I was invited to a formal a couple of the weeks ago and it was one of my most nerve-racking experiences! I was so nervous about my dress, my hair and whether I would know anyone because my date attended a different school. I had never been to a formal before which is why I and some of the other girls I saw and spoke to found out the hard way what's right and what's wrong in regards to a flawless formal!
Instead of letting you go through the pain from sore feet or the orange of a bad fake tan, I'm going to share my little tips with you!
1. When picking out a dress, if you aren't comfortable in it, don't buy it! It's a formal and you should feel gorgeous, flirty and young! Go for a dress that suits you and your personality!
2. Start exfoliating and moisturising at least one week before the actual night; if you are planning on getting a spray tan, this will make it look so much better! Make sure you exfoliate your knee caps and your elbows, as that is where the spray tan will build up and turn orange. And we don't want orange!
3. Make sure your face is clean on the actual night before you even think about going near it with a makeup brush! Remove all eye makeup and make sure you moisturise your whole face afterwards. Let the skin absorb the moisturiser so you can get a cleaner, smoother make up base.
4. Wear your shoes in before the night! I was amazed at the amount of girls that had taken their shoes off as soon as they had walked in the door. I had walked around in my shoes a couple of times at home, but not nearly as much as I should have! While you're brushing your teeth in the nights before, or while cleaning your room, wear your shoes!
5. If your dress is strapless and it keeps falling down when you try it on, it would be a very good idea to invest in some clear straps! You don't want to have to keep pulling your dress up while you're dancing!
6. Make sure you have eaten and had enough fluids on the day of the formal! You don't want to have to sit down because you are light headed instead of dancing the night away, you need your energy and believe me girls; your dress will still look absolutely gorgeous!
7. When applying your makeup on the night, try and focus on one feature; some girls go for both the eyes and the lips, but it is a much better look if you go for only one! I went for the eyes and had big false eyelashes and the rest of my face was nearly bare.
8. Have a hair trial, or have a certain picture in your head about what you want your hair to look like. There is nothing worse than hating your hair on the night because it's not how you wanted it.
9. Have as much fun and take as many photos as you possibly can; these are memories that will last you a lifetime and plus, you need as much evidence about how good you looked!
10. Lastly, don't be nervous! It's supposed to be fun and exciting! If you don't take yourself too seriously, you will have one of the best nights; relax, dance and most importantly enjoy being a teenager!
I hope these have helped and I hope that you don't go through some of the mistakes and mishaps I did.
Have the best time!
By Morgan Sutherland
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