How to survive party season

Can you believe it’s almost the end of the year? The days are getting longer, the nights are getting warmer and – if your friends are half as organised as mine – diaries are packed with after-work drinks, beach BBQs and Christmas parties. With the festivities just around the corner, it’s a good time to prepare your party season survival kit. We’ve put together a few products that will hide the traces of those indulgent nights. We promise you won’t arrive at work the next morning looking like you’ve been dragged across a highway by a full-speed semi-trailer. As for how you feel, well, we can offer this advice… 

Now, back to beauty SOS!

#1 Cover those bags

Puffy eyes and dark circles are dead giveaways that you’ve been on the d-floor all night. The solution? Keep a bag of cucumber slices in the freezer for special occasions. When you wake up the morning after the night before, lie with your head against the pillow and place a couple of slices over your eyes for at least five minutes. The powerful antioxidants found in cucumbers, combined with the cool temperature, will help to reduce inflammation (and the impending doom of facing the office).

Following this, apply Benefit Bo-ing to the under-eye area. The industrial-strength concealer works to hide dark circles, shadows and discolouration. Nobody will know you’ve had next-to-no shut-eye…

#2 Brighten it up

We can all do with a helping hand in the brightening department at the best of times, and ESPECIALLY after a big night. That’s where illuminators step in. Illuminators play off light, giving your face depth and making it appear brighter. We recommend Face of Australia Mineral Therapy Illuminator as it can be used to highlight the brow bone, cheeks and bridge of the nose, or mixed with foundation for a dewy look. It is also suitable for sensitive skin, which yours might be after a few too many drinks.

#3 Make it pop

Add a flush of colour to your complexion with a sweep of blush across the apples of your cheeks. Clinique Cheek Pop is the best product for the job. The formula provides buildable coverage, meaning there’s less chance of you making any mistakes (read: end up looking like a clown) when you’re feeling worse for wear. Choose a bright shade, in pink or peach, for a healthy glow.

#4 Spray those strands

What is it about a night out that leaves your hair looking mangy the next morning? If you slept through your alarm and don’t have time to wash your hair, spray Batiste Blush Dry Shampoo onto your roots to absorb excess oil. If that doesn’t do the trick, pull your hair back into a braid. To create the perfect fishtail braid, check out this how-to. A fishtail braid covers up all kinds of hair sins, and works best with slightly dirty tresses. 

#5 Ease the hangover

Or better yet, take steps to prevent one in the first place! Hydrodol is a hangover supplement that eases the sore head and upset tummy that greet you the morning after a party. It contains a heap of goodies – including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and pueraria lobata, a herb that has been used in Chinese medicine for hangover symptoms – to nurse you back to full health. If you know you’re going to be drinking a lot, take four capsules during the night. If you go out for one drink, get carried away and finish off a bottle to yourself (no judgement, we’ve all been there!), take four capsules the next morning, too. But do yourself a favour and remember the golden rule: alternate one glass of alcohol with one glass of water!

How do you survive party season? Do you have any other tips to avoid a hangover?

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