Where’s the party tonight?

Partying hard each weekend can make looking good a chore, but not if you follow a few simple tips. By MINAL KHONA

With Diwali coming up and Christmas round the corner, card parties, cocktail parties, Halloween parties and all kinds of Christmas and New Year’s Eve parties are bound to take place. If you are a party animal and a workaholic who likes to burn the candle at both ends, read on for tips on how to look your best at work or when partying.

Even the best looking models wake up looking like something the cat dragged in if they party too much. Puffy eyes, dark circles, dull skin, flat hair and overall tiredness are just some of the side effects. Not to mention dehydration that comes with too much alcohol and fried snacks, while less balanced meals can also lead to pimples and a bad stomach. So what do you do to look your best during the festive season and retain a fresh look even if you’re going to bed when the rest of the world is waking up?

There are some natural remedies and make-up tips that help camouflage the aftereffects of too much partying.

Puffy eyes This is the first indication that you have been partying too hard. But don’t worry, the easiest thing to do is place slices of cucumber or used tea bags dipped in chilled water over your eyes when lying in bed nursing a hangover. This should reduce the puffiness and soothe the burning behind the eyelids you may experience, due to lack of adequate sleep. If you have the energy, grate some cucumber, mix it with rose water or lemon juice and apply it to the skin.

If you have the luxury of sleeping in, do that. If the party was on a Friday night, use most of Saturday to get over the tiredness. Get a massage, use a face pack or just take a long soak in the tub and you will reduce the tiredness, enough to be able to party again on Saturday night.

For make-up to cover puffy eyes or dark circles, make the concealer your best friend. Dot the area under the eyes with concealer and gently blend without pulling the skin too much. Avoid black eyeliner as it will emphasise the dark circles. Instead, use soft pastel shades with a touch of gloss and a medium brown eyeliner so your eyes have a softer look. The shine in the eyeshadow will help your eyes look brighter.

Use transparent mascara instead of the black one.

Dull skin Perk up your skin with remedies from the kitchen shelf. In the past through this column, I have offered tips on how to bring a glow to the skin with natural products. If nothing else, simply apply honey to your skin and wash it off after ten minutes. It should make your skin feel plumped up as honey is a natural moisturizer and the dry look will definitely reduce.

For make-up, apply your most intense moisturizer ten minutes before you start applying make-up. Then use liquid foundation which has been diluted with a drop or two of water. This gives you a thinner layer of foundation on the skin, with the natural, no make-up look. Then apply loose, translucent face powder, after which you can apply blusher, preferably in a nude shade or with a hint of glimmer.

Also, during the day, drink as much water as you can to flush out the toxins from your system that have accumulated through fizzy drinks and alcohol.

Hair Your hair is also likely to take a beating if you have been partying too hard. Usually, there is the residual smell of stale beer and cigarette smoke that rubs off onto your pillow as well. The best thing is to wash it well, but before that pamper it a bit so that when shampooed, it looks fresh and shiny. Mix one egg with two tablespoons of yoghurt or olive oil, mix well and apply on the hair. Leave it in for 20 minutes, then wash off. Olive oil is a natural anti-microbial so it controls dandruff, and oil is always good for the hair. Yoghurt is a natural conditioner and egg gives it protein and bounce. Wash and then condition before drying your hair. A leave-in serum helps contain the shine and prevents the hair from looking too dry.

To style your hair, if you don’t have time to give it the homemade protein treatment, wash well and braid it into a French plait if you have long hair, or tie it into a low chignon at the nape of your neck. If you have short hair, run a dryer through your hair briefly and not on a very hot setting, as using hair dryers frequently can make the hair dry. Style it the way it naturally falls for best results. Rub in some mousse and you are good to go.

So to all who work long hours and party hard, worry not. Follow these tips, keep your energy levels up and as long as you are not overdoing the alcohol bit, you are ready to party away the weekend.