Party season is upon us, but with those December diaries filling up and workloads showing no signs of abating, we often find ourselves with little time to prepare. Check out our top beauty hacks to speed up the process of going straight from office to party…

FACE

1 Tea Bags on the Eyes
Staring at a screen all day often leaves our eyes looking puffy and tired, which isn’t exactly how we want to appear in those party pics! If you can spare 5 minutes and 2 tea bags, you’re problem is solved; tea bags contain anti-irritant properties which have been shown to significantly reduce signs of irritation and fatigue. Simply dunk the tea bags in hot water and leave to cool before placing on the eyes for approximately 5 minutes. Who’d have thought a British Brew could save us from our suffering eyes! And if you’ve got 5-10 minute the night before, why not further help the de-puffing process by carrying out the classic cucumber trick!

The Resident: tea-bagstea-bags

2 Sticky Tape for the Dry Skin
As the winter chill creeps in, more often than not, so does the dreaded dry skin. A fast and simple way to tackle this is to apply and peel off sticky tape to problem areas. This is a particularly useful tip for just before adding any kind of face makeup, in order to create an even finish.

3 DIY Blotting Paper
On the other hand, excess oil on the face can also tend to build up throughout the day. If you don’t own any blotting paper, simply separating a tissue in half creates your very own DIY blotting paper, which will do just the job to give a matte finish to the skin.

4 Tinted Moisturiser
Using tinted moisturiser is the speediest way to add a little colour to your face without having to use foundation. Tinted moisturisers are extremely lightweight and applied in exactly the same way as any ordinary moisturiser. If your skin needs a boost and you’re running late, tinted moisturisers will offer instant coverage with hydrating benefits to the skin. We recommend Laura Mercier’s SPF20 Tinted Moisturizer NARS’, Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer SPF30/PA+++ and Clinique’s Moisture Surge Tinted Moisturizer SPF15.

5 Simple Sparkle on the Eye
It’s that time of year where adding a little glitz to your makeup is at its most popular. If you’re in the mood to include some sparkle but are struggling to find the time, pressed glitter eye shadow pots are a suitable option. These little pots of glittery joy minimise mess and are easily applied with or without a makeup brush, so there’s no excuse not to get on board! Applied fast and smoothly across the lid, pressed glitter eye shadows immediately add dimension and character to any look. Our favourites include; NARS Eye Paint in the shade ‘Interstellar’, Urban Decays Moondust Eyeshadows in the shades ‘Solstice’ and ‘Cosmic’, Chanel’s Illusion D’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow’s in the shades ‘Fantasme’ and ‘Mirage’ and Maybelline’s Color Tattoo in ‘Fantasy’.

#gallery-25 { margin: auto; } #gallery-25 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-25 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-25 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

6 Business Card for that perfect Wing
Eyeliner is another popular way to intensify your makeup. If you’ve not quite mastered liquid-liner, simply tight-lining your waterline is just as effective for dramatising your eyes. Alternatively, if you can’t resist trying to create the perfect wing, why not use a business or credit card to guide the way and lead you to the sharpest flick.

7 Lip and Cheek Stains
When it comes to brightening your face, there’s no longer a need to carry around both blusher and lipstick! Getting your hands on Lip and Cheek Stains are the perfect way to give a naturally flushed finish before the mayhem begins. These multi-purpose liquid stains offer build-able colour to the cheeks and lips in seconds; not only do these handy must-haves save time but they make your routine easier and take up less space in your bag. Applied best with a little moisturiser and lip balm beforehand to help blend, lip and cheek stains instantly bring a face to life. We love YSL’s Kiss & Blush, particularly the shade ‘Rouge Libertine’ which is especially fitting for this time of year, Bobbi Brown’s Pot Rouge for Lips & Cheeks and Benefit’s Cha Cha Tint for smooch-proof and smudge-proof colour!

#gallery-27 { margin: auto; } #gallery-27 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-27 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-27 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

HAIR

1 The Heated Hairbrush
If you’re hair’s in need of a post-work SOS before a Christmas-do, we now live in a time where heated hair straightening brushes exist; BaByliss have introduced their latest hair styling tool, the Heated Smoothing and Straightening Brush (£80 from Boots, Very, John Lewis, ASOS and other leading retailers). This is designed to deliver immediate smoothness and shine; the unique and long-lasting technique includes super frizz-controlling ions that are released directly onto the hair with each stroke. Unlike with using straighteners, heated brushes are a more effective way of achieving smooth looking hair, without losing the natural volume and shape. Hair care just got that bit more effortless!

Does it really work? The BaByliss Heated Hairbrush reviewed:

2 Grease Be Gone!
If your hair’s looking dull, flat and a little oily, the classic dry shampoo is your best friend at this point. Spraying and rubbing it in close to the roots will give instant volume and texture that will last the night. Batiste’s ‘Dry Shampoo Clean and Classic Original’ is an oldie but a goodie for achieving an oil-free, blow-dried finish. Dove’s Hair Therapy Refresh+Care Dry Shampoo is another hydrating product which has been recognised for leaving no visible residue or stiff effect. Alternatively Shu Uemura’s ‘Art of Hair Dry Cleaner’ is a 2-in-1 dry shampoo that gently absorbs oils and impurities at the roots whilst moisturising dry lengths and ends. The Art of Hair Dry Cleaner is not only particularly effective for colour-treated hair, it’s also formulated with absorbing agents and a light conditioning base that nourishes hair to leave it clean and lightweight.

#gallery-28 { margin: auto; } #gallery-28 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-28 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-28 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

NAILS

1 Ice for the Nails
Whilst re-energising your eyes, why not turn your desk into a temporary pamper parlor and add some sparkle and colour to your nails. Nail polish dries best when partnered with cold temperatures, so dipping just-painted nails into a bowl of ice-cold water and leaving for 2-3 minutes is a swift cheating method to make you and your nails appear more prepared than you really are for the party!

2 Stick ’em on!
If there’s simply no time to hand-paint your nails, imPRESS Manicure and KISS Gel Fantasy have got you covered. Peel back and press on…those are the only 2 steps necessary for these manicure sets; with a vast range of colours and patterns to choose from, jazzing up your nails has never been quicker.

#gallery-29 { margin: auto; } #gallery-29 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-29 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-29 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */