The debs is a rite of passage for Irish teens. It’s the night that you spend years of secondary school thinking about and planning with your friends. And then it suddenly comes around and it can all feel a little bit overwhelming.
After experiencing my own debs and running Debs Week on Missy.ie for a number of years now, you could say that I’m a little bit of a pro when it comes to all things debs. So, here’s everything that you need to know in order to have a great night…
Be Thrifty
The Debs is a very spendy night and heaps tons of pressure on people to drop a lot of money, but there are lots of ways to cut costs. The big obvious one is the dress. Yes, we all dream of a Blair Waldorf inspired prom dress to be the envy of all, but in this day and age there are so many amazing dresses out there to suit all budgets.
Think outside of the box too; do you know someone who had a debs last year who you can borrow from? Facebook market, Vinted and Depop also have some gems if you have the patience. We have more advice on how to find a sustainable debs dress.
Debs Date Dilemmas
I think the thing that stresses people out the most about the Debs is who to bring; it’s a lot of stress. I brought my friend and I was glad that I did. Something you learn as you go through life is that no one really cares what you’re doing and I honestly can’t remember much about other people at my debs. So you do you. Bring who you want, go solo, go as a group; just do what makes you happy because there’s nothing worse than being stuck with someone you don’t like for your debs night. Need more debs date advice? We’ve got you!
Your bag for the night is everything
People over focus on the dress for the debs, but I would argue that your bag is very important; it contains everything that you’re going to need for the night.
Ditch your usual purse in favour of a card holder. Decide on your budget for the night and only bring that amount. If you need to get a taxi home make sure that you keep that money to one side so you don’t accidentally spend it.
Ensure your phone is fully charged before leaving. If you’re worried about battery life, pop a power bank in your clutch! Those Instas won’t take themselves after all…Your lipstick and lip-liner are pretty obvious, but don’t forget some other essentials. Include a cheap mattifying powder. Trust us, leave your expensive makeup at home.
Also pack a (clean!) foundation brush as it’s perfect for blending in any makeup that might have started to stray as the night wears on. This can be used to touch-up foundation or to give a quick fix to eyeshadow that may have creased.
A mini bottle of perfume from Penneys can be handy to just make yourself feel fresh and confident. Sometimes there are some amenities included in the bathrooms on Debs night to help us gals. Suggest it to your Debs comity in advance!
If you’re wearing your hair up make sure that you include some hair bobbins/extra pins in your bag in case it starts to fall out.
If it’s around your time of the month, pop a tampon or pad in your clutch just in case! Your period is the last thing you want to be worrying about ruining your night.
Pace Yourself
You’ve spent all this time planning this night, so it would be great if you could actually remember it in the morning. The debs is often the first big adult night out for most and it can be tempting to go mad, but mind yourself. Have a light meal in the afternoon before you ramp up the preparations, that way you’re not drinking on an empty stomach. Pace yourself throughout the evening by drinking water along with whatever else you’re drinking. Don’t forget to give our tips on how to stay safe on a night out a read in advance! Don’t get caught up in what everyone else is doing, focus on yourself and just take your time.
The debs is what you make it
Forget how much everyone’s dress is costing, who’s getting a stretch limo and who’s bringing who…focus on yourself and what you want the night to be. The Debs can be great craic, but don’t hinge the rest of your life on it. You have so many nights out and college balls ahead of you. It’s not your wedding and at the end of the day the whole idea of the Debs is to celebrate finishing school and surviving the Leaving Cert. It’s also the last time that you and all of your classmates will ever be together again (sob!). Enjoy the night and just go with the flow. You’ll find that if you go in with zero expectations you’ll have a great time.
Just a final note to say that sometimes your debs doesn’t turn out the way you hoped it would, and thats okay. We put ourselves under a lot of pressure to make sure its the best night of our lives, and that’s not always the reality. And if your school experience wasn’t positive, it’s also okay to give it a miss, closing the door on that chapter of your life and moving on to the next one
Over at Missy.ie we have everything that you need to know ahead of Debs night, from budget dresses, tan tips and how to avoid debs disasters.
