With the Christmas party season fast approaching (for some it may already be in full swing!), and an abundance of festive-inspired alcoholic drinks, mince pies and regular late nights, it’s not easy to stay on top of your beauty regime. Many of us will simply reach for our make-up bag, use maximum coverage products and rush off to the next social event. Occasionally if we’re honest, layering more makeup on top of yesterday’s makeup, am I right? Guilty!
It is therefore no surprise that by the time January rolls around this can result in dull, dry, and lifeless skin. Fear not though because we have some great party season hacks that can help time-poor individuals look and feel on top of their game throughout December.
1 – Master your makeup routine
For those with hectic schedules this month, perfecting your makeup routine from start to finish will save you a lot of time in the long run.
We don’t mean being able to apply makeup like a pro… we mean making sure you are not skipping the necessary steps (a lot of us do) that make sure your skin is protected by the continuous makeup application, before applying makeup.
First and foremost, use a gentle exfoliating scrub to remove dirt and any dead skin, followed by a high-quality serum to lock in moisture.
Once you have done this, you can begin to apply your makeup, starting with a good foundation base, otherwise your makeup won’t sit well. Then, apply an illuminating primer all over the face, which will reflect light particles and give you a gorgeous, brightening look. We love the Glossier Futuredew, which can be applied either above or below your foundation depending on how glowing a look you are going for.
After following these steps, apply a white eye liner pencil into the lower waterline, which will help enlarge the eye area and make your eyes stand out even more!
2 – Don’t forget to wash the day off
This is a must do!
If you’ve had a long day and night, it is tempting to come home after a late night and fall straight into bed without removing your makeup, which everyone knows is a complete no-no.
Not only does taking off your makeup and cleansing your skin avoid having a dull looking, tired face in the morning, but it also allows your skin to breathe which is particularly important when you are probably spending the majority of December wearing more makeup than usual.
Award Winning Tropic Skincare Smoothing cleanser is an amazing cleanser for those late nights. You can use it to remove all makeup including and I quote “that unbudgeable waterproof mascara”. We have tested it and can confirm that it does indeed remove tough eye makeup. After gentle massage into the skin and use their bamboo cloth rinsed with warm water to remove. Beautiful natural ingredients too, such as Jojoba Oil, Green Tea Extracts and Aloe Vera Juice.
3 – Brighten those eyes
Between decorating your tree, shopping for Christmas gifts and socialising with friends and colleagues, it can be difficult to get a full night’s sleep, and the deeper we get into the festive period, the harder this becomes to hide. To help combat eye puffiness and dark circles caused by lack of sleep why not try an easy at home remedy? The only ingredients you need are two peppermint tea bags and some eye serum. The process is simple, start by applying the serum, gently tapping in circulatory motions. Then brew a cup of peppermint tea, adding two teabags from a high quality, organic brand and then freeze the tea bags for 10 minutes. Once chilled, place a teabag on each eye for the ultimate hydration boost.
4 – Book a salon blow dry
For many women, the most stressful and time-wasting ordeal is styling their own hair, as it never goes how you envisage. So, rather than wasting time you don’t have, book yourself into your nearest blow dry bar, sit back with a glass of bubbly, and let the hairdressers work their magic! After all, it is the season to indulge. A really good blow dry will also last a few days (hello dry shampoo!) so it’s something less to worry about if you have a few parties in a row.
5 – Treat yourself to a CryoFacial™
The great thing about a CryoFacial™ is that you can walk straight out of the salon and straight to the bar! There is no down time or rest and recovery needed. You’ll leave a CryoFacial™ treatment feeling fresh and glowing. Via cold and warm temperatures, the Cryostar® wand increases blood flow to the skin, in turn that boosts oxygen supply and in turn that increases collagen and elastin production. Not only will you leave the treatment, party ready, you will continue to reap the benefits of smaller pores, tighter skin and an overall brighter looking skin for weeks to come.
No matter what you do, have fun and enjoy being with friends and family! Just don’t forget to look after the skin that you take good care all year round.
