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gives you a healthy glow. Guys, healthy complexion has never killed everyone, and just because your skin doesn't feel like sandpaper when you shake hands with people doesn't imply that you are a wus.

- Ensure that your hair is clean and trimmed. Ladies, if you have long hair and plan to wear it up, wash it a day in advance - it stays together a little better when it's a little "greasy". Try your hairdo of choice in advance to make sure it works well for you and looks good. Wear it for a few hours - remember it can be a long evening and you want to be comfortable. Gentlemen, the "bed head" hair style does go well with formal wear. Please keep that in mind. If you are not sure what to do with your hair for the evening, consult with a barber or a stylish friend.

- Try your evening outfit on in advance, walk around in it, sit stand, do a few dance moves, make sure you are comfortable - you don't want to ruin your evening by a strangling collar or pinching shoes. Consider putting gel pads into your shoes, if you know there will be a lot of standing around. Try your shoes at the end of the day when your feet tend to be swollen and make sure your footwear still fits and feels good.

- Ladies, consider wearing light makeup, even if the event is on a weekend and you have a shot at a good night's sleep. You don't have to pile on layers and layers of everything. A tinted moisturizer applied over the course of several days prior to the event will give you a healthy glow. A tiny bit of concealer for the bags under your eyes (let's face it - we all have them) will take years off your face. Lipstick need not be super-bright or super-glossy - in fact, you can get away with a subdued lip pencil and lip gloss applied over it (both are loads easier to handle with precision than a conventional lipstick). Bring a friend who knows more about makeup than you do to pick out shades of moisturizer, concealer and lip stuff that compliment your skin.

- Check your outfit for missing buttons, minor holes, undone seams, loose hems, scuffs (for the shoes), etc. - do it a couple of days in advance and fix everything then. Obviously, make sure your clothes are clean and pressed. You don't want to look like a slob.

- Most of all - if you are the kind of person who normally avoids formal events, because they make you feel awkward, give yourself another chance. If you are well-groomed, clean, pressed and comfortable, you might actually have a good time. Looking good will not obscure your personality - that is a fallacy spread by people who are too scared or too lazy to make an effort at looking good. On the contrary, if you learn how to look good while remaining comfortable, your best personality traits will truly shine - your outer and inner beauty will work in tandem and enhance each other. Your very lifestyle will improve, as you stop depriving yourself - and people who care about you - of the joy that special occasions can be.

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