Teen Vogue

Beauty
Presenting Your Official Beauty Countdown to Prom
—Marissa DeSantis

Here's what to check off your list.
While awards season may be winding down, if you're in high school, the height of glam is just getting started as prom season approaches. And while finding the right dress is definitely important, it's the beauty prep that gets stressful — especially, if like us, you put everything off until the last minute and find yourself balancing a curling iron while you try to track down your favorite mascara and keep your freshly painted nails from smudging. To help you avoid our mistakes, we put together a list of all the beauty prep you could possibly need (and when it needs to be done!), straight from the pros. From the major steps like finding the right hairstyle and makeup to the smaller details like picking the perfect polish and grooming your brows, here are all our best tips for a red carpet-worthy prom.

Brows on Fleek
Obviously you're going to want to make sure your brows are looking their best before you head off to prom, and Umbreen Sheikh, CEO and founder of Wink Brow Bar, says that you can have your brows waxed a few days before the dance or threaded as late as the day before. "Threading leaves the delicate skin around the eye area safe and exfoliated [so] there is little chance of excess skin removal and redness," she tells us. "I recommend [having your brows done] no more than three days out so that your hairs don't start growing back and you have a super fresh and polished appearance on your special day," she adds. If you choose to have your brows waxed and notice irritation, Umbreen suggests rinsing the area with cold water several times and then using a cotton ball to dab either cold milk or aloe gel on the area.