Post Party Pick-Me-Up Products

1.  Biotherm Aquasource Eye Perfection*

The first thing I’ll do when I wake up is roll some of this on my under eyes to tighten the area and to give it time to work on reducing the puffiness before I start work on my make-up.  I fully reviewed this here and I’m still dependent on it for stopping me from looking knackered.  

2.  Eyedew Sparkling Eye Drops*

No amount of make-up will stop me looking tired if my eyes are neon red.  I’ve always been a fan of eye drops to quickly remedy red-eye and these ones do a great job at neutralising the red whilst brightening my eyes to ensure I look 10 times better than I’m feeling.  The application takes a bit of getting used to, and I find the best way is to face the ceiling and squeeze the dropper into the inner corners.  For me, this is the best way to stop any of the product escaping and running down my face.  

3.  Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation*

One of the worse things you can do when you’re looking a bit worse for wear is to load up on make-up, so this lightweight foundation is perfect as it adds a dewy finish to the skin and adds just enough colour to brighten the skin without leaving it looking caked in make-up.  I’ve only been trying this for a few days so expect a full review soon, but so far I really love the finish and the fact that it contains ingredients that are doing good things for my skin.  

4.  Maybelline Dream Touch Blush

I was a huge fan of Maybelline’s Dream Creamy Foundation due to it’s ability to cover well yet blend effortlessly, and the kings of mid-range make-up have done it again with this blusher.  The shade I turn to when my skin has lost all ability to produce it’s own colour is Apricot, which gives the tiniest hint of colour to pep up my complexion.  I really believe that anything powdery needs to be avoided when you’re not at your best, so if you can, stick to creamy formulas.  Also avoid any colour that is too red, as if you’re at all blotchy from lack of sleep (etc) then red toned pinks will mjnknb 

5.  Bobbi Brown Shimmer Wash Eyeshadow in Champagne

I’ve blogged about this shade previously as it’s such a brilliant brightener and makes all the difference to the appearance of my eyes.  Because it’s light and quite sheer, you don’t need to be on the ball to smudge this on each lid, which makes it especially welcome in this list.  I like to use it all over the lid to pull my eyes forward and stop them looking too dark, but you can also just smudge a bit in to the inner corners if that’s all the effort you can muster.

6.  Bourjois Volume Glamour Max Mascara*

This is another item I got to try after attending the Handpicked Media Social event and I’m so pleased I did as it’s now firmly established itself as my go-to mascara.  I’m usually a bit snobby about mascaras, believing that expensive mascaras will inevitably beat the cheaper brands, and other than Maybelline I’m usually proven right.  However, having some of the newest luxe brand mascaras in my current collection (YSL, Chanel, Giorgio Armani etc) I still turn to this one on a daily basis.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the others too, but this one manages to give me both lots of length and huge volume with a really quick application, so I’m truly impressed and will be doing a full review with before and after pictures soon.  This is the last step in my routine before lipstick, and I make sure to not put any on my bottom lashes to keep my eyes looking light, bright and most importantly, wide awake.

7.  Dior Rouge Serum

The last thing I do to finish my look is apply a light, slightly sheer and creamy lip colour to lift and complete my look.  I love the Rouge Serum range as it’s soooo buildable and comes in some really great colours.  My favourite at the moment is Radiant Pink, which is subtle, pretty and natural enough for everyday wear.  One of the first things to show signs of ‘wear and tear’ when I’ve been overdoing it is my lips – they start drying out and flaking – so I can’t use any lipstick that is going to make that problem worse.  Thankfully, Rouge Serum is intended to moisturise the lips (and it does so, really, really well) so it won’t exacerbate the problem.

Once I’ve worked my way through this list, which takes all of about ten minutes, I finish with a couple of sprays of my favourite perfume, which, up until recently, was Jean Paul Gaultier Classique, but since I received the Illamsqua Freak perfume sample in November’s Glossy Box, I’ve started cheating on Jean-Paul. It’s one of those scents that you apply to your wrist and then want to keep smelling, so it’s definitely perfect for this season.

How about you?  Are there any products you rely on to get you through the party season?

*PR samples.