Christmas time tends to be a double-edged beauty sword – there are non-stop parties for which we want to look great but, on the flip side of this, less time in which to gloss ourselves up. Add to that colder weather, less sleep, more alcohol and stodgier food – all of which can leave you both looking and feeling generally lacklustre – and you have a “quick fix” shaped hole in your life. Here’s how to fill it, with some beauty and wellness saviours ready to be your superheroes this festive season.
With salons all over the UK, Blink is your walk-in, lunchbreak go-to for a shapely brow. Each therapist wields her thread with calm precision, ensuring that you leave with a look that’s red hot, rather than, errr, red. Book ahead for lash extensions to get you a flirty festive fix that’ll see you fluttering from mistletoe to dance floor with Bambi-eyed ease.
Choose from a range of lightning-fast treatments guaranteed to get you a dazzling ‘do that’s as party ready as you are. From an express wash and blow (20 minutes, £20) to get your bounce on, to a brightening Insta-lites treatment to cover greys or minimise roots (15 minutes, £35) Edward James has a hair solution to fit your party requirements. And if the glam factor ante needs to be upped (literally as well as figuratively) further, choose from one of three speedy up-do styles and be transformed to red-carpet-worthy in a mere 15 minutes (£25)
Hair RehabThere are times when you just can’t make it to a salon. Dammit, there are times when you can’t even manage to properly wash your hair, especially when you’ve already maxed your virtue quotient by squeezing a gym session in before tonight’s bash (disclaimer: that is 100% not me, not even on a good day). So, that ‘fake it ’til you make it’ thing is ideal here – except with fakes this good, you may never even need to bother about ‘making it’. Scrape your hair into that failsafe messy topknot, add a super-simple Hair Rehab clip-on bun for volume and elegance and you’re away.
You probably wouldn’t dream of going to sleep without cleansing your face, but with the extra stresses that the season is placing on your entire body, your system could probably do with some cleansing too. Obviously now is not the ideal time for a detox, but by supplementing your diet with herbs and teas from Pukka’s cleansing range , you’ll be supporting your body’s ability to detoxify, as well as providing essential nutrients to aid the production, function and renewal of cells – all of which will help you to get through the party season without feeling completely spent and lethargic.
Looking fantastic is one thing – but appearances can be deceiving, and your outward perfection can easily mask the quivering wreck you are on the inside. It’s not just the social anxiety that parties can bring – it’s also tiredness that can set you on edge, all of which can be exacerbated by the overstimulation of alcohol, noise and lights. Skip the designer fragrance and embrace plant power with the soothing, therapeutic properties of Isla Apothecary’s Reset Ritual Pulse Therapy, which blends chamomile, eucalyptus and lavender to calm jangling nerves and promote clarity.
Colder weather equals dry, chapped lips – which is hardly the stuff that anyone’s mistletoe dreams are made of – and even if kissing isn’t on your festive intention list, there’s the still the issue of whether your lipstick glides or drags on application. Containing Shea butter and coconut oil, Nugg’s lip mask hydrates and plumps in just 20 minutes, and is 100% suitable for vegans. That gorgeous little gold case can surely be repurposed as some kind of Christmas bauble too, right?
Did you know that a person’s hands are one of the first things we notice about them? Make sure that the one holding your champagne glass looks its best even if you don’t have time for the indulgence of a a full manicure – a Margaret Dabbs salon can work magic in under half an hour, with a shape and polish in just 20 minutes (£22).
My energy levels flag without the non-stop pace of the festive season, so even if you adopt that ‘soldier on’ approach for the rest of the year, this is definitely the time to allow yourself a shot. No, not that type of shot (although, okay, yes – that’s probably on the cards too …) but a hit of pure vitamin goodness to energise and boost you. Vitamin Injections London offers an intra-muscular B12 shot, which combats fatigue, stress and anxiety – and, in bypassing the digestive system (which a regular supplement needs to navigate), ensures that your body receives the full impact of what this nervous-system saviour has to offer.
Sure, the right makeup can define your eyes, but what if those eyes are showing the strain of one too many late nights? Boost circulation to your peepers and help them to sparkle with some non-invasive face rejuvenation from face yoga expert Danielle Collins. Before you head out, keep your forehead relaxed, just moving the eyes: up and down 5 times and then from side to side 5 times. Next, focus on one point in front of you, making the eyes as wide as you can for around 20 seconds. The next day, eliminate toxins and reduce puffiness by tapping lightly around the eye area, twice in each direction. Follow with three whisper-light strokes outwards, towards the corners, being sure not to drag the delicate skin.