11 beauty tips for the Christmas party season

Everyone loves a Christmas party, and this year more than ever, it’ll be extra special to be able to celebrate. The trouble is, as the festive season progresses, it isn’t always easy to stay fresh and fabulous!

Here are our top tips for how you can continue to look and feel great all the way through the Christmas festivities.

1. Glittery make up

If there’s any time of year when you can add a little glitter to your make up then it’s at Christmas. Try brushing some glittery eyeshadow over the top of your usual shade, brushing glitter over a creamy lipstick (top with a clear lip gloss) or opting for a glitter-enhanced nail varnish.

But remember to practice your sparkly look in advance – you don’t want to be reapplying all your make up five minutes before you leave the house because the glitter look didn’t quite turn out the way you wanted!

2. Opt for gel nails

When you’re running around doing Christmas shopping and visiting relatives, you might not have the time to keep your nails in tip top condition for the party season. So why not have some gel nails applied so you have one less thing to fit into your busy schedule?

3. KEEP YOUR SKIN HYDRATED

A combination of central heating and those festive tipples can have a drying effect on your skin, it can appear dull and fine lines are accentuated. (Read more about how alcohol affects your skin.)

Drinking plenty of water can help to offset the dehydrating effects of this time of year, but you can also treat your skin to a few extras to help it along. Invest in facial serums and moisturisers which contain hyaluronic acid.

Pop along to Melior Clinics, we have a variety of treatments that are ideal for boosting your skin’s hydration:

• Our fabulous skin boosters will give your skin a pre-festivity glow to last throughout Christmas.
• With our Red Carpet Peel the clue is in the name! It deeply exfoliates the skin to give a brightened, rejuvenated appearance and the best thing is there’s virtually no down-time so you can enjoy the benefits at the Christmas festivities almost immediately.
• Profhilo is a unique hydrating treatment, which provides one of the highest concentrations of hyaluronic acid available on the market. It deeply stimulates the skin cells to create a lifting effect.

The drying effects of winter don’t just affect your face and can make your skin feel dry, flaky and even itchy. Taking care to exfoliate and moisturise your body will keep your skin in good condition.

4. HYDRATE YOUR HAIR

It’s not just your skin that feels the effects of moisture-loss at this time of year. Your hair can become dry and lifeless too.

Over the winter months it’s worth switching to a moisture-rich hair conditioner and treating yourself to a weekly deep-conditioning hair mask for an extra boost.

5. REMEMBER TO HYDRATE YOUR LIPS

OK, this is the last dehydration warning! Like your skin and hair, your lips can also suffer in cold conditions. It’s extra important to exfoliate and moisturise them over the winter.

Did you know that lip filler treatments aren’t just about creating a naturally beautiful lip shape? They also hydrate your lips, leaving them feeling moisturised and softened – much more enticing for those mistletoe kisses! Plus, if you’re into this season’s berry shades, lip fillers will also create definition around the edge of your lips and help you avoid the dreaded lipstick ‘bleed’.

6. Smile bright

Once your lips are sorted, you don’t want your teeth (or your breath!) to let you down. Make sure you don’t lapse on your toothcare routine just because you’ve had a late night and consider switching to a whitening toothpaste to offset the effects of all that staining mulled wine.

7. Book in for a mid-season boost

Come and visit us for a reviving bespoke facial or CACI non-surgical facelift. Both these treatments are ideal for a relaxing, non-invasive and rejuvenating effect; perfect for taking a bit of ‘me time’ in the middle of the festive season.

8. Get fresh!

A brisk walk in the fresh air might not seem like the best idea when it’s cold out and you have just a little bit of a hangover, but you’ll be glad you did it! Not only will being outside refresh your body and soul, the exercise will also boost your blood circulation, giving you a healthy glow, which will continue into the evening’s festivities. And the stress-relieving benefits will help to reduce any tension-related wrinkles.

9. STOCK-UP ON Handbag essentials

A few beauty essentials can help you to stay fresh throughout your night out:

• Lipstick – because you’ll always need a top up.
• Compact with mirror – so you don’t have to fight through the crowds for the one small mirror in the ladies’.
• Mascara – halfway through the party a quick swish of the mascara wand will help you look refreshed and ready for the rest of the night.
• Skin blotting paper – to remove excess oils without removing your make up.
• Chewing gum – otherwise no-one will be kissing you under the mistletoe after that garlicy-starter! Choose a whitening gum to help your teeth as well as your breath.
• Blister plasters – OK, not really about beauty, but if your favourite shoes start to rub this will save your feet and ensure you can wear them again at tomorrow’s party!

10. Take your make up off at night

It’s very easy to excuse yourself this task and just flop into bed after a late night partying, but your skin won’t thank you for it! Instead, it’ll start to look dull and you’ll risk having some nasty spots appearing just when you don’t want them.

If you’ve gone for a glittery look, when you come to remove your make up it’s best to lift off some of the glitter first, using low-tack tape such as masking tape or Sellotape you’ve rubbed your fingers over first. Then use an oil-based cleanser to finish the job.

11. RELIEVE Tired eyes

Have some freshening eye drops in stock to give your eyes a moisture boost – perfect for the morning after to help reduce that tired eyes look.

If you particularly suffer from dark circles, and the party season’s making them worse, our dermal fillers can give your tear trough area (between your cheek and lower eyelid) a rejuvenating moisture boost to plump the area and reduce the dark appearance.

Remember that how you look isn’t the most important thing!

OK, this might sound a bit contrary when we’ve just given you a load of beauty advice, but it’s oh-so important to remember that Christmas is about the wonderful times you spend with family and friends, not about being Instagram-ready every moment of the day.

We wish you a fun and very merry Christmas!