Keep your skin sparkling through the festive season
Sparkle and Joy
It’s easy to lose your sparkle at Christmas with the pressures of preparation and late-night socialising. A combination of stress and tiredness can wreak havoc on your skin just when you want to shine the most. Follow these tips to stay fabulous through the festivities.
Just relax!
Relaxing in the run-up to Christmas is easier said than done, but battling through the crowds to find that party frock or perfect gift is super-stressful, and stress causes damage to the immune system and skin. If you know you are going to be out late regularly, try taking some immune-boosting vitamins, such as Boots Vitamin C and Zinc, £2.85 (www.boots.com), and don’t feel you have to say yes to everything. You’ll end up enjoying the events you really want to go to so much more if you have energy to spare.
Mistress of disguise
If your face is looking tired with a lacklustre complexion and dark circles under the eyes, at this late stage the best you can do is conceal the evidence! Creams that claim to banish dark circles take quite some considerable time to have any effect, so a great concealer is your best friend and worth spending a bit extra on. Diorskin Nude Hydrating Concealer, £19 is water-based so less likely to creep into fine lines under the eyes, yet still gives a light but effective coverage. If your eyes are puffy, keep a couple of teaspoons in the fridge and apply them (covered with a light cloth or muslin) to your eyes for an instant de-puffing effect with no outlay required. To give your skin a little oomph, exfoliate regularly to slough off any dead cells that cause dullness, and be clever with Tess Daly for Marks & Spencer Daly Light Radiant Dewy Glow Luminisor, £9.50, added to foundation to give an extra luminosity and sheen.
When in doubt, shimmer
Going straight from office to party requires planning ahead with your makeup bag. Be sure to include a bright shimmery eye pencil in silver or gold for a quick swipe of glamour that transforms a day face into an evening one (have a look at Model’s Own Shimmer Eye Liner Pencils, £5 (www.modelsownit.com). Draw as close to the upper lash line as you can and wing it out slightly upwards at the outer corners of the eyes to create a simple but sexy eye. A spritz of sparkle in your hair or on your collarbones and décolleté takes literally seconds to apply and looks immediately stylish and party perfect – if you want to splash out, try D&G Rose The One Shimmer, £34 (House of Fraser stores),which is delicately perfumed with rose, lily of the valley and mandarin.
Be handy
Lather on the hand cream to keep your hands and nails in great condition during the winter weather – having long and strong nails for party season gives you more to work with when it comes to glamming up. A very quick trick is to add a sparkling top coat to whatever nail polish you are wearing – or over nude nails – just to jazz things up. Andrea Fulerton Gemstone Overcoat, £4.99 (Superdrug) is mega-glitter and has your hands twinkling in an instant. If your hands and nails are really dry, slap on the hand cream, put on your rubber gloves and get doing the dishes! The heat from the washing up water will help the oils in the hand cream penetrate more effectively.
Read more from Jane Cunningham at http://www.britishbeautyblogger.com
