The holiday season is here, with all its festive gatherings, chilly weather, and countless photo ops. We all want to look our best, but between the wool layers, static cling, extreme temperatures and dry patches, it's not all that easy.
Prepping your skin in advance is the secret to achieving that radiant, holiday-ready glow. Whether you’re planning to dazzle at a holiday party or cozy up by the fire, this guide will help you start to prep your skin in advance, to make sure you look and feel your best.
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How to Prep Your Skin for a Party
One month before
The holidays are a stressful time, and anticipating the holidays, too. If you're not already, start prioritizing your sleep and try to reduce stress, since both these factors can affect skin health. Face massage is not only relaxing, but it also comes with beauty benefits to boot, so that's a great place to start.
Up your water intake to boost hydration, and include more healthy omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants in your diet. You'll find more healthy foods for the skin here and you can supplement with these beauty vitamins if needed. It's smart to get a humidifier to combat dry, indoor air that also dries out your skin and lips.
While sleep and nutrition are the base of healthy skin, you will also need a consistent skincare routine. If you don't know where to start, find the option that best suits your needs below:
- Daily winter skincare routine
- Skincare regimen for every skin type
- Skincare routine for your 40s
- Skincare routine for your 30s
- The right order to apply your skincare
- What you need to know about skin flooding
To prep your skin for the big day, make exfoliation part of your weekly routine, by using a scrub 1-2 times a week. Removing dead skin cells will reveal brighter skin and allow other products to penetrate more effectively. Which products, you ask? Well, hyaluronic acid is a must in winter, to help alleviate dryness. Hydrating face masks should also be part of your routine when skin tends to dry out more.
Don't skip eye care. Work on treating tired, puffy eyes and use a firming Bakuchiol cream on a daily basis.
Besides our faces and necks, hands are known to reveal age, whether we like to or not. Apply SPF to your hands (in addition to your face), wear gloves outside, and use thick hand cream during the winter. Get more winter hand care tips here.
2-3 weeks before
Tackle flakes, cleanse pores, improve skin texture and make wrinkles less noticeable with an at-home skin peel, a less harsh version of the popular chemical peels. Avoid aggressive treatments like microdermabrasion or laser, because your skin needs recovery time, and you definitely don't want to look all red at your party.
For a whole body spa-like feeling, we love with at-home detox body wrap. It's cleansing, exfoliating, and yes, a bit messy. But hey, Christmas is just once a year! If you're a multitasker, you can treat your locks to a protein hair mask that moisturizes, tames frizz and strengthens at the same time.
If you want bold, yet natural-looking eyebrows at your party, consider tinting them with henna. Now is also a good time to boost them with a castor oil serum, and condition your lashes with a serum as well.
A few days before
If your not happy with how your pores are looking at this point, try a blackhead mask. As the big night is getting closer, prep your skin by boosting its overall level of hydration with a sheet mask. This is also the time for some gentle exfoliation, with a good facial scrub and a rich body scrub.
For soft, kissable lips, you'll want to try a lip scrub and an overnight lip mask close to the event.
If you want to spend less time on your hairdo the day of, you might want to consider one of these overnight hairstyles the night before.
Day of
The holiday party is finally here! Hopefully your skin is looking its best by this point, giving you the chance to highlight its natural beauty. Puffy eyes will be a thing of the past with this easy coffee mask. A cream highlighter will give you that coveted luminous glow, while also drawing attention to your cheekbones, Cupid's bow and arch of the brow.
Your personal preference will dictate whether you choose a natural makeup look or something bolder, but we do recommend using natural makeup products as much as you can. What better time to detox your makeup routine than the upcoming new year? Finish off with a makeup setting spray that will make sure everything stays until the end of the party.
Have fun!
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