Holiday party prep

Party-perfect beauty tips for a big night out

By Tania Kwong

Pre-party

Skin: Give your skin instant radiance – not redness – by exfoliating gently and moisturizing from head to toe. "Scrubbing is for floors, not your skin," says Dr. Francesca Fusco, a dermatologist based in New York. If you have sensitive skin, use synthetic formulas – they don't contain coarse sugar granules or fruit seeds. "Synthetic types have round spheres – not irregular edges – and are less abrasive," she says. If dry skin is an issue, look for a moisturizer with hyaluronic acid (it plumps up the moisture in your skin). Make sure that it's listed within the first five ingredients, which means that it contains an adequate amount to hydrate skin.

Face: Silicone-based primers are a mainstay in every makeup pro's kit, and they should be in yours, too, because they fill in fine lines, minimize pores and dry patches and help makeup colour stay truer longer. "They completely smooth out the look of your skin," says Rachel Goodwin, a celebrity makeup artist for Hollywood "it" girls like January Jones and Penélope Cruz. For foundation that endures the dance floor, go with a long-wear formula (it is sweat-resistant and stays fresher longer) and apply it sparingly. "The more you wear, the more you have to worry about sweating it off and touching it up throughout the night," says

Molly Stern, a Cover Girl makeup pro whose red-carpet clients include Leighton Meester and Amy Adams. Use it on areas where you have more redness or pigmentation, like around your nose and mouth and under your eyes. Pat down any oily areas with pressed powder.

Eyes: Sparkly liners and shadows can bring out the good cheer in all of us, but not all formulas have lasting power. For eye makeup that stays up as late as you do, go with waterproof eyeliners (they don't smudge as fast) and choose powder shadows over creams since creams tend to crease and slide off the skin. Iridescent powder shadows give you the shimmer and staying power – minus the high maintenance.

Lips: Tired of having more gloss on your champagne glass than on your pout? Switch to a bright matte lip stain. "It will look just as fabulous and will give you the freedom to drink, eat and laugh without having to think about your makeup all night long," says Goodwin. For colour that won't budge after appetizers, anchor your stain with a base of neutral waterproof lipliner.

Fast fixes: Wake up with a pimple? Dab on salicylic acid or benzyl peroxide. If you're seeing red come primping time, pat hydrocortisone cream on and cover it with a bandage while you do your hair. The redness will be gone by the time you start your makeup! Nothing can ruin a night out like flaky lips. For a quick fix, buff them with a wet toothbrush and baking soda. "It's gentle, but it removes dry skin," says Fusco.

Pro tip: "For an instant glow, pat an unscented lip balm where the light hits, like your cheekbones and on top of your brow bone," says celebrity makeup artist Rachel Goodwin.

Post-party

Before bed: Damage control starts the minute you get home from a night out. To prevent breakouts caused by clogged pores, wash your makeup off before you hit the hay. Too lazy to get your hands wet? Keep cleansing wipes on your nightstand.

In the a.m.: Wake up tired skin the next morning with a DIY mask: Take a glob of regular moisturizer (one without retinol and glycolic acid because they exacerbate dryness) and heat it up in a microwaveable dish for five seconds. Lay it on thick and then remove it in a circular motion with a dry washcloth after five minutes. "You want it to absorb into the skin, not get rinsed off," says Fusco. Treat dark circles and puffy eyes with a cold cucumber compress, tea bags that have been steeped and refrigerated or a cold eye mask. "The cold helps increase blood flow and remove extra fluid," she says.

Makeup: Bring the colour back to your cheeks with a rosy cream blush. "It will make you look really healthy," says Stern. If your lashes need some TLC from the night before – especially if you wear falsies – coat them with petroleum jelly, says Goodwin. "It keeps them lush and healthy," she says.

First published in GLOW