Christmas party prepped in five products

So it’s Christmas time and we’re all pining for gorgeous food, love and attention courtesy of our loved ones (and Santa, of course) but we’re stuck at work, college or school. The days feel like they’re going super slowly, and you know it is December when you’re dreaming of mulled wine at 10am. However, what is getting you through the days are the upcoming Christmas parties, a time to whip out shades of red, dark green and gold. Sometimes you may feel as if your days are too short, as dashing from work to another place will give you no time at all to re-jazz your look. Here are five products that will do the trick for you, à la festive vibes.

How it ends: put together and party-ready

How it began: with foundation, concealer, a small dash of mascara, a blob of powder and a sheer lip balm. 

 Cosmetic weaponry: Sleek Storm Palette and Contour Kit in ‘Light’ / Maybelline 24 hour colour tattoo in ‘Bad to the Bronze’ / Bourjois Sweet Kisses lipstick in Rouge Fashion / Soap and Glory Thick & Fast Mascara

Maybelline’s Bad to the Bronze colour tattoo is £5 of greatness in a small jar. When used on its own it looks great, but in my opinion works even better as a primer to intensify the eyes. The great thing about brown-based shadows is that it looks great on all eye colours, especially on grey, green and blue eyes as it adds a bit of contrast. There was no fancy technique I used with this, making it great and easy to use when on the go. I carefully dabbed this on with my fingers et voilà, I was ready to proceed with an all time favourite from Sleek.

Sleek’s Storm Palette is my absolute holy grail. My favourites are the 3 neutrals from the left on the top row and the shimmery brown in the bottom left corner, so this look incorporated a bit of that. After priming my lids with Maybelline’s colour tattoo, the top left shade was spread evenly over my lids, and then the creases dusted with the matte pale brown shade for a bit of depth. Then I whipped out the bottom left shade to spice things up and ensure if didn’t look too ‘everyday’.

I already had some mascara on begin with, but it was merely one that defined my lashes but not much else. To add a bit of volume, Soap and Glory’s Thick & Fast came to the rescue, and boy was I pleased. I think this mascara is great for a night out, has a fabulous brush and does a great job in general – it’s one of the best mascaras I’ve ever used, so seemed perfect for this simple and quick Christmassy look.

In order to add some definition to my cheekbones I went in with another favourite of mine from Sleek, their Face Form contour and highlight duo. I’ve had this for so long yet it still hasn’t hit pan, and I’m starting to think that it’s invincible. A subtle dash of contour works great for parties as it turns out great in photographs without looking too OTT (for the wrong reasons...) I couldn’t do a party make up look without a bit of shimmer, so a bit of highlight seemed necessary! This one in particular is great – a great shade and that isn’t too sparkly, it doesn’t leave your face in the I-battled-against-the-sequins-and-lost scenario but manages to give a healthy dose of radiance.

Nothing screams Christmas like a festive red lip. Bourjois’ Sweet Kisses lipstick in Rouge Fashion is my weapon of choice, providing both deep pigmentation and an injection of moisture. It’s my go-to red shade for whenever I’m feeling brave enough to whip out the bright and warm toned lips. This exact lipstick is no longer available to the best of my knowledge, but it’s not a rare shade – I know that they have newer versions that will do the job just as well, such as their Rouge Edition lipstick in the shade Rouge Jet Set.

So there you go – my 5 essentials for getting ready for a Christmas party in a rush. All of the products except for the Bourjois lipstick are available at drugstores for £10 or less, so when in cash-stripped December you can still pull out all of the stops.

Thalia

xxx