The Perfect Party Look | Beauty Care slideshows | Well Being center

Apply Moisturizer

Moisturizer is a key step in the prepping routine, as it is what helps to anchor your makeup and keep it in place all night. It also helps to control dry, flaking skin as well as oil-prone skin. If you have dry skin, apply a nourishing moisturizer and let it completely soak in. If you have oily skin, use a moisturizer that controls shine. Leave the moisturizer to sink in completely for at least 10 minutes before you apply any makeup as otherwise, you'll find that your makeup slides right off of your face.

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Smooth on Primer

Every gal should have a tube of primer in their makeup bag, as it helps to keep your makeup in place - but it also smooths your skin as it can also help to reduce the appearance of pores. Smooth it onto your nose, across cheekbones, over your chin and over your forehead. Don't use a lot, as too much will also cause your makeup to slide off - so be subtle with it! If you're worried about aging skin, use a "blurring" primer to mask the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. You can also wear primer without any foundation if your skin is really clear.

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BB or Foundation

Next, decide whether you're going to use a BB cream or foundation. If you want just a little bit of light coverage, a BB cream will do the job nicely. But if you want full on coverage, foundation will be a better choice. Apply with a foundation brush and blend, blend, blend some more. Make sure that you blend along the jawline so that there isn't a noticeable line and only apply it where you need it - you don't need to put it all over your face unless your skin is particularly uneven or patchy. Leave to dry before you apply any other makeup.

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Blush

Blush is one of our favorite beauty buys, simply because it can make you look wide awake and fresh-faced in an instant. For the best color, use a blush that has a number of different colors, or something like blush pearls and swirl your blusher brush across the top to catch all of the color. Cheek stains are also good, although they can be fairly difficult to blend into a base - so pat them on very gently and don't use too much. Apply blush a little at a time to the apples of your cheeks, using long, sweeping motions along your cheekbones for a contoured glow.

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Concealer

Dab on concealer in problem areas. If your skin is fairly clear, you might only need concealer and no foundation. Use your fingertip to apply it and pat it on - don't rub it into skin as you'll just lose the coverage. When covering up spots, dab the concealer on and then use your fingertip to blend around the edge of the spot into the rest of your base - don't blend from the spot itself as you'll just move oils around your face. If you're covering up more than one spot, wash your hands in between to minimize the chances of causing further breakouts.

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Make it All About the Eyes

The perfect party look should be all about the eyes, or the lips - not both. A beautiful party look that works well on everyone is smoky eyes - but if you don't want to spend lots of time blending three different powder eyeshadows, just use a few stick or cream eyeshadows, one light, one dark, and smudge them together. Cat's eyes eyeliner flicks are always good too - use a felt tip applicator for greater control, starting at the inner corner of the lash line and working your way outwards, along the lash line, finishing with a flick at the end. Apply lashings of mascara and eyeliner to finish.

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Or Lips!

If you want to keep the focus on your lips, keep your eyes very neutral - just a little light eyeshadow and mascara. Use a lip liner to line around the lips, then color in the lips. Next, use a lipstick in the same color and apply it with a lip brush for maximum impact. Blot a few times on tissue paper, then apply a sealant to lock your lippy in. If you want a more subtle look, use a lip stain and apply it with your finger - we call this the "bed" lip as it looks a little messy, but still put together - perfect for everyone!

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Add a hint of Illuminator

Illuminator will fast become your new best friend. It can make your nose look slimmer, your cheekbones higher, your brow bones more pronounced and your decollatage a million dollars. You only need a little bit, so dab it first onto your finger, then along the brow bone and across the top of the cheekbones. You can also dab it in the corner of the eyes, down the sides of the nose and even on your cupid's bow to illuminate your skin and highlight your best features. Dab a little across your collarbone and decollatage too, for extra sparkle!

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Set it in Place

Finally, once your party look is done, it's important to set it in place so that it lasts all night long. You can buy makeup setting sprays from a huge number of makeup companies, and these all work really well - but if all you have to hand is a little hairspray, a few spritzes of it will do the job too. Close your eyes and spritz very gently, as you don't want your skin to feel sticky or tacky - and you don't want to inhale the setting spray either! Setting powder will also do the job, but be very subtle with it as it can look a little chalky.

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Getting Ready

Getting ready isn't the most important step, but it's really important to give yourself enough time to perfect your party look. Rushing everything in 10 minutes will only leave you feeling grumpy and as though you're not quite looking your best - so sit down with a cup of tea, have a shower, kick back and apply some body lotion. Giving yourself this time to breathe, unwind and put the day behind you means that you'll be in full on party mode by the time you get to the party - which can only be a good thing!