It happens once every year. Posters litter the halls of the school, both advertising ticket prices and the latest prom fashions. With the season of prom though comes the opportunity, for girls anyways, to look like a princess. Hair pulled into a classic updo, nails pristine, skin shining like porcelain and, of course, a dress that shimmers when they walk.

For one day a year everything is supposed to go flawlessly, right? Well as the saying goes, no pain, no gain. Prom itself may turn out to be a fun filled night, but the day leading up to prom usually is packed with back-to-back appointments that usually lead to stress-induced rants. So here’s what a girl goes through on the day of prom.

It’s daybreak, your first appointment is your nails and it’s scheduled to start at 10 a.m. Your eyes open, taking in the sun’s rays beaming through your window as you smile about your day ahead. Until bam! You finally comprehend what time it is on your alarm clock, realizing that you overslept by a couple of hours despite the barrage of alarms you set the previous night.

So in a panic you tear through your room, throwing on whatever you can find, only to discover that your mom hasn’t even gotten ready. As a result, you’re forced to pace by the door, eager to leave before traffic gets too thick. Now there’s the matter of getting there with enough time to get the appointment over with and still managing to make it to your hair appointment that was inconveniently scheduled thirty minutes after.

So there you are, relaxing while your feet get massaged and your nails get painted with perfect french tips. It’s nice until you learn that both your legs and eyebrows need to be waxed. For the next 30 minutes you listen to the rip of each waxing strip, holding your breath in preparation for the next.

Here comes the transition from ripping torture to pulling torture. Your body bobs up and down as the stylist pumps the chair to adjust your height accordingly, and then walks around to face you. Then comes the big question: what do you want? Eyeing the cluster of various styling instruments laying casually on the the table, you smile anxiously and show them a picture you found on pinterest.

Despite the idea of allowing a total stranger to wrap your lovely locks around a potentially damaging curling utensil is terrifying, you sit patiently and let your stylist work their magic. Though you feel your scalp being stabbed by multiple bobby pins, the final result is stunning. With small ringlets framing your face and twisted curls clustered at the nape of your neck, the only feature missing from this gorgeous picture is stunning makeup.

Your hair is completely made up and perfect, now all you need is the perfect face to tie together the complete package. You have to force the smile off your face in order to allow your makeup artist to begin to apply a base layer that makes your skin look flawless. Next they contour your face, sculpting it so every feature is enhanced.

They apply an array of eyeshadows that complement your steady eyes, pulling the small flecks of color out. With your eyeliner winged, lips colored and full, and skin pristine, you leave the salon beaming.

It finally arrives. You slide through your bedroom door, open your closet, and find your dress hanging between your casual clothes, the color barely showing through the plastic cover. Smiling at the details shown from every angle, you slip it on and glance in the mirror. With your hair pulled up in a bundle of soft curls, makeup enhancing your already beautiful features, you pull on your heels, put on your favorite perfume, and leave for your exciting night knowing that all the prepping you did will pay off.