Prom Week: Pretty for Prom

Oh, prom. The climax of every great teen movie. Remember the empowerment we felt when Andie walked into prom with Duckie with her head held high and her body wrapped in her reconfigured pink prom dress? (OK – the dress was kind of hideous, and I’m still inflamed she chose Duckie over Blaine, but darn it, the girl had spunk!)

Over the next few weeks, teens across the metro area will be making their own movie-worthy memories at their high school proms. A big part of those memories is choosing a look that reflects their style and personality. So I turned to a few fashion and beauty experts to find out via e-mail the hottest trends for the year and the best tips for looking great from dinner to dancing to the next morning’s breakfast.

The Dress

According to The Ultimate Bride’s Kim Morrissey, details make the difference when it comes to choosing a dress. “We are seeing a lot of patterned dresses with multi-colors throughout the design. Dresses with detailed straps and unique necklines are very popular.”

The key to giving that dream dress an edge? Select eye-catching pieces that complement its style. “Add accessories, the bigger the better! Shoes can complete your outfit, so don’t forget that if your dress is unique, your shoes and accessories should be also!”

The Hair

My prom hair was big, curly and well, big a la Kelly Taylor and Donna Martin-big. Today’s teens have their own style icons. Said Marian Stones of Illusions Color Spa, “The trends from prom this year will be teens wanting to imitate the look of the Kardashians and Miley Cyrus with a center part and long, tousled waves – extra length can be added with clip-in extensions for the extra long hair waves. Most updo styling will be soft, tousled, loose and low, perhaps off to the side and a braid incorporated somewhere in the design, imitating Taylor Swift.

The only sleek style we anticipate being requested would be the sleek type of ponytail with the front poof, sleek sides and straight sleek ponytail also seen on recent award shows and American Idol.”

The Make-Up

Tami Scott of Tami Scott Studio is seeing color and shimmer on the faces of prom attendees, particularly in jewel and berry tones. However, if your daughter chooses a fuchsia dress, it doesn’t mean she has to go into pink overload on her face. “Your makeup does not have to match your dress,” said Scott. “If in doubt, stay neutral (it'll go with any color) with browns and grays or soft pinks and corals, and just go a little deeper with the color.”

Scott suggested that if your teen does go to a makeup artist for the big night, she should bring pictures of makeup styles she likes and schedule a practice session. Doing makeup at home? Be sure to practice with any new products or fake eyelashes before the event.

Scott also offered up these great tips to make the look last:

• “Use a face primer before foundation.
• "Use a foundation, not just powder. It doesn’t have to be heavy, but a foundation with powder over it will help all the rest of the makeup stay on.
• "Go over pencil eyeliner with powder eye shadow to ‘set’ it.
• "Use lip liner, even in a nude tone, to hold lipstick or gloss on longer.”

Prom is a night to bring on the glamour and let teens' creativity shine. By selecting a dress that brings their style to life and following a few simple steps to make their look last, they can ensure their big prom scene is as memorable as Pretty in Pink, even if they're in blue, green or purple.

By Nicole Plegge, Lifestyle Blogger for SmartParenting