for, the first step to choosing it is selecting your dress. Once you know what you're wearing, it will be easier to see which makeup looks will tie your prom look together. Visit us at Alexandra's Boutique to find the prom dress of your dreams.