During the festive season, prepping for a party is no easy feat. There's many stages involved in getting ready before you actually get to head out of the door - but they're all worth the time and energy.
In fact, there's something quite therapeutic in the process of a makeover. Perhaps it's the several hours of 'me time' that you can dedicate to yourself, or perhaps it's the excitement of getting all dressed up for a fancy soirée. Either way, we love a good pre-party makeover session, and every woman has probably (read: definitely) gone through these seven stages of getting ready...
Stage 1: Shower, Exfoliate, Shave
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Your pre-party makeover starts with a lengthy shower, exfoliation and shaving session. We're talking a full-on body scrub, shaving every nook and cranny of your body, and standing under a blistering hot shower, belting your heart out.
Stage 2: Moisturise And Tan
Moisturising every inch of your body is the next step in your pre-party makeover. You're generous with the body cream, because you're not going to let the chilly winter weather turn your skin dry and dehydrated. After moisturising you apply some tan, because you can't bring yourself to leave the house without a little festive glow.
Stage 3: Time For Makeup
Applying your makeup is arguably the most important - and fun - stage in the makeover process. For the festive season, you want to look timeless and elegant, so you settle on a red lip and subtle smokey eye. You apply the Max Factor Radiant Lift Foundation from Boots to even out your skin, then powder with the IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Pressed Powder Translucent to lock your foundation in place, so it lasts all night long.
Using the Smashbox Full Exposure Palette from Boots, you create a gorgeous smokey eye that's perfect for party season. The No7 Lash Extender Mascara from Boots helps you fake your way to a false lash effect, while the Benefit Gimme Brow fills out any sparse areas in your eyebrows.
You complete your classic Christmas look by lining your lips with the Maybelline Colour sensational Lip Liner Brick in Red, before filling them in with the intensely pigmented Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture The Slim Lipstick in Shade 1 from Boots. You've never looked more party-ready.
Stage 4: The 'What Are You Wearing?' Text
At around about this time, you'll be sending a panicked 'what are you wearing?' text in a group chat to your friends, in a bid to make sure that you're not too overdressed or underdressed for the soirée you're attending. You need to look just right, after all.
Stage 5: The Outfit Meltdown
After deliberating in the group chat, you think you've finally settled on what to wear. In reality, you absolutely haven't. Your first outfit choice is only just the beginning of your fashion meltdown. You will proceed to change your look over 10 times, only to end up wearing exactly what you started out in. The huge pile of clothes that didn't make the cut are now strewn all over your bed. You'll sort them out later.
Stage 6: Sort Out The Hair
At this stage in the party prep, you look to a selection of styling tools (think straighteners, curlers and heated rollers) in order tame your mane. After much perseverance and a lot of hairspray, you manage to smooth every frizzy strand and emerge from your bedroom with an A-list worthy hairstyle.
Stage 7: Photo Time
After finally pulling together the perfect outfit, hair and festive makeup look, there's only one thing left to do before you head out: document the moment, of course. After you've put in so much effort, nothing short of 50 selfies will suffice. But as you're a pro, you've come prepared and charged your phone in preparation for the battery-draining photoshoot. Genius.
Get ready for the festive season by shopping these beauty products and more at Boots.