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Everything You Need For The Essential Party Season Make-Up Kit

Get your skin ready for festive season with these high-voltage party essentials.

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Party Season Makeup Products
Matteo Scarpellini

The Christmas party season can be a troublesome time when it comes to beauty. It seems like there's always another work party where we've got to keep an eye on how many champagne flutes we've had, not to mention keeping our make-up intact.

Our go-to party look usually involves a smokey eye and a lot of heavy glitter but, alas, this isn't exactly the most practical make-up ever. With heavy chunks of glitter comes a lot of fall-out, which can be disastrous on the dance floor. No one needs to be trying to remove flakes of glitter from their eyes whilst simultaneously trying to perform a karaoke sing-along to Mariah Carey's 'All I Want For Christmas'. We're multitaskers but not to that extent.

Don't get us started on the red lipstick that ends up on the rim of our glass rather than our actual lips...

From wine-inspired pouts, to how to keep your foundation from melting, to keeping your hair sleek all night long, we've got all the best tips and tricks from the beauty pros who know how to nail the sophisticated festive party look (no glitter needed).

The Skin Basics

Beauty tips and tricks to surviving a Christmas party  
Matteo Valle//LAUNCHMETRICS SPOTLIGHT

Layering your glow is the key to getting a diamond-blinding shine in ‘candid’ Instagram pics. Here’s how…

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The skin basics to help you survive the Christmas party season
Lucky If Sharp

Step 1: After-dark parties are the one time you have permission to skip SPF, avoiding unwanted flashback. Choose mattifying bases – your make-up will last longer than you can.

ELLE loves Fenty Beauty PRO FILT’R Soft Matte Longwear Foundation - £27.

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Step 2: Make-up artist and master of glow Katie Jane Hughes gives her top tip on how to achieve mirror-like skin: ‘Use oil on the high points of the cheeks as a lustrous base.’ Elemis Pro-Collagen Rose Facial Oil, £67, acts as a glue to keep radiance in place.

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Step 3: Use a light-reflecting powder to both set and match your skin shimmer. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit, £75, offers an array of shades and has a magical blurring effect on pores. So you can delete Facetune. Now.

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The Saviour

How to get clear skin 
Alessandro Zeno//LAUNCHMETRICS SPOTLIGHT

Avoiding breakouts can be tricky during the chocolate advent calendar season but, fear not, REN Clean Skincare Clearcalm Non-Drying Spot Treatment, £15, is here to save the night.

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How to clear breakouts before a party
Lucky If Sharp

Apply a small amount directly to the pest itself, or mix with your moisturiser to reduce redness without flakiness.

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The Body

The beauty tips and tricks to survive the holiday season
Alessandro Zeno//LAUNCHMETRICS SPOTLIGHT

Add polish to limbs with a coating of Jo Malone’s Dark Amber & Ginger Lily Body Creme, £62 to get ready for those cocktail dresses.

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Best body moisturiser
Lucky If Sharp

Not only does the whipped cream add a vibrant, spicy scent, it gently cools parched skin and melts in instantly, so your dress won’t stick to your legs like superglue.

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The Inspiration

Red wine lips
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It’s best to go for a dark lipstick (like our January 1994 cover star Kate Moss, above), as flash tends to make pale lips invisible on photos.

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Best red wine lipsticks
Lucky If Sharp

Pair your favourite Shiraz with a wine-inspired hue, such as:

- Chanel Exclusive Creation Rouge Allure Lipstick in Rouge Noble - £31

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- Paul & Joe Les Vendanges Lipstick in 116 - £21

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- Bobbi Brown Luxe Lip Colour in Parisian Red - £28

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The Nail Files

The best beauty tips for the Christmas season
Matteo Valle//LAUNCHMETRICS SPOTLIGHT

Cocktail party guests should be adorned with cocktail rings, so when it comes to nails, keep things simple. Oscar De La Renta balanced the combination with the perfect burgundy: simple but festive.

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Best festive nail polish
.

Try Dior Diorific Vernis Nail Polish in 766 Passion, £22.50, then massage in cuticle oil to cheat a glass-like mani (but not just before you arrive, no one wants butter fingers).

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The Ends

 How to get smooth party hair
Matteo Scarpellini//LAUNCHMETRICS SPOTLIGHT

It’s important to pick a budge-proof hairstyle so that nothing moves out of place on the dance floor, a few champagne flutes in. Heavily gelled hair featured at Prada and Tom Ford AW19.

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How to get smooth hair
Lucky If Sharp

If you’re looking for a product that won’t take a week to wash out, try Bumble and bumble Glow Bond-Building Styler, £25. Apply the invisible gel to wet hair and style for polished strands with a shiny firmness. For pesky flyaways, apply to a toothbrush and smooth over.

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The Scent

The perfect party scent 
Photographer: Alessandro Sambini

Party season is filled with heavy base notes: mulled wine, pine trees, one-too-many whiskys… Cut through the scent fog with Acqua Di Parma’s Oud, £197 for 100ml EDP. Its rich notes of amyris wood and leather will linger on the skin all night.

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