During the holiday season we go all out with festive makeup and beauty looks. However, all those gel manicures, winged eyeliner and bold red lips are doing a number on our skin, hair and nails. Let’s not even talk about the toll late nights, rich holiday foods and extra glasses of wine we’re taking. If your holiday glam is turning to glum, it’s time to rescue your look because there is still plenty more celebrating to do.
Stained lips: Deep red and high-shine ruby are the go-to lip colors this season and during your pre-party glam up it feels like it will take a miracle to keep your lipstick in place through your first sip. Now after a long night of revelry your bold lipstick and a few glasses of merlot have left your lips stained and dry. StyleCaster knows just how to get lips back to their natural state. Start by smearing on a thick layer of lip balm to loosen the color up. Then use a sugar scrub to gently polish the color away. Follow up with a high-quality moisturizer or balm to nourish your lips and ensure that they are ready for another dose of bold color tomorrow.
Damaged hair: The new color you used to freshen up your holiday look, the twisty up-do you tossed together for the office party, that extra blast of hairspray to hold your curls through a long evening cocktail party and all the blow-outs and straightening irons in between are leaving your tresses dry and damaged. Elle suggests that one remedy is to wash less. Shampoo and hot water can actually strip away your hair’s natural moisture, so opt for dry shampoo can help restore important oils. Of course, washing less often won’t do much good if you have already fried and styled all of the moisture away. A deep conditioning treatment either at home or with your stylist can put you on the road back to healthy, shiny hair. You may also need to toss your brush. Nylon brushes can cause static electricity to build up. Instead, opt for one of every cosmetology professional’s favorite tools, a boar bristle brush. It may be more expensive that your regular plastic version, but your hair will thank you as the bristles improve circulation and tames your unruly tresses.
Puffy face: One too many celebratory martinis, plus a bunch of salty holiday foods, minus several hours of sleep equates to puffy skin, especially under your eyes. Puffiness of often caused by water retention, which is made worse by salt, alcohol and insufficient sleep. So, it seems off that the remedy is to hydrate. That’s right, the way to combat water retention is to drink more water. Upping your water intake can help flush salt and toxins out of your system, leaving behind glowing and more youthful looking skin. It’s also a good idea to add an extra pillow or two when you hit the sheets. Sleeping with your head elevated, especially after a long night out, can prevent fluid from pooling in your face and under your eyes.
Dry, brittle nails: Gel manicures are one of the hottest nail looks this winter. Not only do they give you a shiny, smooth, perfectly-primped look, they are also an efficient way to get holiday-ready since they stay chip-free for up to two weeks. But, the combination of the long-wearing polish and the harsh light that is used to set the gel, can leave your nails dry and brittle. It’s even worse if you commit the big, but very tempting, no-no off picking off the polished instead of soaking it off. To repair nails after a couple of gel manicures, Allure suggests taking a few weeks off from polishing your nails so that they can breathe and recover naturally. During your polish hiatus, you’ll need to moisturize your nails and cuticles frequently and use a nail strengthener to start to rebuild the nails.
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