Hot Hairstyle and Makeup Trends for Prom 2012

Forget fussy, unnatural up-dos, the area’s beauty experts agree bouncy, beachy waves, romantic braids—and even sleek ponytails—are the hot trends for this year’s prom hair.

The staff at in said it's all about "a beautiful mess."

"This season's prom trend is a heavily textured, raw canvas with added structure for balance," said Levi. "It's free-spirited styling with a savvy undertone. Pulled back, up or let loose—it's total maximum exposure."

“It’s a lot softer and more natural,” said Tyler Emerick, a stylist at . “It’s not as structured of an up-do as it has been in the past.”

Levi said braids and pullback pieces are making an appearance this season with everything from woven back, centered side and halo placements.

Emerick agreed. 

For this year’s prom, Emerick is forecasting braids as one of the top hairstyle trends—and he’s not talking about the tight schoolgirl braids or French braids of your youth, either.

Instead, Emerick said this year’s braids are unstructured and soft. He predicts another top trend with girls will be blown-out hair worn down, but with lots of volume.

Marian Davis, , sees carefree, beach-worthy waves as one of this year’s hot hair looks. Like Emerick, she also is seeing braids added to up-dos.

“It’s really all about the braids in the hair,” she said.

If you’re going for the braided look,  suggests trying an ultra-trendy basket weave braid, which involves five strands entwined together.

Also hot this year is a high, sleek ponytail that gives a hint of a masculine edge.

“This comes straight from the runways of New York,” Kaiser said. “Those styles will translate into what’s new for the spring and summer collections.”

At , owner Cheri Parise said girls in the know are turning to Hollywood for inspiration. She said soft chignons, buns or hair worn to one side are all red-carpet worthy looks.

“Everything is softer with a romantic feeling,” she said. “Loose curls and soft waves—anything we see that are more Oscar-type of hairstyles.”

Levi said his staff is "using painted illuminations and lowlights to create added drama through dimension."

"From short to long, blonde to red, these tones give an extra element of interest to the styling," he said. "Our team is pushing an editorial trend that is working perfectly with what we see in prom attire this season. Who doesn't love a beautiful mess?"

Makeup trends for this year are similarly soft and romantic.

Michelle Pascal, owner of the , said a “naturally flawless” look with peachy undertones is a hit with the teen girls.

Also popular is a smoky eye paired with a high-shine lip gloss. One thing she steers away from is a harsh red lip. Instead, she said her clients favor peach and coral colors. 

"They’re so young, so it’s more of a fresh clean look,” she said.

Editor's Note: students, have fun at prom! Upload your photos to Pics & Clips (see above) or email them to andrea.bosco@patch.com to see yourself on Patch!