Prom: Do's & Dont's

Hello all.

For some of us, prom has been and gone. I can't really describe the experience but it was definitely something.

Anyway, for those of you who have got prom once exams have finished, you might still be organising your many appointments and salon visits ready for the big day. But it's quite hard to decide what to get done and what to just leave to do yourself. So today I'm going to do a quick run down on what to get done professionally and what is a waste of time. Lets get straight into it...


These are the actual Dunne stilettos I got

Heels

Did I wear heels?
Of course gurl, 5 inches and all

Would I get heels next time?
100%! So my feet may of been killing me after a couple of hours but c'mon... shoes are my favourite! I just think that a stunning pair of stilettos can add sophistication and sex appeal to your whole look (as well as giving your behind an instant lift.)

Would I recommend getting heels?

I would say that you need to balance comfort with appearance for prom. If you can't walk in heels then just go with a classy pair of pumps (especially if you're wearing a short prom dress.) Because there's nothing worse than someone who cannot physically move all night because of their shoes. Try getting slightly smaller heels and just practise round the house a month in advance. But at the end of the day, heels are a part of prom and all girls are in the same boat!!

Fake tan

Did I get a fake tan?
Yass. I got my first professional spray tan at my year 11 prom.

Would I get a spray tan if I went to prom again?
Um... probably. It's not vital but I did like how it looked.

Would I recommend it?

There's so many ways you can fake tan before prom and I think across our year, we had them all. Some people started gradually tanning early. Some people did their own with shop bought fake tans. (Check out my blog post on best budget fake tans here.) And some people- including myself- got a professional spray tan.

If you want something more subtle then doing your own is a great way. But be careful because I saw so many girls with patchy uneven tans that they'd done themselves. I really enjoyed getting a professional tan and if you're looking for an even but slightly more obvious tan, that's the way to go. A lot of people noticed and complimented and I loved the way it made my legs look. Overall, getting a fake tan is nice (especially if your dress colour suits more tanned skin), but it's not vital and you can look equally as stunning with your skin au natural.

Fake nails


Did I get fake nails?
I certainly did.

Would I get them again if I went to prom again?
Probably not this time, I am sorry guys.

Would I recommend it?
Ugh, these nails look so stunning but I'm sorry, it is impossible to function with fake nails on. I did them literally 20 minutes before I left so as not to accidently knock one off, but they were still a pain in the ass. I could not type on my phone, take pictures or even eat properly. Half of them came off throughout the evening which was also a bit shitty. I have short nails so I understand if you want to have long nice nails for one night, but I would recommend getting acrylics or just a manicure to make your nails look stunning rather than fake nails.

Fake eyelashes

Did I get fake eyelashes?
No I didn't, but some of my friends did

Would I get them if I went again?
Possibly yes actually, instead of fake nails.

Why?
I feel like fake eyelashes would just add something to your makeup look. Really drawing attention to and opening up your eyes in photos. Some of my friends were saying they were slightly annoying because they were a bit heavy but then at least they didn't come off like my fake nails. I just didn't get them because I felt I'd already spent quite a lot...

My hair doesn't look very good here because the curls haven't become 'loose' yet

Makeup and hair done professionally

Did I get my makeup and hair done professionally?
I did and I LOVED it!!!

Would I do it again?
Yes, I wish I could have it done everyday *cries inside*

Recommendations

I think it really adds to the experience to get your makeup and hair done professionally. I went to Benefit in my local John Lewis who did my makeup for £25. It was so lovely, this lady was so nice and did my makeup amazingly. She did my smoky eye, I was my own "goals" for once. They used their own products so it all stayed looking perfect all night. For once, I had cheekbones because she could actually contour (whereas I just fail when it comes to contouring.)

My best friend and I then went to get my hair done which was equally as fun. It was so sophisticated and there were so many ladies commenting on how stunning I looked (which I'm not going to lie, felt really nice.) As well as it being fun to be pampered and fussed over for once, it also takes the pressure of as you don't have to try and do your own makeup and hair at home.

Okay, the last ones a bit weird but it might be helpful for some of you that are dreading prom...

 

Get drunk before prom

Did I get drunk before my prom?
Well... Not really. I wasn't drunk but maybe a lil tipsy

Would I do it again?
Probably actually, I'll explain:

There's a temptation to go all and just get completely pissed before prom. Not a good idea. You wanna look decent for photos and you want to actually be able to remember the night. I had some Pimms and (not gonna lie to you), a shot a vodka. I'm not a light weight so that just made me a bit more confident. It's completely up to you and depends on how much you can take but that's just what I did.

Okay that's it for now guys. I hope you enjoyed my quick run down on some do's and dont's for your own prom night. Most importantly, have fun and look fab!

Thanks for reading, feel free to share with anyone else you know that's got prom coming up.

Laura Stone x

Prom: Buying your Dress

Prom season.

I literally shudder at the thought of prom preparations, half from excitement and half from fear. It's come round again and whether it's a full on prom, casual party or just an end of year do, there is one thing we will all need: a dress.


















Luckily for you guys (hopefully), I have been to a prom in my life and I have just bought my dress for my second. So I thought this was a perfect time to write a blog post on buying your prom dress.


Let's start with some tips:

1. Start early but not first. You do not want to be the first of your friends to get a dress because you might get the complete wrong type of dress for the party you're going to. But also being early and showing a few of your friends means that you're less likely to get the same dress as someone and you won't have that last minute stress - especially as it's normally around exam season.
2. Know the basic 'dress code.' So obviously most of you will be wearing dresses but you might want to get a feel whether people are going very fancy, long or short dresses and what not. So you won't stick out like a sore thumb. (Although obviously the colour and style is up to you and standing out isn't always a bad thing.)
3. Don't stress too much. These days there is so much pressure on your dress, I remember my first prom I was so worried about it- for no real reason? Just try and enjoy the experience of buying a super gorgeous dress and don't get too hung up on the other stuff going on.
4. Avoid buying online. In my opinion, buying your prom dress online is unwise. You don't know how it's going to fit, how it's going to look on you and what the quality will be like. I may be wrong (my best friend buys all hers online), but I find returning stuff too much effort so I always buy in person. 

Now to actually finding the dress.

Firstly, I would do a little internet research. Try and find out what dress suits your body shape (or just the style you love the most.) Then go online and look at the ranges of your favourite shops. Not necessarily looking for "the one" just to get  a feel for the kind of dresses and styles available this year.

There are the obvious ones: Topshop, Miss Selfridge ect...

But try some different shops to avoid getting the same as everyone else going!

• ASOS has a massive range of dresses for different levels of formality
• John Lewis has some amazing evening dresses
• Or somewhere even more obscure like Needle and Thread

Once you have got an idea of what you want, it's time to go shopping!!
I recommend either going to a big shopping centre or going to a city that is going to have lots of small boutiques. This way you will not be limited to the shops you always go in, reducing your chances of getting the same dress as somebody else.

If you have a big budget or are lucky enough to catch the sales: little boutiques are perf. The dresses they sell are normally unique and they can help fit to your exact size. They might not have the biggest range but it takes so much stress away knowing that no one else will have your dress. The people running these stores are also very passionate about their business so will help you in any way.
You might know a little town that will have boutiquey type shops or you can look online, type in the area and 'prom dresses'. Hopefully it should conjure a list of shops specifically for prom dresses in your chosen area.

If you're looking in a shopping centre it may be a bit overwhelming. Take your time, don't buy the first thing you try on and like. (But you should definitely ask them to put it behind the desk for you so it's there if you decide to go back and get it.) Try not to get distracted by trying on every dress you like, it sounds silly but you need to focus, once you put on a dress if you don't think you're going to buy it: take it off. Also, keep an eye out for shops selling shoes and clutches because that's what's next once you have a dress.

Whilst shopping, avoid Topshop, Newlook, River Island (unless you love one in there) because they are too common and someone else will probably have them. Department stores are great as they sell nice evening wear and a variety of brands. Sometimes it's worth having a look in the bridal section as some bridesmaid dresses could work as prom dresses.

Don't limit yourself to one style, try on different styles and colours- you'd be surprised how stunning you could look in a dress you'd never consider before.
I set out that I wanted blue fitted dress but I've ended up getting a green maxi. I love it though. I just have certain things I look out for: a nice neckline, back and preferable a slit up the leg. My green dress has all of that, and it looks fabby so the colour and style didn't really matter to me.


Similarly, don't limit yourself on budget. Even if you have a smaller budget, go into some of the more expensive stores as they might have sales and reductions that puts your perfect dress into your budget.


Before you buy your dress, check the returns policy. It probably won't be very long but it's worth knowing. When I bought my dress, I got a 7 days return policy so I knew if I wanted to change my dress, I'd have to be pretty quick.

I like to continue looking before the final date of the returns policy just in case. But once a weeks gone by, it's time to concentrate on shoes and a clutch... there's no going back on the dress now.

You could try:

• Lipsy
• Phase Eight
• Coast
• Debenhams

Thanks for reading and I hope this helped some of you! Good luck and most importantly have fun.

Laura Stone x

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