With Prom being the biggest night of the year, chances are you already picked out your dress, shoes, accessories, and hairstyle. Now, you need to finish your look with Insta-worthy makeup, but your personal Prom funds are all gone.

Thankfully, I’m here to help because there is no need to break the bank when you can give yourself a stunning makeup look right at home. I’ve asked my friend Lisa Raupp, a beauty expert with over 25 years of experience in the industry, to share with you her top tips on doing your own makeup for Prom.

Here is what she had to say on how you can get professional-level Prom makeup without having to leave the comfort of your bathroom.

1. Moisturize properly: Always start with clean skin and for that healthy glow apply your moisturizer while your skin is still damp because damp skin absorbs the product more readily. That also gives the moisturizer a chance to lock in that hydration. Remember to use a moisturizer that’s right for your skin type.

2. Prime if you have to: If you notice that your makeup wears off or creases quickly, or seems to apply unevenly, the problem may not be your makeup-- it may be your primer (or lack thereof). Primer can help create a smooth base for your makeup application as well as help extend the wear of your foundation, concealer, and much more.

3. Match your foundation: For the perfect glow and natural-looking skin use the right foundation that actually matches your skin type and shade. You want to create an even, uniform color to your complexion and cover any flaws. The trick is to blend, blend, blend using a damp beauty sponge. Remember to dab and not smudge or swipe.

4. Use setting powder: When used in conjunction with your foundation, the setting powder helps to “set” or hold your foundation in place and prevent it from rubbing off.

5. Go light on the contour: I love contour as much as the next person, but keep it light and natural. The last thing you want is to look like you have bruises on your face. Real makeup artists don’t contour like they’re putting on war paint. Contouring should subtly sculpt the face, and when done correctly, it will look beautiful in pictures.

6. Layer the blush: Light layers of blush work best for a naturally diffused look. Keep it to the apple of your cheeks and blend, blend, blend.

7. Fill your eyebrows: If eyes are the windows to the soul, then eyebrows are the frame to those windows. Making them polished and defined is crucial. To mask sparseness, fill in any spots with brow powder using an angled brush or you can opt for a pencil. Then, groom your brows into place with a brow gel. Follow the natural line of your eyebrows using small flicking motions in the direction your hair grows.

8. Prime your eyes: If I said this once I will say it again. “Use eye primer”. You want your eye makeup to last all night. By using an eye primer, you will ensure that your eyeshadow won’t crease and slide all over. Plus, shadows will apply smoother and more vibrantly.

9. Choose your color pallet: You want a harmonious look for prom. When choosing a color pallet for your eye makeup, you can go classic by keeping the same undertone colors of your dress or, if you’re feeling a little more daring, you can play around with complementary colors. Choose a look that fits your style! It can be classic chic, edgy or bohemian.

10. Don’t feel like you need to wear false lashes: Be you and do what makes you feel comfortable. If you have a hard time applying false eyelashes, just skip them. You can give your eyes definition with multiple layers of mascara, without having to worry about lash glue and pesky corners lifting up all night.

11. Line and fill in your lips with lip liner: You want your lip color to last all night. When you use a lipliner, you can define your lips and create a base that prevents your lip color from bleeding.

12. Choose your lip color: There is no wrong answer here. You can choose between a matte, satin or glossy finish.

13. Set it in: A makeup meltdown is simply not an option on prom night. As a final step, use a setting spray to help your makeup look freshly applied for hours.

14. Bring products to touch up: I recommend carrying just the essentials, like concealer, powder, blotting sheets, and your lip color.

If you want to look radiant for Prom make sure to follow Lisa’s advice. You can visit her website www.marykay.com/lraupp for more information and follow her Facebook page << HERE >> to catch up with the latest trend.

Now I’m going to leave you with one last tip. Practice your makeup, have fun with your look and take a photo to make sure it’s flash friendly. Take it from a photographer, you don’t want a ghostly white cast all over your face in your Prom photos.

With Love,

Mariela