As holiday events ramp up with a vengeance, as does our commitment to ensure our skin looks and feels its best. While some people wake up with skin that is inexplicably radiant, most of us require a little bit of discipline, organisation and hydration to ensure we aren’t looking as tired as the year 2021 has truly made us feel.
So whether you have seven days, one night, or even 20 minutes, here are our top tips for prepping your skin for a big event.
The week of the event..
Get on the tools
You might like to try a dermaplane to get rid of peach fuzz and enable smoother makeup application, or perhaps a microcurrent device or gua sha to sculpt, lift, and chisel your cheekbones and jawline. Whichever you choose, be sure to get cracking well before the day of your event.
We recommend: Manicare® dermaSCULPT, $31 at Chemist Warehouse
Enlist the help of a peel
In one final crack at brightening, refining and unclogging, apply a multi-acid exfoliating peel like the Paula’s Choice 25% AHA and 2% BHA Exfoliant Peel ($41.60, Paula’s Choice) to banish bumps before the big day.
The night before…
Don’t introduce anything new
Even though it might be tempting to slather on a bunch of serums and toners that promise overnight results, the night before an event is not the time to introduce a new product (especially one with active ingredients). Why? It takes time for your skin to adjust, and you might experience a reaction or purging.
Eyes on the prize
You might’ve received an invitation to your friend’s upcoming New Year’s Eve party, but the bags underneath your eyes certainly didn’t. Even though the holiday season is just getting underway, we’re already starting to look and feel tired and dehydrated. Fake it till you make it with brightening eye creams or treatments like the Dermalume Radiance Recovery Brightening and Regenerating Eye Roller ($28, Dermalume) and hydrating under eye patches or masks like Simple’s Reviving Under-Eye Hydrogel Mask ($4.49, Chemist Warehouse) and SelfAmour Rose Quartz Eye Mask ($139, SelfAmour) to de-puff and rejuvenate your eyes.
LED there be light
Boost collagen, combat wrinkles, brighten your skin and fight acne-causing bacteria in as little as 10 minutes with an L.E.D tool like the FOREO ESPADA ($199, Myer).
The day of…
Perfect the pout
If you’ve had long-standing plans with your red lipstick, ensure you’re holding up your end of the bargain by regularly applying a nourishing lip balm like the Natralus Natural Paw Paw Lip Butter Coconut ($6.95, Natralus) to avoid any dryness, flakes or cracks (this one wins extra points for smelling like a tropical island). If things are really dire, we recommend enlisting the help of a lip scrub to exfoliate any dead skin away first.
Hydrate
While clay masks or cream-based masks are best used as part of your skin care routine before bed, sheet masks are a great way to brighten skin and lock in a glow before an event. If you’re on the oilier side, seek out one with charcoal like the Freeman Beauty DETOXIFYING CHARCOAL + SEA SALT SHEET MASK ($3.85, iHerb). If you’ve got dry skin, find a sheet mask that’s been enriched with hyaluronic acid and peptides like the Garnier Hydra Bomb Hyaluronic Acid + Sakura Sheet Mask ($3.05, Chemist Warehouse). And if you’ve spent the day in the sun and are feeling a little worse for wear, try a mask that’s been formulated with aloe vera and glycerin. Better yet, chill it in the refrigerator before applying it.
Do you have any pre-event skin prepping tips of your own? If so, what are they?
This takes dedication. Prepare and you feel great on the day.
That’s a lot of preparation and planning! Me, I just do everything as normal and cross my fingers knowing that the inevitable will probably happen, which is a rosacea breakout right on the day of or the night before the event
Some good tips to perk up our skin.
Definitely hydration from within (load on fruit), avoiding salt and caffeine for plump skin. Plumping softening mask, plenty of sleep.
I don’t really do anything special for big days.
I like the Neutrogena H y d r o Boost Sleeping Mask the night before a date or big event. I use my jade roller, too.
I’ve recently bought Manicare® dermaSMOOTH Fuzz remover, but I haven’t tried it out yet.
oooh I got that defuzzer at last RR! Using it regularly since!
I just do the usual skincare routine because having Rosacea I know there’s a pretty good chance that the inevitable will probably happen and I’ll have a break out the night before the event or the day of the event
I try to keep my routine simple. If I do too much it will end up making my skin worse
Wow, so much preparation. I really should do more than I do.
Cannot stress enough – do not try anything new in the month (not just a day) before any big events. The prep starts 3 months prior, not the day (or week) before!
Wise words, @Skincare Junkie.
I dont do anything different because if I do it will backfire. I just keep on as per normal. All my friends know what i look like and I dont think that anything I do at home is going to alter my look greatly.
Same here Meedee
As long as a pimple doesn’t pop up on the day I’m happy!
I would like to have a go at derma plane but I don’t want a scalpel in my house. I have major depression.
I always wake up with glowing skin when I have no where to go and a pimple for a big event lol.
hahaha, Murphy’s law at work.
Drink lots of water to keep my skin hydrated and looking plump.
Dermaplaning is a constant.
Don’t worry, this always happens to me too 😠
My reply was meant to be to GeeJ
Some Fabulous Tips on Preparation before a big Night Out.
Using a moisturizing tissue mask.
I wonder how many of us have the time and money to follow and keep up this routine? I do some things regularly anyway, such as keeping my lips moist and using the best products I can afford.
I have however, made the mistake of trying a new product the night before or even on that day and this article reminded me that this is not such a good idea.
Lip balm is good to use all year round, big event or none
I love Clarins Beauty Flash balm
Oooh the Freeman Beauty Charcoal Mask sounds good.
I like using clay face masks.
I hadn’t thought of putting aloe gel in fridge before for post-sun care. Will definitely do this in future.
Fortunately I don’t have too many “big events” however I am not sure I would go to so much trouble if I did.
I couldn’t agree more with these suggestions.
I didn’t know sheet masks are good to use on the day of an event, I just use them as a weekly mask. Great tip!
I love sheet masks, they add instant hydration!
I do like to do a face mask before an event but I won’t go crazy with new things
Thank You BH for the Great Tips on having the Hollywood Look when going out for a big event. All the things to do You will feel like a Princess. 👑
Hydration is so important!
But sadly no big nights, maybe in a few years…
I like not to introduce any thing new.
Thanks for the info
I just follow my normal routine. Otherwise I’m sure my skin will have a stress reaction if I’m subjecting it to something new!