Party hair & makeup essentials

A night out on the town requires a strict beauty regime, and hair & makeup is the most important part of this.

Every girl has a routine for getting ready for a big night out. This ritual normally starts at least a week before the said event with a shopping trip to buy a brand-new outfit. Perfecting your look can be a lengthy process, so it’s crucial you leave yourself plenty of time to get it right.

Under the harsh store lighting, it can be difficult to visualise how the outfit will look on the night, so it’s helpful to do a “trial run” once you get home. To get a proper idea of your appearance, you’ll need to go the full hog and accessorise with your chosen shoes, handbag, jewellery and even some rough hair & makeup. If possible, locate a full-size mirror and re-create the mood lighting of a bar by dimming your lights (or for that disco, feel free to flick your lights on and off!)

Once you’ve settled on an outfit, it’s time to turn your attention to your hair & makeup. Along with Hollywood tape (wardrobe malfunction, anyone?), hair & makeup has the power to make or break your look, so it’s a good idea to have a trial run a few days out from the big night.

The first step is to decide what finish you’re after – dark & dramatic or light & natural. This will obviously depend on where you’re going and the formality of the night. Once this has been settled, you’ll have to make sure you’ve got all the products to create your desired look.

If you want to re-create an Amy Winehouse-esque bee hive, you’ll need lots of bobby pins and a set of false eyelashes (or two) for those smokey eyes, or for a more casual sun-kissed effect, check that your pot of bronzer isn’t running too low. Experiment with different hair & makeup techniques until you’re happy with the end result. A second opinion is always handy, or if you are hell-bent on looking your absolute best, it might help to take a couple of happy snaps (so you can see the back of your hairstyle).

When it comes to the actual night, once you’ve had your shower and done the necessary grooming (you don’t want a few stray eyebrow hairs to detract from your new pearl eyeshadow), you should get onto your hair & makeup first.

To get in the mood, you might like to turn on some party music and pour yourself a glass of wine. Just make sure you don’t go through too much of the bottle before you start on your hair & makeup – wonky eyeliner is not a good look!

Once you’ve perfected your hair & makeup, carefully manoeuvre yourself into your outfit (watch that hair) and check your straighter is switched off (for the umpteenth time). It’s time to hit the town!