Well, it is a cruel irony that our most social season occurs when we are most over-worked, over-committed and completely bl**dy exhausted.
This year, despite predictions that we’d be partying like it was 1921 and there would be a national sequin shortage, the lure of the sofa has never felt stronger.
My party skirt, big earrings, and heels are the only way to get out of my house. I pair them with a cashmere rollneck, which then gives me the opportunity to add a lot more swag.
The focus is on glowing skin. A little bit of preparation is well worth the time if you’re short on time. Use a mild exfoliant to remove dead skin cells and give your underpinnings more shine.
Hannah Betts, a UK beauty columnist shares tips for glowing skin in the social season (file photo)
Cult U.S. brand Youth To The People’s new Mandelic Acid + Superfood Unity Exfoliant (£32, cultbeauty.co.uk) is particularly effective. Or pick up Nip + Fab’s Glycolic Fix Daily Cleansing Pads (£17, sainsburys.co.uk) next time you’re in the supermarket.
To remove any puffiness in the summer I will use an ice roller.
In winter, it’s a slick of facial oil — Neom’s Great Day Glow Face Oil (£42, neomorganics.com), say — and a massaging device to boost circulation.
I like Nurse Jamie’s Uplift Body Massage Beauty Roller (£125, net-a-porter.com), a Y-shaped vibrating tool that firms — or, in my case, creates — cheekbones and jawline.
Amirce’s cheap 2-in-1 Face Massager Roller and T-shape Massager set (£19.98, amazon.com) is also a good investment. Five minutes whizzing these vibrating wands about one’s features really does provide a short-term lift.
Next in my pre-bash prep comes Guerlain’s Midnight Secret (£26, guerlain.com). A science-obsessed friend scoffed at me the other day for relying on something I’ve used for 25 years when recent innovations abound. It’s a great product that works for me. It lifts the skin beautifully.
I’ll then deploy an illuminating fluid. The best one of all time was Becca Cosmetics’s Shimmering Skin Perfector Liquid Highlighter, but, sadly, the brand is no more.
Charlotte Tilbury’s Brightening Youth Glow Primer (£39, charlotte tilbury.com) is the closest thing on the market.
Chanel’s array of illuminators are also top notch. The Iridescent Illuminating Fluid in Or Ivoire (£40, chanel.com) from its Christmas collection is a cracker on warm and cool colourings alike. I’m also enjoying Kevyn Aucoin’s Glass Glow Liquid Illuminator (£26, spacenk.com). Try different textures to find the one that works best for you.
Recently, I haven’t had time to do any of the above in my lurch soiree-wards.
No matter, for I have discovered Pat McGrath’s Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection Foundation (£61, patmcgrath.com).
‘Sublime’ is the right word. Although Luminous liquid foundations may be my Mastermind specialty, I found this to be a truly amazing experience.
It is sheer-seeming and provides great coverage. The lightest, most amazing, second-skin-like satiny sheen gives it a beautiful blend. It lasts even after a disco nap.
Hannah (pictured) claims it’s a myth that ageing lids can’t take shimmer or glitter
Women love to have a darker foundation to appear more tanned. One trick that I used to look younger, but still appear better is to go paler.
For example, strictly speaking, I’m a cool shade two in Charlotte Tilbury’s fantastic Airbrush Flawless Foundation (£34, charlottetilbury.com). However, when I knocked myself down to a not-entirely-unfeasible cool shade one this summer, I found my skin had never received more compliments — at 50! I reckon it’s because infant skins are pale. Radiance, however you define it, is an absolute.
The modern festive face equals avoiding heavy lipstick (too finished — besides, a woman’s got to eat, drink and snog), and opting for scintillating eye make-up instead.
It’s a myth that ageing lids can’t take shimmer or glitter. To incentivise myself to leave the house, I went on a quest to my local Mac counter to score some new Dazzleshadows (with their twinkling sheen) and Extra Dimension Eyeshadows (rich shimmers) (£17.50 each, maccosmetics.co.uk).
My equipment included Try Me On, a mermaidy green-green, Joie De Glitz (an exceptional green gold), Discotheque and Ready to Party.
This is how I was bribed and now I am much more ready to host a party.
RACE TO IT
Prai’s Ageless Throat & Decolletage Creme proved a bestseller: now it turns its attention to the hands, another neglected-yet-giveaway area. Ageless Night Hand Creme with Volpura EP will hit shelves in just one week. It is clinically proved to be a great skin moisturizer.
marksandspencer.com
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MY ICON OF THOUGHT
KATE BECKINSALE
Kate Beckinsale, 48, (pictured), used SPF70 in her youth, as she was paranoid about developing ‘freckles in a moustache formation’
The 48-year old actress is now the face of MRVL Skin Solutions. It uses Blue Scorpion Peptide to combat ageing. In her youth she used SPF70, as she was paranoid about developing ‘freckles in a moustache formation’. These days, she loves the bargain buys of Cetaphil’s gentle cleansing bar (£10.65, amazon.co.uk), Pantene shampoo and conditioner (£5, boots.com), and strawberry Chapstick (£1, savers.co.uk).
COSMETIC CRAVING
I subjected Moroccanoil Extra Volume Shampoo & Conditioner (£18.95 and £19.96 for 250ml, moroccanoil.com) to the rigorous test I put all expensive shampoos and conditioners through.
Could they create the illusion that my hair has been professionally styled just by washing it and drying it for two seconds before brushing it? They were!
My lacklustre, dull, and hormonal hair transformed into something so beautiful, it made me feel like I was walking into a lamppost admiring its beauty. It’s perfect for the party season.
Buy
Perfect Pines
It’s like taking a swim in the forest or hiking up a mountain with this bath milk.
weleda.co.uk
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This balm has a soothing cooling effect that soothes the lips with pine oil.
thearcticpure.com
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It pays homage to the Scottish Highlands with its blend of violet, cedar, oakmoss, and pine.
libertylondon.com
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It’s Christmas all in one spritz This scent creates a sense of winter wonderland with its bright and bold aroma.
jomalone.co.uk
Buy
I crave Diptyque’s refreshing scent of pine set off by that of a smoky open fire.
diptyqueparis.com
Buy