New Year’s Eve, the climax to the festive season, is the time when we want to look our absolute best. Just follow our ultimate top tips to stay looking beautiful for the New Year’s Eve celebrations and you won’t go wrong.
Look after your skin
Let’s face it. The combination of cold winter months together with a riot of festive parties and other happenings is not always conducive to maintaining flawless, healthy skin. This is the time of year when our skin can easily start to look dull and sallow or, by contrast, reddened and sensitive.
So be extra kind to your skin and maintain a regular skincare routine throughout December, just as during the rest of the year. Remember to cleanse your face of make-up and moisturise before going to bed, using milder or richer products depending on your skin type.
When you wash your face, use lukewarm to warm water rather than hot water, as this will prevent your skin drying out too much. Once or twice a week take some time out and use a face mask or scrub with low levels of alpha hydroxyl acids to smooth, polish and brighten your skin, removing the outer dead layers which can give skin a sallow appearance.
Tan your way to radiant skin
Fake tan is one of the best ways to give your skin an instant boost. It’s also better for your skin than spending time out in the sun or under the sunbed. There are a range of self-tanning creams and lotions on the market, and it’s recommended that you try one (or more) out in advance of the big night if you’re thinking of going bronzed for New Year’s Eve. The options include self-tan lotions, mousses and spray bottles. Spray bottles are great for convenience and ensuring a smooth application, while rich mousses typically contain extra moisturising ingredients. While some products take time to develop, instant formulations develop your tan in just a couple of minutes.
Always remember to exfoliate before tanning so that your skin is smooth and the self-tan applies more evenly. It’s also important to moisturise afterwards to keep your skin soft and hydrated.
Add some shimmer and sparkle
Self-tanning products often contain bronzing and/or shimmering ingredients for instantly glowing skin. What could be more perfect for New Year’s Eve? Look out for products that contain pearl or opal extracts for a little shimmer. Other products contain synthetic light-reflecting ingredients or silicone to give skin a silky texture.
Complement the look with some tinted moisturiser with some shimmering bronzer. Use a good base before applying make-up – silicone is great for giving the appearance of wonderfully smooth skin and will ensure you stay looking flawless throughout the night.
Catch everyone’s attention
Finally, New Year’s Eve is all about the eyes. This is the one time of year when it’s fine to go all out with the glitz and glamour. Don’t forget to look after your eyes in the run-up to New Year’s Eve to ensure they’re in top condition, using a moisturiser or serum with ingredients such as co-enzyme Q10 to keep the delicate surrounding skin hydrated and smooth out fine lines and wrinkles. Then simply add some sparkly metallic eye shadow, sweeping in bold curves around the eye, and teaming it with eyeliner for a dramatic effect.