You can have the best dress, shoes and jewels out there - so perfecting skin, make-up and hair to look just a fabulous is essential for that stunning look. Read on for Nakin’s beautifying party tips.

Our best advice for a special night out is to leave enough time to get ready, it’s so much more enjoyable not to rush and have time to perfect everything. Get the outfit sorted a week before and start researching hair and make-up looks at the same time. There are so many inspiring looks on the web, that are shared on apps like Pinterest and Instagram. Then, the day before the event begin the preparation by doing as much as you can beforehand - such manicuring nails, shaping eye brows and preparing the clutch bag.

GET GLOWING SKIN

Prepare skin by starting with a gentle exfoliation, use a cleansing milk such as our Advanced Cleansing Milk and massage it all over the face and neck. Then remove it with a moist luke warm muslin cloth in small circular movements, and rinse as required. Follow with a gentle toner like the Nakin Purifying Face Toner to remove the last traces of cleanser, and close pores before applying skin and make-up products. Once skin is toned prime skin using a small amount of a moisturiser such as the Matt Formula Face Cream for oily to normal skin, or the Active Dew Face Cream for normal to dry skin. Follow with a good eye cream that also primes the eye area, such as our Eye Cream Complex. Nakin eye and face creams work nicely as make-up primers, as they hydrate and smooth skin with beautiful plant extracts for a healthy glow. Follow skin prep by exfoliating lips with the muslin cloth and applying a touch of balm. Our Lip Treatment Balm is particularly good as it is super nourishing and hydrating, without a greasy sheen. Leave skin for about 15 minutes before applying make-up, to allow the products to sinks in and settle properly.

PARTY MAKE-UP

The nice thing about a festive party is that it’s the perfect time to experiment with something new, and add a bit of fun into your make-up. A simple make-up look is to start with a foundation or tinted moisturiser and concealer over the eye area, then set with a translucent powder. If you like a contoured look but are not confident in the application, then we suggest using a specially made contour set. This will usually come with three complimentary colours, and instructions on where to place them. Generally, this is a dark bronzer colour placed below the cheek bones, top of forehead and around the jaw line for definition, with a blush for cheeks and a highlighter for the temples and tops of cheekbones. Then define eyes with a black eye liner and if desired blend in with a brush for a smoky eye look. Follow with mascara and lip colour.

Two easy ways to add some sparkle are through glitter and eye colour. It depends on the occasion and what you are wearing as to how much glitter and colour to add. If you are new to colour, then try just a touch such as a blue and used as an eye liner, instead of a full eye colour. For a chic glitter look sprinkle onto the outer sides of the eye, with slightly more on the tops of the cheek bones.

There are lots of natural make-up ranges around now, and eco-friendly biodegradable glitter made from natural ingredients - like ground nut shells, beans or natural plant cellulose.

If you are creating a new make-up look, then it’s always good to have a practice beforehand when there is time. Take a few selfies and reflect on the look for a few days. If there is no time for a practice run, then just keep some moist cotton wood and cotton buds handy to wipe any mistakes off.

CELEBRATION HAIR

A party is a good reason to try out a new style and an easy, stylish on trend option is a messy low bun. Start by washing and blow drying hair all over, use a round brush from root to ends by taking hair at a 90-degree angle from scalp. This will give tresses volume and body. Then secure hair into a low relaxed pony tail, taking care not to pull hair too tight at the crown, so the volume from the blow dry is maintained. Take the hair that is in the pony tail and back comb it, enough to allow the bun to stay in place. Twist the pony tail hair and wrap around before securing with kirby clips.

Another party look that we love is wavy or curly hair and raked over to the side. Blow dry hair with a round brush and then tong all over. Use a barrel size dependent on the type of the curl or wave desired, and in small 1 inch sections, then alternate each section between clockwise and anti-clockwise tonging. Once complete, gentle rake hair with fingertips. Then brush the top of the hair from the ear up over to the right or left, depending on which side is desired. Using hands bring hair around the nape and subtly secure the back of the hair with kirby clips.

All that is left is to enjoy!