Keep forgetting to wash off your make-up? Don’t make a habit of it, as this can block pores and enlarge their appearance for good. But for those “too tired to do anything” emergencies, stash a pack of Burt's Bees Sensitive Facial Cleansing Towelettes With Cotton Extract, £6.49, by your bed. The natural, ultra-soft sheets glide over skin, while the white tea, cucumber and aloe leaf juice formula easily cuts through product, dirt and oil.
Then, to deep-cleanse pores in the morning, try Ole Henriksen Empower Foaming Milk Cleanser, £20. Packed full of protective antioxidants, hydrating omega 6 and soothing willow bark, it’s exactly what your skin needs after a night out.
ADD MOISTURE
Hard-core partying is fun until you wake up the following morning with a sore head and a dull, dehydrated complexion. But it’s not just the alcohol that’s ruining your skin – it’s also the late night. “As night falls and the light and temperature levels drop, your skin begins to repair itself from free-radical damage caused by environmental factors, such as smoke and pollution,” explains aesthetic surgeon Dr Maryam Zamani. “If you go to bed past 3.30am, skin simply can’t make use of the repairing growth hormones we naturally produce while we sleep.
”Thankfully, Garnier Miracle Wake Up Cream, £12.99, is the ideal antidote to burning the candle at both ends. The anti-fatigue formula contains a high concentration of hydrating glycerin, which also works as a protective barrier from pollutants and even strong winds – all of which dry out skin.
Ideally, you’d pop this on before your big night out. But it’s still worth using the morning after, as the rice-bran-derived micro peptides stimulate the production of skin-firming collagen, while the velvety texture works like a topical filler to plump skin and blur lines.
TREAT SPOTS
A hectic social calendar can take its toll, and even if you rarely get spots, you may well be sporting one or two come this time of year. Even if you consciously don’t feel stressed, busy times can put strain on the body, causing it to produce too much of the stress hormone cortisol. This can make skin produce more oil, leaving you with spots.
Take action now with Zo Skin Health Offects Sulfur Masque, £34, and your skin should clear come New Year. Packed with foaming sulphur, it’ll reduce any inflammation and kill acne-causing bacteria without stripping the skin or drying it out.
RESTORE GLOW
When you start to flag, so does your complexion, so make Decléor Aurabsolu Intense Glow Refreshing Mist, £22, your daily essential. Like a glass of water for tired skin, this fragrant formula offers an instant moisture boost. It contains sacylic acid to refine skin’s texture, mint flower water to hydrate and a cocktail of calming essential oils – including lemongrass, thyme and rosemary. Simply spritz on to skin when you need a pick-me-up. And it’s fine to use on top of your make-up, too.
HAIR REVIVAL
Repair locks damaged by over-styling with Maria Nila Structure Repair Leave In Cream, £16.95. Formulated with algae extract, it’ll help rehydrate and rebuild damaged locks. Apply to just-dried hair. “Remember to squeeze water out of the hair rather than rubbing it with a towel, to avoid frizzing,” warns Inanch Emir, artistic director of salon Inanch London.
HIDDEN BLEMISHES
Ever wished you could wave a magic wand and look 100 times better in an instant? Well now you can, sort of! The double-ended Charlotte Tilbury Mini Miracle Eye Wand, £29, banishes dark circles, bags, under-eye hollows and fine lines in two swipes. First, the hyaluronic-acid-based eye cream plumps and lifts, then the under-eye reflector – packed full of clever light-reflecting micro-particles – adds radiance.
PERFECT SKIN
You’ll be hard- pressed to avoid being snapped this New Year’s Eve, so invest in products created with cameras in mind. NIOD Photography Fluid Opacity 12%, £20, is a serum that gives the illusion of a soft-focus filter thanks to blurring and light-refracting particles to combat redness, as well as skin-tone correctors. Like a powerful primer, a few drops added to your foundation will not only provide a lasting glow, but ensure your make-up stays put.
BRIGHT EYES
You’d be forgiven for thinking that lining the waterline of your eye with a white pencil will help you look bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. However, to restore partied-out peepers, a nude liner such as Smashbox Always Sharp Waterproof Kohl Eye Linerin Nude, £16, works best. “Natural tones that mimic your skin colour conceal discolouration and redness, creating an optical illusion that leaves eyes looking more open and awake,” explains make-up artist Janine Bird.
LUSCIOUS LIPS
A bright lipstick is to the face what the little black dress is to the body. This season, it’s all about matte textures – so the trick is to find one that leaves the skin hydrated. Maybelline Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lipsticks, £6.99, provide the ideal balanceof moisturising oils, mattifying powders and intense pigments, so lips look kissable at all times. “Ditch liner and use the lipstick bullet – the softer edges look more modern,” says make-up artist Briony Irwin.
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