Girls are getting asked, groups are forming, and reservations are being made. Everyone is for-going studying for their AP Exams and are instead choosing to obsess about that one special night. That’s right, you guessed it: Prom. You might be thinking that Prom seems a bit overrated for the cost. Well ladies I have the answers for a beautiful look that won’t break the bank.

The dress is usually the priciest part of Prom. All I can say to that is borrow, borrow, borrow! Yeah it’s nice to have your own dress, but you’ll only wear it once so why waste the money? It isn’t as monumental as your wedding so you don’t need that keepsake. There are older teammates, friends, siblings, friends siblings…  it’s easy to get a hold of a cute dress on loan.

If you’re jealous that your man gets to rent his tux and return it, then you should check online. That’s right! There are sites like www.renttherunway.com where you can actually rent designer prom dresses for around $50. Just make sure you don’t take a dive into the chocolate fountain.

If you really don’t want to borrow then there are some great places to get dresses for cheap. Obviously there are the big department stores like Macy’s and JC Penny’s that have cute dresses that range from $70-120 usually. That’s not too bad; a few hours of babysitting could cover that.

But if you want to have an amazing standout dress that no one has seen then there are websites that offer custom dresses at relatively inexpensive prices. www.fishinthesky.com has unique dresses with custom color charts. Also check out www.idealprom.com, www.dressfirst.com, and www.promgirl.com. They’re all great websites with huge selections of dresses that are priced below $200; just make sure to order it with plenty of time before prom.

Now that you’ve got your dress it’s time to think shoes. Unless your date is freakishly tall you will probably ditch your stilettos on the dance floor. Again I reiterate: why spend money on something you’ll wear for a night? Most of us have nice pumps that will give you a few inches for pictures. Don’t worry if they don’t match your dress, you won’t be able to see them anyways.

Instead of spending $40 on glitter heels spend $14 on a pair of cute sandals that will be comfortable. Places like Charlotte Rouse, Forever 21, and Body Central have nice sandals that you can dance the night away in.

Dress: check. Shoes: check. Accessories: Let’s do this. For most glitzy dresses, necklaces and bracelets will be a bit much. Keep it simple with a nice pair of earrings. Where to get these earrings? Practically anywhere! You can borrow from a friend or spend maybe $15 at most. Because the flashy costume jewelry is popular now most stores have a variety of earrings. Spend an hour or two perusing the mall. Claire’s, Charlotte Rouse, Forever 21, Body Central, Icing, Macy’s, JC Penny’s, Kohl’s. All of those places should have a good supply.

Now that you have your prom outfit chosen it’s time to get the full look. I know what you’re thinking; spray tan, mani/pedi, make up, hair, it’s all so expensive! Think again my friend.

In my opinion, spray tanning can be risky; I know orange skin would clash with my pink dress. Natural tanning can take forever and can be dangerous for your skin. Self-tanning lotion can leave you looking streaky. So how do I get that natural glow? Seventeen magazine suggests self-tanning toilettes. They are easy to use and don’t leave you streaky. It tans your skin gradually with each application so you can choose your level of tan. And they usually cost around $7.

Stop its Hammer time! Just joking it’s nail time. Don’t want to pay for the mani/pedi that won’t last the weekend? Go for glue on nails. You can buy French tips from CVS for around 5 bucks. They look great and are easily applied. If you want them to stay on better take a nail file to the top of your nails to make them rough. This will give the glue something to stick on. As for the pedicure… no one should see your feet so why bother?

Last, but not least, make-up and hair; the last touch that pulls the look together.  It’s so hard to find a good salon with cheap prices. Well forget the pricey reservation. Get on Pinterest and search for the latest hair and make-up styles. Find a friend who is interested in beauty or just seems to look great every day and ask if they would mind helping you get ready. Most Pinterest directions are easy to follow and involve normal beauty products that you already own. An easy look for cheap is easy to accomplish.

So rethink sitting home on Prom night with movie and popcorn. Set yourself a budget and get ready to have a great night. And as for your ticket and dinner… well your date can pay for that.