Face up to post party blues
You don’t have to be especially badly behaved for the party season to take its toll on your skin. The odd late night here, one too many cocktails there, and your complexion can end up looking like it’s been through the festive ringer.
Thankfully, beauty saviours are available to provide some emergency relief the morning-after-the-night-before. When party hangovers strike, follow these tricks to camouflage the evidence.
Fight the signs of fatigue — dark circles and eye bags — by taking action before your head hits the pillow.
“When you finally crawl into bed, prop yourself up with an extra pillow to avoid puffy eyes in the morning — sleeping slightly elevated helps to drain excess fluid from the face,” says beauty consultant Jill Zander. If one too many tipples means you forget the pillow plumping, invest in a de-puffing eye cream for a morning miracle
“Look for one that deals with dark under-eye circles,” Zander suggests. “For bloodshot eyes, prepare two camomile teabags wet and refrigerated, or have a trusty chilled teaspoon on standby. When you wake up, hit the snooze button for five minutes and let these quick-fixes de-puff your telltale party baggage.”
For those not familiar with the refrigerated teabag or spoon methods, simply lie back and pop the bags onto closed eyelids, or hold the rounded side of the spoon gently over the area, and let them work their magic.
The less sleep we get, the less time our skin cells have to repair and regenerate. The more alcohol you drink, the more likely your skin will be zapped of hydration. The result? Dull, dry and lacklustre skin meltdown.
If you’ve woken up to a painkiller breakfast and dull reflection, cheat a brighter looking face with a morning scrub.
“Gentle exfoliation can really perk up a post-party complexion, leaving it looking plump and fresh,” says Caroline Frazer, Simple skincare expert.
“Next, slather on moisturiser while skin is still damp, as this helps lock in much-needed moisture.”
Keep a water misting spray in your handbag to pep up dehydrated skin throughout the day, which will act like an energy drink for your face and instantly refresh when hangover slumps kick in.
Leave the rosy cheeks to Santa and the red nose to Rudolph this festive season.
“Alcohol makes skin look red or flushed, and regular consumption can permanently enlarge small peripheral veins, causing thread veins,” explains Tamra Compton, global education director at Pur Minerals.
“A colour correcting primer can help instantly brighten the skin’s appearance, while offsetting the look of redness from breakouts, sensitivity or irritation.”
Smokers and party hoppers beware as you may be especially prone to redness — if you frequently go from inside to outside during the night, temperature extremes can cause skin vessels to contract causing red flare-ups.
Nothing screams Christmas more than a berry-red nail varnish. But think before you invest. Between wrapping presents, making mince pies and washing dishes, a tough varnish is called for. This cheery number is chip-resistant and has eye-catching gloss finish. It also comes with an ace ProWide brush, making it a dream to apply. Like all OPI varnishes, it’s free from DBP, toluene and formaldehyde. Just what’s needed to keep your nail in tip top order.
You’ve had a late night partying with friends and your face shows all the signs of it. Dab on this tinted eye cream, for an instant lift. Dark circles will fade, while the caffeine and peptides will de-puff the delicate skin around your eyes. Free from parabens, mineral oils, sodium laureth sulphate, and animal ingredients.
Give your stressed skin an emergency treatment with this relief kit. It comes with hydro-cool, firming eye gels, a relief eye-pen, a cooling daily lotion, and face mist with a multivitamin to put the zing back into your face. Paraben-free.
Hangover or not, this is a must-have in your make-up bag. With a well-deserved worldwide reputation, it’s ideal for highlighting and refreshing your make-up. Add a Christmas glow by brushing it under the eyes, around the lips and along the sides of the nose.
Natural ingredients are to the fore with this treatment, which is suitable for sensitive skins.
Yeast extract helps to reduce puffy eyes and lighten dark circles.
The addition of Hoelen mushroom extract calms skin and reduces the signs of redness.
This hard-working treatment packs a big punch.
It comes with “probiotic stressed yeast extract,” to oxygenate and energise the skin. Betaine targets excessive fluid build-up, while the Rhodiola Rosea works to reduce fat deposits and boosts cell metabolism.
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