DIY prom makeup ideas – useful tips and techniques for a stunning look

Graduation is an extremely important and very festive event in the life of absolutely every girl. It is understandable that you want to look really perfect on this day. Girls think over their outfit, makeup and hairstyle for at least six months before the event, some even longer. Makeup is as important as the dress and hairstyle. It will help you emphasize your advantages and eliminate the disadvantages, as well as help you look beautifully in all the photos, leaving only the best memories of this day for a lifetime. However, if applied incorrectly, makeup can ruin your appearance. Without any doubt, every graduate is acquainted with the trends in makeup and latest cosmetic products. The truth is that not all girls can afford a visit to a professional makeup artist so they need to rely on themselves for the makeup. We shall help you with the basic rules and some great ideas for DIY prom makeup which will help you look irresistible!

 

DIY prom makeup ideas – understanding the basic rules

Every young woman wants to be special and beautiful, especially when it comes to some important event or celebration such as prom. There are so many DIY prom makeup ideas, but as a start, it is good to know the difference between daytime and evening makeup.

Day makeup should be light, fresh and make you look tender and feminine. The “less is more” rule is fully applicable! Light foundation, bronzer and a touch of blush, mascara on the lashes and that is all you need.

Night makeup, however, allows you to be more dramatic, mysterious, fabulous and flirty! You can experiment with colors on eyes, cheeks and lips. You can afford thicker eyeliner, shimmery eyeshadow, glitter, darker smokey eye, etc. What you should not skip is foundation, highlighting and contouring. This is a makeup which is made in order to create a certain image and work with specific clothes and accessories.

Here are some useful tips and recommendations from professional stylists:

• Be sure to think over your overall appearance. Prom makeup should complement your dress and hairstyle in a harmonious way.
• Use only high quality cosmetics. You do not need to buy the most expensive products. Just make sure that they perform their functions.
• Do not experiment with products that you bought at the last minute as you may be bitterly disappointed. Make a list of what you will need and visit a cosmetic store at least a week prior the prom night to get all the products and brushes that you will need.
• Do not save on brushes and makeup removers. Good brushes will help to apply makeup correctly and with a good remover you will clean your face without harm to the skin.
• Highlighting and contouring gives the face definition and that extra glow that is perfect for night time photos.
• Practice! Try the makeup that you chose. See how it looks on your face. Does it complement your eye color and skin tone? Does it work with the style of your dress?
• Do not forget that almost all the photos that you see in fashion magazines and beauty blogs are taken with special lighting and then retouched.

One of the most important things is to NOT overdo your makeup. Remember that it is meant to accent on your best features in the best possible way!

 

DIY prom makeup ideas – plan your steps and follow the basic rules

As we already mentioned, the first thing that you need to do is to think of the overall appearance and the impression that you want to make. You will see numerous DIY prom makeup ideas in the months before the big night and you will have a lot of time to prepare.

Your face should have one accent – either eyes or lips. For example, if you have a light and airy dress, then it is better to choose a nude or natural makeup with a slight emphasis on the eyes. If you have a black formal gown then you can choose a makeup with red lips.

DIY Prom makeup Step 1 – Prepare the skin

Makeup will look great when applied to clean, well-groomed skin. That is why the first step is the proper skin care. A good lotion will help get rid of acne, but you need to start nourishing the skin in advance – at least a week before the prom. You can hide flaws with a correction pencil. To clean and moisturize young skin does not need expensive abrasive scrubs and cream to remove dead skin cells. It is better to use tonic or various lotions with natural ingredients designed for skin care. Such cleansing procedures will make sure that your makeup will be as even as possible.

DIY Prom makeup Step 2 – Apply primer

Apply primer on your face. This will prepare the skin for applying makeup and will extend its life. If you haven’t got a primer, you can use a concealer which will act as a primer.

Step 3 – Apply liquid foundation

You can apply foundation with your fingers, a brush or a sponge. Start from the center of your face and blend the liquid foundation outwards. It is very important to choose the right shade for your skin. Make sure you test the color before you buy it.

Step 4 – Apply concealer

You can choose between liquid and stick concealer. The main difference between the two is that liquid one is recommended for light coverage while stick and compact options are suitable for covering smaller areas of the face. Why is concealer important? Because it will help you hide dark spots, pimples, and other facial imperfections. You have to apply it beneath the eyes with a sponge or makeup brush. In this way you will hide dark circles. Usually, concealer is applied to the following areas:

• Horizontally over the center of the forehead
• Down the center of the nose
• Under the eyes
• In an arch at the top of the chin, just under the bottom lip

After blending the concealer, use setting powder to cover it.

Step 5 – Apply foundation powder

Dust a light coat of translucent powder all over your face.

Step 6 – Apply bronzer

When choosing a bronzer, you need to get one which is mostly two shades darker than your skin tone. The goal of the bronzer is to give a tan-look to your skin. You need to use a bronzer brush and sweep the bronzer across your face.

Step 7 – Apply blush

Blush adds color and vibrancy to the face. You need to be very careful with blush. Get a blush brush and find out how to apply the blush in accordance with your face shape and color of the product. Typically, blush is applied to the front part of the cheek.

Step 8 – Apply highlighter

Highlighters can be liquid, cream or powder. You need to find out before the prom which one suits you best. Highlighter is applied to:

• The bridge of the nose
• On the top of cheekbones
• In the inner corners of eyelids
• On the brow bone
• The Cupid’s Bow
• The center of the forehead
• The center of the chin

Step 9 –Apply eyeshadow

Eyeshadow is applied depending on what type of makeup you selected. It could be smokey eye, crease cut or anything else. Neutral or bolder colors – this will depend on the color of your dress, and the overall impression that you want to create. Either way, you will need two colors – one lighter and one darker shade.

The lighter shade is applied across the entire lid. Start at the lash line and end above the crease of the eyelid. The darker color is applied at the outer corner of the eye and across the eyelid crease. Do not apply dark shade to the inner corners of the eye. Blend the two shades with a clean brush.

Step 10 – Apply eyeliner

Applying eyeliner can be tricky. It requires a steady hand and some practice. This product comes in different variations:

• Liquid eyeliner which is applied with an eyeliner brush.
• Gel eyeliner is also applied with a thin brush.
• Felt tip eyeliner is perfect for beginners since you do not need a brush for it.
• Pencil liner is applied easily and can be smudged with a pencil brush.

To apply an eyeliner, start drawing a thin line at the inner corner of your eye, then make the line thicker towards the outer corner.

Step 11 – Mascara

Mascara makes eyes brighter and lashes thicker. This is one of the must have cosmetics products for every woman. Mascara comes in a wide variety of colors, but black is the most popular choice. You will also need eyelash curler to curl the lashes.

Step 12 – Apply lipstick

Finally, apply lip gloss or lipstick.

Have a look at the DIY Prom makeup examples in the gallery and find the type of makeup which is suitable for you. Remember that the most important thing is to have fun on this special night!