Five Tips for Nailing Your School Formal or Graduation Makeup

We asked an expert ('cos we all need one). 

This post is presented in partnership with NIDA.

Let’s face it: we have all had a makeup fail at least once in our lives. We’re all familiar with the sheer frustration of trying out a new makeup look, foundation or lipstick before an event, and it simply not working.

Of course, you want to do everything in your power to avoid this from happening on the night of your school formal or graduation, because absolutely nobody has time for that.

That’s why we reached out to NIDA Make-up tutor, Sandra Wograndl, to find out how you can ensure your makeup is on point (and you have the glowy skin you deserve).

So, here are five tips on how to get the perfect makeup for your school formal or graduation.

1. Cleanse, cleanse, cleanse!

As Sandra tells Student Edge, it’s important that your makeup routine starts way before you even think about putting makeup on your face.

“Good makeup starts with a daily cleansing routine,” she says.

“[You need] a daily routine every morning and every evening. Cleansing, toning and using a good moisturiser helps to ensure your makeup will sit better.”

Considering you’re more likely to struggle with oily or acne-prone skin when you’re young, it’s vital to prepare the skin before putting foundation on.

“If you have a normal skin type, treat it with a milk cleanser or if you have oily skin, use a gel cleanser and then a nice toner and a hydrating moisturiser after,” Sandra says.

Image: NIDA student Darcy Voce (supplied).

2. Always exfoliate the skin.

Yet another step that we probably all forget on occasion is exfoliating. Sandra highlights how using a gentle exfoliator can ensure your foundation sits way better on your skin.

“Always exfoliate the skin first. With models, I ask them to do that the day before because exfoliating helps get rid of dead skin cells,” she says.

“So, it’s something you could do once a week, using a soft and gentle exfoliator and a face mask after.

“As I said, if you have a really good skin cleansing routine and use good products, it definitely makes a big difference to the makeup.”

Image: NIDA student Tara Hillier (supplied).

3. Make sure your foundation match is flawless.

We’re all culprits of wearing a foundation that doesn’t quite match our natural skin tone. However, Sandra believes this is one of the most vital aspects of formal and graduation makeup.

“You quite often see people go wrong because maybe they’ve been sold the wrong [foundation] colour,” she says.

“Beautiful makeup always starts with the perfect foundation match for the colour, balance and texture of the skin."

Sandra holds you should always test your foundation on your jawline to find an accurate match, rather than on your face or hands.

“Always test it on your jawline and not anywhere else on the body. Quite often people test it on their hands or forearms,” she says.

“The jawline is the perfect place because sometimes the skin on your face is darker due to sun exposure, but the neckline is always a bit lighter.”

Additionally, Sandra explains why you should steer clear of foundations with high levels of titanium dioxide for your formal. The ingredient is typically used in cosmetic products to offer sun protection, but it can make you look a bit, uh, ghostly in photos.

“It’s a natural sunscreen, but the problem is if you put too much titanium dioxide in, when the photographer uses a flash you’ll look like a ghost,” she says.

Image: NIDA student Vanessa Love (supplied).

4. It’s all about harmony.

Is there anything worse than clashing lipstick and eyeshadow colours? Probably not.

Sandra points out how essential it is to make sure your school formal or graduation makeup harmonises well.

“When you use makeup, use only warm or only cool colours to harmonise the whole look,” she says.

“If you use warm brown tones on your eyes for a smokey eye, I wouldn’t use a pink or bronze lipstick because that’s a cool colour.

“Quite often when you see something a bit off with makeup, it’s because the person has mixed cool and warm colours together. For formal makeup, it’s good to stick to one or the other.”

Image: NIDA student Julia Chapman (supplied).

5. Take a balanced approach.

Repeat after us: balance is everything.

Sandra stresses the importance of not going overboard with school formal or graduation makeup.

“Keep an eye out for the balance of the makeup, which ties in with harmony,” she says.

“If you do a really strong and deep smokey eye, I’d go with a softer lip colour. Or, if you like to use a very strong red lip, I wouldn’t go overboard with the eyes.

“Make sure you blend the products on your face well enough and use the products wisely.”

Image: NIDA student Siobhan Kennedy (supplied).

Interested in unleashing your inner makeup artist? If you're keen to learn everything there is to know about makeup, you could learn from experts like Sandra at NIDA. 

That'll give you the skills to really know how to nail your makeup for any occasion! 

Header Image: Makeup by NIDA student Siobhan Kennedy