You can get away with a lot more makeup than usual for a school ball, but it's probably a good idea not to go overboard because too much can be very ageing. Think sheer and shimmery rather than matte and heavy.
* Concealer is your best friend if you have skin
imperfections, such as pimples. Dot it over the bits you want to hide, and pop some under your eyes, too, to stay looking fresh-faced.
* Skip the heavy foundation and go straight to powder. It'll keep any oiliness in check. Look for a translucent powder with a bit of shimmer. Mineralize Skinfinish from MAC is one of my favourites and a compact will last years.
* Play up your eyes or your lips, but not both. Dramatic, smoky eyes and nude lips are a great combo.
* An eyeliner with staying power, like Maybelline's Lash Stiletto, looks good with a heavy mascara such as L'Oreal's Architect 4D. Apply mascara to your bottom lashes first and don't be afraid to use a couple of coats to build up the effect.
* Dust your lightest shade of eyeshadow over your entire eyelid, up to right underneath your eyebrow. If you have some sparkly highlighter, apply it to the inner corner of your eyes. Run the next-lightest eyeshadow shade over the lid, and finish off with the darkest shade in the corner of your eye. Blend the colours together so you look smoky, not stripey. I like the L'Oreal Wear Infinite Made For Me eyeshadow quads because they take a lot of the guess work out of it. Otherwise, the Natio Mineral Eyeshadow Trio in Petal is worth looking out for.
* A lipstick like L'Oreal's Infallible Le Rouge is perfect for a night when you don't want to worry too much about reapplying - I like the shade Opulent Organza for a not-too-heavy look. Finish with a gloss to make your lips sparkle. Remove excess lipstick from the inside of your lips by putting your index finger in your mouth, pursing your lips and pulling it out.
* Make sure you take off all your makeup before you go to sleep.
