Concerned with Cosmetics: Worrying Over Prom Makeup!

This is sort of "Prom Week" here at Style Quirk, which works for me because I have an outlet for all of my prom fretting. I'm doing a lot of that, as the big event is Saturday, only four days away! My biggest worry at the moment is makeup. Today, I drove an hour away from home just to go eyelash shopping. As you can see, I am very concerned. Prom is a big deal! So here's a few tips and tricks for formal event makeup, and maybe you can find some inspiration for your own look.

My makeup routine is going to kick off with the basics – foundation, blush, etc. – but I need to stay in sync with my dress. While my dress will remain a mystery until next week's article, I can tell you this. I'm pulling a lot of inspiration from Chanel's spring 2012 show. The makeup was minimal, with silvers and whites taking center stage. After all, the models were supposed to look like mermaids! But the best part of the makeup was the little pearl "piercings" on the girls' faces.

The models had them along their brow bones, eyes, and even down their spines! I thought it was captivating, so I've been on the hunt for the same type of little gem to go into my own makeup look for the night. I'll be really blunt here: I hate rhinestones on girls' faces. I think they’re tacky. But these pearly ones seem elegant, and more I-just-might-be-Poseidon's-daughter, rather than trashy or strange. It’s why I chose to go a little out-there with facial appliqués.

Emulating this is proving harder than I expected! Places like Sally's only carry rhinestones, because they specialize in manicures. Hobby Lobby is eventually where I went, and finally found two sizes of flat-back pearl appliqués in the "Wearables" section. I can't find them in the online store, or I'd show them to you, but that probably describes the difficulty I went through to get them better than anything else I could say.

I decided to do these pearls on my shoulder and collarbone area as well. I think it will be really gorgeous to do swirly designs with them, considering I have a strapless dress, so that part of my shoulders is exposed. I want them to be placed in a pretty, curly Q design something like this. I'll just have to practice beforehand to get it perfect! And, of course, there will be pictures next week!

A few things to remember when doing makeup that needs to last all night:

Definitely set your foundation! Setting your base with loose powder will keep you from sweating it all off on the dance floor. You should also consider using a facial primer, and should definitely use an eye shadow primer! You can also dampen your eye shadow brush to make shadow last longer, and tap it onto your lid instead of brushing it on. Also, make sure you glue your lashes on with the utmost precision, because otherwise they'll start to fall off when you dance and get sweaty. It's really awkward when your date freaks out because he thinks your lashes are balding. Trust me.

Well, there's my thoughts on makeup for prom 2012. I hope you enjoyed the tips, and maybe you can be inspired by Chanel's mermaid look, too! Just remember to be fearless and have a good time, no matter what makeup look you're rocking.