Glam up your skin for the festive season

The festive season is upon us, meaning that you’ve probably got several events, parties and shows to attend in the coming weeks. At this time of year, we all want to feel our best, and often, getting prepped and preened for a party is a great way to get a confidence boost. With all the late nights of excitement during the Christmas period, it can be tempting to let your skin maintenance slip. However, if you’ve been indulging in food and alcohol, it’s essential to give your skin all the help it can get, whether it’s makeup wipes next to your bed, or a full make-up removal process at your bathroom sink, whatever you do, do not sleep with your makeup on.

Treat your skin as well post-party as you would before a big occasion to help it recover and prevent any breakouts or dry patches. Whether you’re a low maintenance individual or you love getting glammed up, here are our top tips for preparing for the party season, from indulgent skincare to make-up looks.

Focus On You
The most important thing to remember before you think about prepping for the party season is to take a moment to feel good in yourself. Take a few moments to do something that will make you feel great about yourself, whether that be an exercise session or a warm bath. Beauty, as they say, comes from within, and your confidence will shine more than any eyeliner, hair do or outfit.

Skincare
The first step to perfecting your festive party season look is upping your skincare regime. But don’t start doing anything radically different simply because you have events coming up, stick to what you know works for your skin. If you have sensitive skin, harsh oil-stripping treatments are not worth the reaction you may experience just to clear out clogged pores. In fact, using too many products in general can clog the pores. Follow the basic steps of cleansing, toning and moisturising every morning and night, and exfoliating once a week in the lead-up to your events. Amongst this, it is important to remember to stay hydrated, get plenty of sleep and maintain a healthy diet, moderate your intake of sugar, caffeine, dairy and alcohol, which are all bad for the skin. The majority of our skin health comes from the inside, so looking after your whole body will give you that guaranteed glow ahead of the festive season.

Body Care
To get that all-round pampered feeling, you may want to indulge in a little bodycare before a big party. This can be anything from putting on a nice moisturiser to treating yourself to a body wrap or spa body treatment. For a low-key pampering session, take a warm bath with your favourite bath bomb or nourishing oil and exfoliate to get rid of any dry skin caused by the fast approaching harmattan, dust and harsh sun and then moisturise from head to toe. You can put a little body shimmer on your collarbone and shoulders for something extra. Spritz on some perfume or cologne and you’re ready to go.Even if you don’t remember all these, just remember to stay hydrated, moisturized and use sun-screen as often as possible.