Pamper Yourself For Your Christmas Party

Statistically, it takes women 5 hours and 38 minutes to get ready for their Christmas party.

To some, that may seem ridiculous, to others it might take that long just to perfect your winged eyeliner. But overall, we can all be a little guilty of indulging in a good pamper session prior to a big event!

Your work Christmas party is probably one of the biggest nights out of the year and you start planning your outfit, travel arrangements and tickets months in advance. You definitely want to be looking your best, even if you do see these people every day of your life.

It's a chance to get together with your work friends, mingle with those who you don't often speak to in the office, let your hair down and celebrate the festive season.

We've put together a checklist of what you're going to need for the big night and ways to enjoy the getting ready process just as much as the party itself...

Before the day of the event:

1) Find The Perfect Outfit

Firstly, you're going to need a show stopping outfit. Everyone has already seen you first thing in the morning so you many not have anyone to impress, but it's still nice to look and feel amazing at your Christmas party! Choose something that you can't wait to wear and don't be afraid of a bit of glitz and glamour – it is Christmas after all! Don't leave outfit shopping until the last minute, and give yourself time for online orders to arrive. There's nothing worse than running around the night before sorting everything out!

2) Sort Your Accessories

Team your dress with some skyscraper heels, a clutch and some beautiful jewellery. You might want to shop around to get your perfect look, so don't leave this until the last minute either. As soon as you have a dress sorted, make sure you have everything to accompany it.

3) Have A Pamper Session

Get yourself relaxed and pampered in the run up to the day. Have a bath, exfoliate, shave or epilate your legs, moisturise, give yourself a mini facial and colour and treat your hair. Finish the whole pamper process off by giving yourself a relaxing massage using the Scholl M Rolling Shiatsu Massager which effectively soothes away the aches and pains associated with today's busy lifestyles!

4) Manicure and pedicure

You'll want to look great from head to toe, so give yourself a manicure and pedicure the day before or the morning of your party. Treat your feet to a foot spa such as this Homedics Elle Macpherson Luxury Foot Spa which has three in one micro-circulation benefits – hydro massage, vibration massage and magnetic therapy. Afterwards, lather on some foot cream and give yourself a pedicure.

Give your hands a treat with a soft exfoliator, lashings of hand cream and a manicure with a Vidal Sassoon Beauty Pen Set. Paint your nails to match your outfit and give yourself more time than you think you need to make sure they are completely dry. Always finish with a top coat to make sure your nail varnish lasts as long as possible without any chips or smudges.

On The Day:

5) Lay all your products out

Whether you're washing your hair on the night or the day before, lay out all the products you'll need. Things often go walk about in your bedroom when you need them the most, and there's nothing more annoying than wasting precious minutes hunting them down when you're mid-way through getting ready for the evening.

You'll need:

• Heat protection spray
• Serum
• Hairspray
• Grips
• Sectioning clips
• Bobbles
• Headband (To keep your hair out of your face when you're doing your make up)
• Hairbrush
• Comb
• Moisturiser
• Fake tan (if you're tanning)
• Make up
• Make up brushes

Lay out all your make up and brushes on a surface so everything is to hand and you're not getting stressed rooting through your drawers for that perfect eye shadow.

6) Get your friends over

Getting ready together can be great, so invite your best work friends over to your house before the party. Stick some music on, open a bottle of wine and have fun whilst you get your hair and make up perfect. It's also handy to have someone on hand to give you last minute advice, help with the zip of your dress or tan your back!

7) Get your hair party ready

Start whatever look you're going for off with a sleek blow dry to keep any fly-away hairs, frizz and unwanted kinks away. The Remington Pro 2100 Dryer Gift Set will turbo-boost your blow drying regime for beautiful looking hair, whatever style you want to create. The kit comes complete with fast dry and slim precision concentrators, along with both a paddle and a round brush for styling.

Heated rollers are perfect for creating volume in your hair, whether you're creating a professional looking up do, going for tousled curls or wearing it sleek and straight, adding some volume at the roots with these Tresemme Volume Heated Rollers will give you big bouncy hair with minimal effort.

You then need to decide how to wear your hair... straight, curly, wavy, the options are endless! Always use a spray to protect your hair from the heat, no matter what style you go for, as any heated appliance can really damage your ends.

For a sleek, straight look, go for straighteners with a high heat that will ensure your hair stays put and doesn't kink. The BaByliss Vintage Glamour Ceramic Smooth straightener reaches a top temperature of 230 C for salon high heat performance and is ready to use in just 30 seconds.

For curls, go for a barrel curler such as this Remington Pro Big Curl Wand if you want to create a big and bouncy look, or if you want more defined ringlets, choose a smaller barrel like this Lloytron Paul Anthony Curling Tong.

If you're looking for a glamorous wavy look, try the Babyliss Vintage Glamour Wave Maker, which has an oval shaped barrel to create natural loose waves with a smooth finish.

8) Make Up Looks

Whatever your personal make up style is, make sure you're comfortable, no matter how glamorous the occasion is. If you can't stand the feeling of false eyelashes, don't wear them and go for a mascara that will give you volume and length instead. If you're conscious of smudging a dark lip, leave it altogether or wear a nude colour or a gloss. If you want to feel extra special, why not visit a make-up counter and get it done professionally? For the ultimate Christmas party look, go for a red lip and sparkly eye to team with your little black dress.

9) Pack the Party Essentials

You don't want to pack a huge bag full of everything except the kitchen sink for a party, but remembering the essentials will make sure you can party all night. Remember to pack:

• Lipstick
• Powder
• Plasters
• Mints / Chewing Gum
• Money (even if everything is paid for!)
• Keys
• ID and bank card

Above all, remember to have a great time!

Your Christmas night out is there to celebrate the festive period and thank you for all your hard work that year, so make sure you let your hair down and have a great time.

What are your top party pamper tips this year? Do you have a certain routine for getting ready before a night out? Let us know in the comments below!