Beauty SOS

BEAUTY

Hair, skin and eyes in need of some extra TLC? Stay looking party fresh all season long with Sara Whatley’s beauty SOS

December is here and it is party time! Go all out this year with lashings of luscious make up, sparkly clothes and beautiful jewels. After all, I think we all deserve a jolly good knees up and to look amazing while we’re at it. But a word of warning: over party and you may no longer be the belle of the ball, you may look and feel beastly instead.

Tired eyes and skin? Dull complexion? Frizzy, over-styled hair? Let’s overcome these beauty disasters and carry on popping that fizz all season long! BAGS UNDER EYES There is nothing more telling of a late night than bags under the eyes. Get them cooled down pronto with a cold compress, the back of a refrigerated spoon or a cooling caffeine-laced eye gel. Consider reducing salt in your diet, cut out any smoking, catch up on your sleep after a late night, sleep with your

It’s a bore but make sure makeup is thoroughly removed and give skin time to naturally restore

head slightly raised. If all else fails, use makeup. First, de-puff your eyes with a your chosen treatment, then moisturise to fully hydrate the delicate eye area. Follow this with a cream concealer and finally add brightness with a highlighting wand, not too sparkly or overly reflective though. DULL, DRY SKIN The colder weather winter brings often plays havoc with skin. Low humidity outside and dry heating inside all contribute to drying and dulling our complexions. Add a few parties and late nights on top of this and skin can be screaming out for a rescue mission.

First and foremost, make sure your skin in hydrated. Drink plenty of water, use a richer moisturising cream and specific under eye cream or serum, a hydrating serum and a hydrating face mask to keep skin well-watered.

Help combat dull skin with frequent exfoliation; remove dead skin cells, smooth texture and stimulate the allimportant renewal process.

A build up of dirt, grime and pollutants can also contribute to dull, dry skin. It’s a bore but make sure makeup is thoroughly removed before bed and give skin time to naturally restore itself while you sleep. Give your skin some extra protection by using a daily facial sunscreen with added pollutant protection; and an antioxidant serum will help protect against free radical damage too.

OVER STYLED HAIR Have you styled your hair into submission? Give it a drink. Using a weekly moisturising hair mask can be the first port of call to rescue dry, over styled hair. Find one with added argan oil, which has been used for centuries as a health and beauty remedy and can do wonders for hair in need of some TLC. Another inexpensive at home treatment to try is coconut oil; slather on your dry ends overnight and wash off in the morning to reveal smooth and well hydrated locks. Just remember to pop an old towel over your pillow before you go to sleep.

And finally, try to give hair a break from hot styling tools every few days to give it time to recover naturally. Now you can party all season long, looking and feeling truly beautiful. l