It’s Saturday morning and if you remembered to down two pints of water before you went to bed last night (well done you) you’re probably feeling almost perky right now. (If only the lingering Red Bull aftertaste would disappear).
So why not make the most of the two days of down-time you’ve got ahead of you – and fit some beautification around your weekend activities. Here’s how:
1. The nail trend to try when you’re in bed with Netflix
Whether you’re still working through OITNB or binge-watching the new House Of Cards, TV time is the perfect time to try out a new nail trend. And that new nail trend is nearly-black - something that sounds scary but is actually surprisingly easy to pull off and give instant attitude to any outfit. The rules? A good base coat is a must unless you fancy stained nail-beds for weeks afterwards and a clean finish is essential because messy dark nails will have you veering towards trashy faster than you can say Serena van der Woodsen. So make sure you have nail varnish remover and a fine brush on hand for tidy ups. (PS: As with a lot of fashion and beauty trends, the nearly-black nail is Marc Jacobs's responsibilty - he did it backstage last season. So blame him, not us if you spill any on your white duvet, yeah?)
Products to try/buy: Le Vernis in Blue Satin, £18, Chanel; Complete Salon Manicure in Navy Blue, £6.99, Sally Hansen; La Laque Couture Lasting Nail Polish in Noir Primitif, £18.50, YSL
**2. Buy a lip look that won't fall off your face:
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Nothing makes an entrance like a statement lip, but there are hazards consider when sporting a power-pout; namely the fact that your makeup masterpiece normally ends up all over your teeth/face/wine glass. Not to mention that you can’t realistically hook up with anyone. So given that it's Valentine's Day weekend, can we suggest a lip stain instead? Not only infinitely cooler and kissable, suitably nonchalant and easy-to-maintain, it also has the added benefit of being very difficult to take off, which is always an excellent thing. The secret to success, and what will earn you instant beauty kudos here is what's called "a diffused outer edge" - use a finger tip to pat your chosen lipstick onto the centre of your mouth before gradually working the pigment outwards so it is soft and sheer at the edge. Blot and repeat until you have the desired effect. Oh and apply a concealer to the lip first to make it last for a really long time.
Products to try/buy: Colourburst Mate Balm in Standout Remarquable, £7.99, Revlon; Rouge Dior Couture Lipstick in Trafalgar, £26, Christian Dior
3. The body beautifier you can do in the sitting room:
New Year’s resolutions are not to meant be kept - except that six weeks in we’re still body brushing like crazy. This current obsession really is worth keeping up because it reduces the appearance of cellulite, banishes rank dry skin, improves circulation, eliminates ingrown hairs... We could go on, but basically doing this makes you look better naked. And who doesn't want that? The tricky thing is that dry body brushing should not be done in the shower so take advantage of having the house to yourself this weekend. Or if you have have accommodating housemates, you can do it while watching TV. Just remember to lay out a (large) towel - they might not be so happy if you leave dry skin cells all over the cushions.
Product to buy/try: Body brush, £8, The Body Shop
4. Do the Hair style that takes five minutes, looks fab and will survive 6 hours of vigorous dancing:
There aren’t many speedy hairstyles that will survive more than minutes in a sweaty club, but if you do find yourself your short on time and heading to somewhere exceptionally erm, damp, we recommend that you fall back on this failsafe: a slicked back, tight, bun. Simply add a 50p size of wet look gel to your hands and run through your hair until it is evenly spread before combing it back from the face and pulling every strand into a tight, polished pony tail or bun and set with hairspray.
Products to try/buy: BB Gel, £21.50, Bumble and Bumble; Elnett Satin hairspray, £6.60, L'Oreal Paris
** 5. See if a new scent can lift your Sunday blues:
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Whilst we're not normally in favour of encouraging Sunday Night Blues - come on, reclaim those last few hours of freedom rather than mope around - sometimes they hit you. And when they do, it's time to discover a new smell. No, this isn't just a fluffy excuse to get you into the shops. Perfume has been scientifically proven to boost your mood and trust us it really works. Sandalwood, vanilla and lavender are all scientifically known to slow the nervous system, promote relaxation and subsequently improve sleep quality.
Products to try/buy: L’Occitane de Provence Lavande Eau de Cologne, £37; Diptyque Santal Candle, £40; Serge Lutens un Bois Vanille, £69**** ****
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.