Party Season Grooming

Introduction

‘Tis the season to be jolly. But ’tis also the season with lots, and lots of partying. Whether it’s your work Christmas do, a New Year’s Eve party, a night out with friends or even just a Christmas eve drink at your local – the festive season is packed with socialising, mingling, dancing, lots of food and generally lots of booze too.

We all know that the festive party circuit requires you to up your game in terms of fashion, with Luke’s recent article showcasing some of the very best seasonal looks. But the festive party circuit also means your grooming routine has to go into overdrive. The principle reasons for this are that a) you’ll be wanting to look your best while you’re out socialising, and b) those late nights combined with copious amounts of alcohol will leave you looking somewhat less than your best.

But before you throw in the towel and spend the next month locked inside eating Quality Street and watching re-runs of Top Gear on Dave, there are a few grooming tricks you can have up your dapper sleeve to not only prepare for these night out eventualities, but to breeze into the New Year looking fresh faced and at the top of festive your game.

Your mission: To hit the town looking tip top and ready for action – but still make it to work the next day looking impeccable.
Your potential obstacles: Looking so irresistible that the weird colleague that sits opposite/drunken boss/old friend from school can’t keep their hands off you.
Your weapon/s: Well….read on.

The Night Out

No singing into a hair brush, no bottles of bubbly. Just you, your wash bag full of products, and maybe a beer. Getting ready for a Christmas night out might not involve as much faffing as our female counterparts – but it does inevitably involve some prep. So I’ve picked four key areas that will leave you ready to hit the town, and hopefully (with the help of some well placed mistletoe) make someone’s Christmas.

1. Scrub Up
Often, particularly in the winter months, your skin can become dull and lifeless – which isn’t good in the festive party stakes. But luckily there are a couple of products that leave you ship shape and shiny (well, not too shiny you understand) without the need for anything as drastic as a chemical peel. With the help of the Kyoku For Men Exfoliating Facial Scrub you’ll give “don’t you scrub up well” a new meaning, while the Kyoku’s Lava Masque really gives your skin a fresh start.

2. Turn Heads
A well chosen fragrance is a night out necessity, especially if you hope to catch the eye of a potential Christmas love interest. Obviously everyone has their scent of choice, but there’s one scent which I can personally recommend as one that really does turn heads. Containing only Iso E Super – which on its own is less of an aroma, more an effect – the Escentric Molecules fragrances vanish then re-appear with a pheromonic quality that leaves you totally irresistible.

3. Apply Your War Paint
Men’s make up is too much of a controversial topic to tackle in this article, but needless to say if you’re willing to experiment with cosmetics they can give you an advantage over the chasing pack. Guyliner – cheesy as the name might be – offers a range of products that can give a real edge to your look, as well as covering any complexion imperfections. There’s an eyeliner (or guyliner) and two shades of mascara to define your eyes, plus an easy to use concealer which is great for covering spots or blemishes.

4. Festive Glow
Nothing makes you look healthier than a nice bit of colour to your cheeks. But nothing looks worse than a poorly applied self tan. Meeting you perfectly in the middle the No7 For Men Gradual Tan for Face is the perfect way to achieve a healthy glow without looking like you’ve slapped on the ronseal.

The Morning After

How many did you have? Was that you who was all over the boss’ partner? Those chips and cheese didn’t go down too well did they? You had too many, you were up too late and now your paying for it. But don’t bury your head in the sand and call in for an oh-so-temping sick day, grab your products and prepare for a transformation.

Refresh & Revitalise
Your first point of call should be a shower and something minty to pick you up. No, not a mojito – a refreshing shower gel like the Australian Bodycare Body Wash. Created with the finest tea tree oil to deep-cleanse your skin it leaves you feeling tingly-fresh and ready for the day ahead.

Skin Rescue
Late night after late night leaves you with a tired complexion, dark circles and bags under your eyes. At this time of year the under eye bags can get so big that you’ll have a bad back from carrying them around all day. A few carefully selected skin recovery products will help rescue your complexion from hangover obscurity – replenishing moisture, brightening your outlook, getting rid of those dreaded bags and putting life back into your skin. My first choice, Nickel Morning After Rescue Gel, does exactly what it says on the tin, while the Dr Lewinn’s Men Eye Cream is so good it helped me wave goodbye to eye wrinkles and bags I didn’t even realise I had!

Cover Up
Remember that Guyliner Dusguys Concealer you used last night to cover up those blemishes? Well this morning its task is to cover up any dark circles while your eye cream works to repair the skin underneath. As I mentioned earlier, guys can be very wary of make up and cosmetics, but I urge everyone to try a concealer like this one at least one – because you’ll be amazed at the effectiveness. Covering up last nights antics however, that may take a little more work.

Drink Up
I’m sure most of you are familiar with the hangover tool extraordinaire that is – Berocca, and it’s an absolute must that you add this energy boosting drink to your morning after arsenal. Not only tending to that pounding head of yours, Berocca is packed full of vitamins and minerals that help revitalise your skin, boost your complexion and give you a boost of energy to get you through the day. So abandon the fry up as a morning after cure, opt for Berocca because your skin needs it, and lets face it – so does your head.

Fashionbeans Featured Products: