Essential New Year’s Eve Beauty Prep

Planning in advance for the most glamorous night of the year will ensure you look and feel your best!

Are you going for a smooth and sleek hairstyle or voluminous, tousled waves? The latter is my go to option, but it all depends on the dress so pick your outfit, underwear that doesn’t have a VPL and plan your hairstyle well in advance!

Party Prep: The Week Before

You should be caring for your skin all year round, but I recommend intensifying your routine when you have a special occasion coming up.

Remove Blackheads With Pore Strips

This month we included an extra treat to help prep your pores for the busy selfie season! The Incredible Pore Strip from MayBeauty removes remove pesky blackheads and impurities. Simply apply the strip to damp skin, leave it to dry for around 30 minutes and peel away!

There is nothing more satisfying than when you peel away a pore strip and all the blackheads peel away with it!

Want 30% off MayBeauty products? Check your emails for an exclusive Glossy offer coming soon.

Use A Gentle Face Scrub To Smooth Out Skin

Use a gentle exfoliating scrub two to three times per week to ensure your skin is smooth and glowing ahead of your big event. I’m currently loving the NIP+FAB Facial Care Exfoliate Glycolic Scrub Fix in the June GLOSSYBOX!

This is a fantastic face exfoliator with the extra benefit of containing 3% Glycolic Acid, Salicylic Acids to help refine, brighten and renew skin. It works deep into pores to cleanse, purify and tighten whilst preventing blemishes. I also adore the fresh grapefruit scent, which will make your skin feel energised!

Party Prep: The Night Before

The Best Face Mask To Get A Glow

Some of you received a Cosmic Pink Ruby Glitter Peel Off Mask from the Korean beauty experts Vitamasques in your December boxes! This fabulously sparkly peel off glitter mask is infused with gemstone powders and oil to energise, revitalise and your firm skin – perfect prep for your skin before New Year’s Eve.

Simply apply a thin layer, relax for 15 minutes, then slowly peel off starting from the bottom.

Wash Your Hair With A Lightweight Shampoo

My hair is easier to style when I wash it the night before and leave it to air dry. I then start styling my hair a couple of hours before I go out (read on).

Day to day, I use a moisturising shampoo whereas before a night out, I always use a clarifying, volume building shampoo. You don’t want extra weight to your hair by overly moisturising it, especially if you are going for a voluminous, curly look.

I recommend the Mane ‘n Tail Original Shampoo and Conditioner. Originally formulated for use on horses’ manes, it’s become a huge hit in the world of haircare!

It makes my hair voluminous, soft and shiny – perfect for New Year’s Eve. Plus, you can get your hands on the pair for £10.

Fake Tan

I do a full body tan myself before a night out (yes including my face)! At the moment, I’m loving the Bondi Sands Self-Tanning Foam. Enriched with Aloe Vera and Coconut for soft, sweet-smelling skin, the self-tan uses a 360-degree spray applicator to apply a fine mist of formula for a streak-free, naturally bronzed appearance.

I’d also recommend the Bondi Sands Shimmer One Day Tan finished with the Finishing Glow. Transfer and water resistant, this shimmering formula is perfect for face and body and easily washes off with soap and warm water.

Top tip: Sleep in your tan so it’s extra dark then shower it off in the morning for an even, bronzed look.

Paint Your Nails

Glitter, glitter and more glitter! I love the SensatioNail Peel-Off Polish in our ‘All I Want’ Limited Edition box.

The shade Stop Metalling In My Business is the ultimate hue for Christmastime. The sparkling gold glitter goes perfectly over most colours in your existing nail polish collection or can be worn alone for a subtle sparkle. I also adore the rest of their peel-off range! Check out Good As Rose Gold or Set In Rhine-Stone for other glitter hues.

Party Prep: New Year’s Eve Itself

Prep Your Lips With A Lip Mask

For plump, smooth and kissable lips, look no further than lip masks. Loved by celebs Like Emma Stone to prep for the Golden Globe awards, lip masks are huge! Some of you received the Divine Hydra-Gel Lip Mask from Beauty Blvd in your December GLOSSYBOXES. These masks are formulated with green tea extracts and moisture boosting Hyaluronic Acid. The masks will not only rescue dry lips but the collagen and antioxidant rich red wine extracts will also help to plump and smooth your lips before you apply your lipstick!

How To Create Curly, Voluminous Hair Using A Wand

Here’s a lowdown on my favourite hair tools….

My hair is a mixture between curly and wavy – it’s not quite one or the other so I both straighten and curl my hair!

To make my roots smooth and to eradicate those curly baby hairs, I straighten just my roots first. I love my GHDs – they’ve never let me down.

I then use a hair wand to curl small sections of my hair, define the curl with my fingers and then spritz with hairspray. It’s as simple as that!

The BaByliss PRO Dial a Heat Conical Wand is a good option that won’t break the bank.

There you go, my top tips for prepping for a big night out 1 week before, the night before and the night of! Preparation is key to ensure your outfit, hair and makeup is on point. With this prep, you’ll avoid last minute stress and ensure you have the perfect base to apply your makeup!

Join The Glossy Family

Due to incredible demand, we’ve now sold out of our December Editions. You can still be part of the Glossy family though – subscribe today to pre-order January’s edition and to receive a welcome box in December. #StayGLOSSY

Lydia Woodward

The Queen Of Curls

I am always searching for future trends - beauty, fashion, hair, you name it! I’ve tried every foundation under the sun and love trying up-and-coming makeup brands to compare them with the big names. Variety is the spice of life and my makeup bag is definitely wide-ranging.