Skip the bland and safe?but don?t go over-flashy, either
IT?S PROM SEASON ONCE AGAIN for high school students: a time to pick out the perfect gown, dream of the perfect prom date, and obsess about every detail that could mess up, or enhance, that magical night.

Considering that every other moment of prom night will be caught on camera, you wouldn?t want to look less than perfect, right? You?ve heard your moms, aunts and older sisters lament about their proms in the past, so aim to make your prom night the best it can be (as much as you can control, anyway).

Don?t settle for safe looks you will come to regret in the future for being boring. On the other hand, don?t go over the top and heap on every conceivable trend in sight.

2bU, Kerastase and Maybelline show you five prom looks that you could take inspiration from for high school?s biggest night.

E-mail the author at biancaconsunji@yahoo.com.

Old-World glam

The look: Nothing can be more feminine than this soft, romantic look?perfect for girly girls.

Makeup: ?The aim is to look like Old Hollywood, only softer and more

ethereal,? says Maybelline makeup artist Jim Ryan Ros. Go for nude, warm colors that bring out your best features. Sweep on a muted shade of gold eye shadow and intensify with a dark brown shade near the creases. With liquid or gel liner, line your eyes, going as close to the lash line as possible. Curl your lashes and apply black mascara. Next, choose a warm peach-toned blush and sweep on the apples of your cheeks; top with luminizing powder. Finish off with a coral-hued lip gloss.

Hair: When you?re going for a romantic look, curls are your best bet. Apply mousse and section your hair in one-inch portions. Wrap your hair around a curling iron and hold for 5-10 seconds. Spritz with hair spray.

Femme fatale

The look: You?re the life of the party and you know it, but at the same time, you really don?t care. Think ?Gossip Girl?s? Serena Van der Woodsen.

Makeup: Smoky eyes make you look wild and mysterious. Start with copper eye shadow all over your lids. Smudge on a light gold pencil over your eyes (particularly under your eyes) as a highlighter, then top with black liner and plenty of mascara. Sweep on bronzer on your cheeks, and dab burgundy gloss on your lips.

Hair: Go for the I-couldn?t-care-less look with big, blown-out waves. Spritz on volumizing spray on your roots and flip your head so you can dry your hair from that position. Use a hair dryer and roller brush to add volume.

Sweet seductress

The look: Vintage meets cabaret?like the sly seduction of ?50s pin-up girls and flapper girls. This look is not for the meek of heart.

Makeup: Go bold with Kohl-lined eyes and red lipstick. Do the same procedure for the Femme fatale eyes (and maybe add false lashes for more drama), but go easy on the blush so you don?t overwhelm everyone with too much makeup. Line your lips to prevent lipstick from bleeding, and apply a classic red shade. Make sure that your makeup stays matte all night to maintain a classic look.

Androgynous beauty

The look: Modern, no-nonsense, sleek and classic. Makeup: Since everything else is so sparse, you can afford to experiment with color or sparkle on your eyes. Sweep on metallic silver or dark gray eye shadow on your lower lids and line with a gunmetal gray liner. Line the bottom portion of your eyes with a lighter hue. Sweep on light pink blush and fuchsia pink lip gloss.

Hair: Dampen your hands slightly or spray your hair with water. Then comb your hair back into the desired style. Apply a small amount of wax or gel on your palms, then run them through your hair. Use a fine-toothed comb to smoothen out any stray hairs.

Modern-day Holly Golightly

The look: You?re obsessed with ?Breakfast at Tiffany?s.? However, it doesn?t mean that you have to recreate that black gown and the exact same hairdo and tiara. Add some color and spunk to a classic with these twists.

Makeup: Keep it matte to replicate the makeup of classic film noir. Don?t go strong on the eye shadow (a basic vanilla-and-mocha color base will do), but line your eyes with liquid or gel liner and apply false lashes. Sweep on a light layer of pink or plum blush, and apply dark plum lipstick. Add clear gloss to prevent your look from becoming too severe.

Hair: Pile your hair in an updo, making sure that the hair rests on top of your head. Add an interesting headpiece (or a tiara) for an interesting focal point.



Makeup by Jim Ryan Ros of Maybelline New York

Hair by Borge Aloba for L?Oreal Professionnel

Styling by Fran Palines

Models: Steph Nepomuceno, Kamae de Jesus and Riki Flores

All dresses by Sassa Jimenez. To order, call (02) 892-1163 or 0915- 2411236