‘Tis almost the season for champagne glass ASMR, GRWM montages with your favourite playlist in the background and sending the ‘yes’ text to friends for a night of fun-filled adventure.
Before we dampen our make up sponges (and pull out those full glam palettes), let’s get the glowdown with our lessons in pre-party skin care prep — whether you’ve two days, or ten minutes to transform into your sparkliest self yet…
Want to keep the bathroom touch-ups to a minimum? Well, before primer, colour corrector and all the rest comes moisturiser and what better to put your best, dew-drenched face forward than with Kiehl’sUltra Facial Cream. Forming a plumped base for your make up routine, this air-whipped cream (powered by olive-derived squalane) acts as a primer for your actual primer) and boasts a gel-like texture that leaves your face and neck feeling recharged with hydration.
Got a bit more time on your hands? Start using a super-charged overnightmask two or three days prior to the ‘big night’, alternating between products to ensure that you tackle everything from loss of lustre to fine lines. Alpha-H’s Beauty Sleep Power Peel is brimming with both glycolic and retinol to kick-start sluggish cells and refine the look your skin’s texture while you snooze. Not in the mood to mask? Enter: Medik8’s Advanced Night Restore, an antioxidant-rich night cream that helps to combat free radical damage and form a nourishing ‘top coat’ for your favourite retinol serum so you can usher in pillow-soft skin come morning. Rumour has it Cinderella was spotted somewhere wishing she had these heroes as part of her getting ready routine before it was time to go the ball…
Want all eyes on you? Unlock scene-stealing radiance withGlow Recipe’s Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops — the TikTok fan-favourite that instantly highlights the skin with a reflective glow. Free from glitter or sparkle, this skin-strobing serum creates a glow-giving base for the rest of the magic to take place. Go the extra mile and mix this vitamin-rich fusion with your favourite foundation or skin tint for a unique, luminous finish.
No time for a facial appointment? No problem — that’s where FOREO’sBEAR 2 in Fuschia comes to save the slay (and your skin). Designed to tone, lift and contour your face without you needing to leave to comfort of your bathroom, this microcurrent device helps create the taut effect without tapes to pull back your face. Like a fancy-shmancy gua sha that you need to charge every so often, this spa-like staple takes your getting ready regime to the next, face-lifted level.
Et voila, the pumpkin-turned-taxi awaits to take this Cinderella for a night out on the town…
Cult Beauty’s Content Editor and a Cult Beauty OG, Verity loves nothing more than the marriage of language and lip balm. A quintessential Libran, she’s a self-professed magpie for luxury ‘must-haves' and always pursuing the new and the niche — from the boujee-est skin care to cutting-edge tech. Balancing an urge to stop the clock with her desire to embrace the ageing process (and set a positive example for her daughter), Verity's a retinol obsessive and will gladly share her thoughts about the time-defying gadgets, masks and treatments worth the splurge...
