Photos help make and keep memories, make sure you get a great shot!
You can always choose to hire a professional photographer to get the shots you want, but there are things you can do to ensure you get the best photographs when you take them yourself. Whether you go to a special location, or take photos in your own back yard, there are a couple of easy tips to keep in mind.
1. Choose a neutral background, a blank wall or tall, green bush work wonderfully.
2. Set your camera to “portrait” to help with focus and lighting.
3. Take pictures outside to get the best lighting. If outside, stand in the shade and don’t look into the sun
4. If your're inside, don’t stand in front of a TV or photograph, the flash may create a bad reflection.
5. Flip your camera vertically to get the whole dress in the picture. This can easily be done with groups of 1-3 people and will make for a more pleasing layout.
6. For more intimate photos (hugging, laughing, etc.) zoom in on just the torso up.
7. Take pictures of the shoes and garters!
8. Take some photos while getting ready or when your date and friends arrive.
9. Group photos are a must: guys, girls, guys and girls, etc. But also try some non-traditional shots like jumping, sitting on stairs, the back of your gown. These are all great memories to save!
10. Be creative and HAVE FUN! It’s obvious in photographs if you are having a good time, so laugh and giggle, prom is exciting!
Practice these tips at home in the mirror. Ask a friend to photograph you and look at the photos to correct your posture before the big night!
1. Stand with your body at an angle to the camera. Put one foot in front of the other, point your front foot towards the camera, and put your weight on your back foot. Be careful if your gown has a slit – put that foot forward, and make sure that your front leg is crossed slightly over the back, and not hanging “open”.
2. Pull your head slightly forward. This will eliminate any possibility of a double chin.
3. Hold your arms slightly away from your body. This will make them appear thinner than if you let them hang against your body. Think about what your thighs do when you sit on the couch – it’s the same effect.
4. Pull your shoulders back and stand with good posture. Standing up straight will lengthen your mid-section, making you appear thinner.
5. If you want to minimize part of your body, use your accessories to your best advantage! See if you can hold your purse or flowers in a way that will cover your worrisome spot.
6. Spanx – If you feel like you have bumps (most women have SOME bumps!), then Spanx are your best friend! They will smooth you under your gown. Mestads sells them, and you can also find them at Target.
7. Spray tan or bed tan can help give you a golden glow in the camera’s flash. Talk to mom about which option is better for you!
Your fingernails and toenails are just extra accessories, so just as you would try to match your purse and jewelry to your prom dress, you should also coordinate your nails with your gown. Look for shades that will complement your dress but still claim a bit of attention for your nails.
To create a slightly more glamorous look for your nails, try using nail tattoos or crystals. When you apply the crystals, be sure to use nail glue. Also, be careful to match the crystals to the size and type of any jewels on your dress.
For an artistic look, try painting your nails with stripes rather than one solid color. You can use strips of painter’s tape to mark off the stripes. If the painter’s tape idea seems a little too difficult, try creating your own unique nail color by layering on several different shades.
Make your look unique by using a slightly lighter shade of polish on your fingernails and a slightly darker color on your toenails. Perfectly matching hands and feet can sometimes be a little…blah.
With the right makeup and well-manicured hands and feet, you should be looking and feeling beautiful on your prom night!
No date on the horizon? No problem! Plenty of glamorous fun can be had without someone by your side all night! Here’s how:
1. Find the most fabulous gown and accessories you can imagine. No worries about what your date wants to wear – it’s all about YOU!
2. See if any friends are going solo too. Have dinner together, ride together, and if your school has a grand march, walk together!
3. Get your friends together for photos before dinner, no need to separate daters from non-daters! My favorite prom photos are the ones taken with my best friends; we still talk to each other, but not to our dates!
4. When you get to prom, dance with who you want, talk to who you want, leave when you want and have FUN!
Take this opportunity to celebrate with your best friends - this may be the last time you're all together at the same time, except maybe graduation. Once everybody goes their separate ways, it could be 10 years bevore you're all together again! You deserve to celebrate your hard work over the last 3 or 4 years of high school - don't miss out over a date!
Step 1.) Smooth hair with straightening iron such as Farouk CHI 1 Inch Ceramic Flat Hairstyling Iron by Chi, which allows you to adjust the temp. to your individual needs. Apply a smoothing gloss for shine.
Step 2.) Make a side parting about 2 inches back. Take hair from ear to ear, 2 inches back, and move out of the way. Secure with a barrette clip.
Step 3.) Next, take the top, back section of hair. Tease or use large hot rollers for slight volume. Jet Set Purple Rollers 2-1/8" are perfect for quick easy styling with volume. Simply put into dry hair, hit with a blow-dryer, allow to cool and remove! No pins necessary and hair is finished with volume in minutes! I love these things!
Smooth then fasten in the back with barrette or pins.
Step 4.) Take the front section you put to the side. Separate that into 2 sections, divided by the parting. Take the right part of the section and apply a small amount of a smoothing product. Pull to the low, back of the head, tuck under barrette and fasten with bobby pins. Use comb to get rid of any small bumps that might have occurred. Now do the same to other section. Spray with hairspray.
Hair fried from too much color, heat or ponytails? Try this hydrating mask to add shine to your tresses. Use once a week leading up to prom to get your hair in top-top tiara wearing shape! Note: If you’re wearing your hair up, don’t use this the day of prom. Your hair shouldn’t be washed the day of an up do. Ingredients
½ avocado, peeled, seeded and mashed
1 small banana, peeled and mashed
1 egg
3 T olive oil
2 T honey
Mash avocado and banana together using a fork. Add egg, olive oil and honey and mix well. Apply to hair, making sure to massage into roots and the entire length of hair. Wrap in plastic wrap or a towel and let sit for ½ hour. Shampoo and rinse thoroughly.
Here are a couple of helpful tips to make you feel and look your best on prom night!
1. When you’re looking for a dress find something that you are comfortable in and not something you’re going to be pulling and tugging at all night. That never looks good and it can make your night less than perfect. If you’re set on a strapless gown use fashion tape and get the dress altered to fit in the waist so that you’re not constantly pulling up on the top. If it fits correctly, you should never have to touch it.
2. Feel good about what you’re wearing! If you don’t feel good in something, you won’t look good. You chose this dress for a reason, so embrace it! Recognize how beautiful and sassy you look!
3. No matter what you think, Size doesn’t matter! Don’t be hung up on the fact that you’re wearing a size 16 and not a size 8. FIT is more important than SIZE! It would be worse to show up to prom in something two sizes too small that you can’t sit in or dance in rather than the size that actually fits you! Size is nothing but a number!
4. If you feel like you have a few imperfections or you’re feeling a little nervous about things staying up, invest in shape wear (try Spanx) and some fashion tape. If you’re worried about an open back and what bra to wear, you can get cups sewn into your dress that work just as well as a bra.
-Figure out where you want your brows to start, arch and end. The perfect eyebrow starts above the inside corner of your eye (over the tear duct), and ends at the outside corner, above your eyelashes. Eyebrows should have an arch. Ideally, the arch happens over the iris, the colored part of your eye. Be careful to not give yourself a "surprised" look by over tweezing your arch.
2. DO use a quality pair of tweezers
- A good pair of tweezers cost about $20, and is worth the small investment. A more inexpensive pair of tweezers may make the process take longer or break the hair instead of pulling them out - or can't grab onto short hairs.
3. DO trim brows if needed
-A common mistake people make when tweezing their brows is to overpluck, when what's really needed is to trim the excess length.
-Comb up and then cut, Use the proper tools for eyebrow trimming (eyebrow scissors).
4. DO clean up the tops of your brows
-It is okay to pluck the stray hairs right above your top brow line, this gives you a more defined and clean look.
5. DO use an eyebrow pencil or brow shadow for correcting
- If you have sparse brows, over plucked, or are growing out brows to a fuller look, use feathery strokes of an eyebrow pencil or shadow to fill-in. For medium to dark eyebrows, choose a color one shade lighter than your natural color. If you have light brows opt for a shade closest to or a half shade darker than your natural color.
6. DON'T stand too close to the mirror when plucking your eyebrows
- With some distance from the mirror you will be more able to balance your brows and see the 'whole picture', and have less chance of making brows uneven. After you have your shape in, you can get close-up to better reach the finer, lighter hairs.
7. DON'T use ice to numb
- Cold tightens the pores and can make a firmer hold on the hair follicle. You want to soften skin and hair by using a warm washcloth on brows, or do your shaping after your come out of the shower. (If you're really concerned about the 'ouch factor' use a numbing spray, first applied to a cotton swab and then to eyebrow area).
8. DON'T put a brow shape that isn't flattering to your face
- Keep in mind that arching your brow doesn't mean two perfect half circles or arches, which doesn't compliment anyone's facial features. It does mean to clean up the excess hair to better frame your eyes.
9. DON'T shave eyebrows
-There are little shavers that are made specifically for shaving eyebrows but steer clear! It is a much better idea to tweeze then shave because by tweezing you can take your time removing hair, shaving takes off a lot quickly and can cause an unnatural shape or no eyebrows by the time you are done!
10. TWEEZE CORRECTLY!
- Hold skin taut by gently holding skin firm with your free hand while tweezing, this means less tugging and pain on the skin.
-If the hair is just too short for tweezing, don't push the tweezers into the skin. Scraping, bleeding or even scarring can result if you get a little too forceful with your tweezers. Wait for the hair to grow a little bit more and try again.
11. DON'T save plucking your eyebrows for last minute, especially if you are a first timer. Give yourself time for hair to grow back if there are any mishaps. Pluck two weeks prior and then when your brows are the way you want them, light grooming will keep your eyebrows glamorous for prom.
A great way to get ready for prom is together with your friends! This is one way to save money, because you can do each other’s hair and makeup (be sure to get together before-hand and practice!). Plus – it’s FUN! Who doesn’t want to get excited with their friends before a big event?
1. Send an Evite or Facebook event invitation to everyone in your group, don’t play favorites or leave anyone out. This way, all can know who’s coming, and you can have an organized guest list so you know how many beverages to buy.
2. Have everyone bring a snack to share, and provide bottled water and soda.
3. Make a playlist of music to get everyone in the mood to dance!
4. If you have a lot of ladies doing hair and makeup, it might help to map out who is helping who with what at what time, so everyone can get everything completed in time for pictures.
5. Wait until the last minute to slip into your dresses, so no one gets wrinkled or gets food stains on their gowns!
6. Take pictures while getting ready, these are great memories!
Once you’ve found your dream gown, it’s time to choose the perfect accessories! Usually, the neckline of your gown is a good place to start in deciding what jewelry to put near your face. Here are some examples:
Strapless – With a strapless gown, you have lots of choices! You can wear large earrings and no necklace, a necklace with small to medium earrings, or a matching jewelry set! You can add a bracelet, but you certainly don’t need to.
Halter – When wearing a halter dress, you want to make sure of two things: That your earrings aren’t so long that they drag on your dress’s neck strap, and that if you wear a necklace, it fits into your neckline. Other than that, it’s up to you!
One Shoulder – For a one shoulder dress, don’t wear a necklace. It will “compete” with the neckline, and not compliment the style of gown. Wear large earrings (but not so long that they drag on your shoulder). Also, a bracelet on the wrist opposite your strap creates a balanced look.
Spaghetti Straps – When you have spaghetti straps on your gown, just make sure that your necklace compliments the shape of the neckline. Or, skip the necklace and just wear earrings!
High Neck – If your gown has a high neck, don’t wear a necklace. Just some earrings and maybe a bracelet.
Overall, be sure to keep your accessories in balance with the style of your gown. If your gown has rhinestones, wear rhinestones. If it has crystals, wear crystals. Pearls are classic and go with almost anything, but only when they compliment what you’re pairing them with.
Shoes and evening bags don’t necessarily have to MATCH, but they do need to coordinate. Metallics are neutral, they go with anything, and are a good choice to re-wear for future dances!
Some necklines work better than others, depending on body type. Read on to see what might work best for you!
Strapless:
Dresses without straps WILL stay put; they just need to fit correctly. Many women mistakenly think that the gown needs to be tightest at the top, or that they have to have a chest like Barbie to keep the gown up. In reality, anyone can wear a strapless gown. If the dress is tight enough just above your hips, your hips will actually hold the dress up, the weight of the dress will rest on them – even if it’s too big in the top. If the waist fits you correctly and the top is too big, the top can be taken in. Many prom dresses are being made with a corset-style back. The lace-up feature allows the wearer to tighten it until the top fits, which cuts back on a LOT of alterations!
Strapless dresses are either straight across on the top, or have a sweetheart top, which looks like a heart. Both are great, but some people find that they like one or the other better on their body. Petite girls may find that a sweetheart neckline will make them look taller, because it will give a longer line from the top of the dress to the chin.
Plunging Halter:
For plunging necklines, you may think that its best to have a large chest, but the opposite is actually true. If you are smaller on top, your parts won’t be trying to “escape” from the gown, and tape will easily secure you all night.
Halter:
This universally flattering neckline has a strap that goes behind your neck, but doesn’t “plunge” like the previous example. Regardless of chest size, this neckline is supportive, flattering, and stylish. Usually the neck straps are too long (even if you ARE six feet tall!), so expect to have to shorten it!
Spaghetti Straps:
Most strapless dresses come with straps that can be added. Sometimes you can have your seamstress add hooks or snaps, so they can be added later in the evening if you feel your dress slipping when you start dancing (although if you’ve had it altered – this shouldn’t happen). Some dresses come with straps already sewn on, and they are usually fairly easy to remove, or just tuck in if you want a strapless look. If you plan to wear the straps, expect to have them shortened to fit you!
Modest:
Some prom manufacturers offer gowns that are created specially for those who value modesty. Given enough time, we can order these in, with high necklines and sleeves. If we don't have time to order something, there are lots of ways to modify what is in the store to meet your needs. You can add fabric to raise a neckline, create wider straps or sleeves, lower or close a slit, or add a jacket or shawl over the dress to give more coverage. Please let us know your specific needs so that we can help you in the best way possible!
Step 1.) Apply a heavy-weight styling product such as pomade or a mouse. Redken Water Wax, Water Based Pomade, works well with this type of styling. It allows you to get a fresh, textured look without leaving your hair stiff. Scrunch hair while Blow drying hair upside down. For more volume, hold head upside down and spritz hair with hairspray.
Step 2.) Pull hair to the top of your crown as if you were going to put a ponytail in. Pull hair half way though the elastic and then wrap elastic around that section of hair. Almost to the effect of a bun but with hair hanging out.
Step 3.) Take small, thin strands of hair and pull out, creating different lengths all around. You can curl these strand or leave them straight.
Step 4.) Use a waxing product to separate the pieces of hair. Spray with hair spray.
Before you get ready to apply a self tanner always remember to exfoliate your skin. Pay special attention to places on your body that skin is more rough (elbows, knees, tops of feet, knuckles) because this is where self tanner tends to show up darker, especially if not properly exfoliated. DO NOT apply lotion or any type of moisturizer to the skin before application, the lotion acts as a barrier and doesn't allow for proper absorption. Make sure that your skin is completely dry, if there is even slight moisture on your skin it can cause streaking. Use the lotion sparingly, you can always add more later. If you use too much the color may turn out a lot darker (and more orange) than what you were going for. Take note Lindsay Lohan!
Though it would be ideal to use gloves when applying self tanner, they are more likely to streak than using your hands. So just make sure to wash your hands every five minutes or so to keep from having orange hands. Make sure to apply the self tanner AT LEAST a week prior to the event. That way if there are any mishaps the lotion has time to fade and you still have time to repeat. When applying, make sure to start from the feet and work your way up.
In my experience I've had really good luck with Neutrogena Instant Bronze and Tan Towel. They both went on very evenly and the tan looked more natural than any other brand I've tried. I haven't had much luck with a lot of store brand self tanners because they are very thick and no matter how often I washed my hands, in between my fingers and the palms of my hands always ended up with an orangey tone. If you know anyone that has used a self tanner, ask them what brands they liked and didn't.
This video should be very helpful in the preparation and application of the lotion.
Mestads Prom Shop has three locations in Minnesota - Rochester, St. Cloud, and Southdale Mall in Edina. We sell exclusive gowns that are shown in the Cool Book catalog. Mestads promises not to sell the same dress, even in another color, to anyone else attending your prom! Email Julie with questions: julie@mestads.com.
