Prom Night Checklist

Prom is approaching super-fast. What do you need to carry with you? What about those little details that may slip your mind? Being late due to an eyelash is not an option! Things can get stressful, and nerves can get in the way. Here’s a prom night checklist of everything you’ll need to do to save your sanity!

The Week Before:

The week before all the madness begins, there are a few things you need to do to keep yourself in check.

1. Make a prom checklist – this will keep you organized the day of, and keep you stress free while you worry about looking great.

2. Plan out your makeup and hair – planning out and practicing what you’ll be doing is a great step. If you tan, make sure your face matches your neck. If you’re darker than your foundation or concealer and wear drugstore, go ahead and buy a new one. You can sheer it out and use it as your tan fades, or in the summer.

If you wear more expensive foundation, try getting a sample shade to match if you don’t plan on staying tan. Practice putting on false eyelashes before the day of prom. Trust me, it’ll help.

3. Get any big things done – get your spray tan at the beginning of the week, if you plan on getting one. This prevents bleeding and smudging if you sweat. Get your nails done too, or paint them. If you’re not used to fake nails, this gives you time to adjust.

4. Don’t do anything drastic – don’t try any acne removing hacks or crazy new skincare routines. Get enough sleep, stay calm, and try to destress as much as you can. Don’t touch your face, and change your pillowcase often. This prevents causing new pimples to form or encouraging you to pop them. If you do wake up with some new pals the day of, crush up an aspirin and mix with water to form a paste. Putting this on can reduce redness and swelling.

5. Break in your heels –  if you bought heels just for prom DO NOT wear them for the first time that night. Walk around in your house and wear socks with them to get them broken in just right.

The Day Of:

If you’re in a panic the day of, fear not.

1. For static-y hair – use a dryer sheet to smooth down static. I have thin, easily coercible hair that can go back to static after I brush it the wrong way. Spritzing a little coconut oil spray onto your fingertips and running it through your hair can do the job as well.

2. For dinner that wants to stick around – bring floss picks or floss with you, but in case of an emergency, use a business card. DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT do this if you have braces. You will break a bracket, and your orthodontist will not be pleased.

3. For the love of makeup – use a toilet seat cover (unused, of course!) to blot your forehead when you feel oily or sweaty. If you can’t find one of those, thin toilet paper or thick, scratchy paper towels seem to do the job too.

4. For the emergencies you can’t anticipate:

– A stain remover pen, in case dinner gets messy.

– Super glue, for fallen beads, broken sequins, and nail fixes when you don’t have nail glue.

– Safety pins, in case a corsage or boutonniere jump ship.

– Dress tape, in case of a strap or slipping issue.

5. Make a mini-emergency kit – Little bags with quick fixes sell for around $20. Make your own with things you already have!

– Band-aids

– Safety pins

– Lip balm

– A travel sized pain reliever

– Mints or gum

–  Floss

– Stain remover pen

– A lip brush with your lipstick/a tube of your lipstick

Not every one of these would be necessary, or fit into a small purse, but thinking through what you really need is important. Bringing in a small bottle of Advil may not be exactly school approved, but that’s better than throwing a couple in your purse or your dates’ pocket. Some of these may be overkill but bringing what you think you need is the key.

Last minute fixes, for you or your date:

1. If someone gets deodorant on their clothes, try rubbing a dryer sheet, panty hose, or a cotton sock on the mark.

2. If your curls are too tight, try using a comb and a warm blast from a hairdryer to expand them.

3. If you spray too much perfume, take a cotton ball with a small amount of rubbing alcohol on it and dab it over your skin. This can help the perfume evaporate faster.

4. If you mess up your lipstick or eyeliner, use some of your concealer to clean up and sharpen lines.

And last but not least!

5. Keep yourself sane at prom, and dance the night away!