Festive Parties 101 for Christmas and New Year – here’s how !
by Lisa Young – Salon Director
The party season is here and with it the office party and friends and family get together parties are fast approaching !
We all love Christmas whether it’s the festive food, the Christmas presents, spending time with our loved ones or those wonderful festive parties !
Festive parties are the perfect opportunity to let our hair down, go the extra mile and look absolutely fabulous.
Everyone wants to look their best so we’ve pulled together a Festive Party Preparation Guide to keep you looking your best including how to survive the best of parties. Our guide is full of the top tips that are designed to help you feel and look great and give you that little extra boost of social confidence.
Our handy beauty tips and tricks will get you looking your best by helping to :
- Prepare your skin for that little black dress with a Radiant Glow.
- Create a Christmas sparkling complexion with our make up tricks such as highlighting, contouring and Smokey eye.
- Have Perfect Party Lashes.
- Have the Perfect party dress.
So why not make this year, when more is more, and be a little extravagant with your makeup and look ?
Step 1 – Wax, Exfoliate and Spray Tan
Wax
Bare legs, even in winter is a must for the Christmas party so make sure they look their best and ensure that they are smooth, moisturised and sun kissed. Yes, even in the winter there is still an excuse to get out the fake tan but don’t just limit it to your legs. A self tan or fake tan makes you feel uplifted and is extremely slimming and toning, which means that a self tan is the perfect compliment to a sparkly Christmas dress or top especially those with sleeveless arms and bare backs.
So to start with, you need to create a perfect base so that your fake tan will last you right through to New Year’s Eve.
We all know that shaving is painless, quick and easy, but it doesn’t last more than a few days. Shave in a rush and you risk getting a razor nick!
Waxing or epilation on the other hand leaves your skin as smooth as a baby’s bum. So longer lasting results wins hands down any day in my book ! After all, you can prepare for the party season and forget about it until January without Christmas tree stubble legs. But before you rush to the chemist, think “go pro”! The wax they use is much stronger and a good technique ensures the perfect finish.
Perfectly Natural-Looking Sun-Kissed Skin
If you intend to bare your legs this Christmas, add a touch of colour to them by applying a good quality fake tan or a gradual tanning moisturiser. These days sunless tanning colour is very natural looking.
Studio 8 Beauty TIP – To get an even longer lasting tan, make sure you exfoliate well and hydrate before applying your tan.
If you don’t fancy doing the tan yourself, why not treat yourself to a professional tan and get a salon tanning treatment such as the award winning Sienna X Tanning. 2 treatments are available as a Sienna X spray tan or a Sienna X manual tan. They also have a great range of home care products to maintain your tan longer or to DIY yourself.
Don’t forget to add a bit of moisturiser to your legs just before going out. Sienna X leaves a subtle hint of sparkle and may be used all over the body.
Step 2 – Perfectly groomed fingers and Toes
Perfectly groomed hands and feet are a must at Christmas. It’s not the same if you do it yourself at home, so treat yourself to a salon treatment and a lovely relax after the Christmas shopping!
Manicures and pedicures aren’t just for the rich and famous. There is nothing better than being pampered like a princess and getting a full manicure oR pedicure. You never know it may just become a regular treat as a New Years resolution !
Step 3 – Perfect Skin that Glows
Red carpet facials aren’t just for the stars. A good facial takes years off and will leave your complexion fresh and radiant. You will find that your everyday skincare products are more effective as your make up sits so much better.
Here are some of the great facials available to help you :
- CACI Non-Surgical Facial.
- Oxygen Facial.
- Geneo+ Facial.
- Microdermabrasion.
- BioSurface Skin Peel.
Step 4 – Perfect Brows
Eyebrows frame the face and can have the effect of creating a mini eyelift. Get the shape right and good brows will make a round face less round and an angular face softer. So take a few tips from the Pro’s and make sure yours are perfect for your face shape.
Treat yourself to a full brow make over and learn how to apply your brow make up perfectly with a professional treatment such as Brow by Mii. Keep up the look at home with a full range of Brow by Mii Retail products, which are very reasonably priced from £11.50 to £16.95.
Step 5 – Perfect Lashes
For lashes to die for, why not try some La La Lashes or even a set of Lash Perfect Lashes to complete your look. No more strip lash glue failure part way through the evening as they start curling up at the edges !!
Step 6 – Makeup
Smokey Eye
Smokey eyes are timeless and a classic look that’s always glamorous, sophisticated and sexy. You can create a look that is subtle right through to a full on glamourous cat walk ready smouldering eye.
Smokey eye is also a great way to take your look from office to party look by layering over your day look and even blending with pearls and metallic eyeshadows and pencils to make your eye colour pop !
See our smokey eye blog for how to create a smokey eye look.
Finally complete your look with a bit of highlighting and contouring, which creates a you but better look to sculpt your cheeks, reduce a rounded chin or even to slim line a larger nose !
If you don’t think you have the know-how for a creating the perfect look for those festive parties, why not try a salon make up service where a professionally trained make-up artist will deploy professional techniques with minerals and Airbase Make up to create a flawless base and look to see you through to the early hours.
Step 7 – Shimmer & Sparkle
And finally choose the Perfect Party Dress to complete your look and compliment your festive beauty treatments. Maybe a smidgen of body shimmer such as Sienna X Shimmer Spray Instant Glamour for a subtle sparkle on your body and hair before going off to have some festive fun! And Why not … its Christmas after all and anything goes!
If you would like to book a professional treatment why not look at our party packages for perfect party prep or call the salon on 023 92 380 692.
Quote of the day
“We are all of us stars and we deserve to twinkle.”
Marilyn Monroe