Beauty Fix: 5 easy ways to streamline your office to holiday party routine this year

Every week our Beauty Fix columnist takes on your questions about makeup, skincare, hair and more. Have a beauty question we haven’t answered? Email us atbeautyfix@fashionmagazine.com or ask away in the comments below.

What can I spritz on to carry into the evening after a long day in the office?
It’s the season for spicy, warm scents, but if your aim is to freshen up, try something more floral and uplifting than heady and gourmand. Besides, no one wants to be confused with the holiday-themed scented candle burning in the room when they arrive! Keep a bottle of Chloé Love Story Eau de Parfum ($100, thebay.com) stashed in your desk. Crisp, bright notes of citrusy neroli paired with romantic orange blossom anchored by soft cedar results in a scent that perks up your senses and makes you stand out instead of blending in.

How do I take my eye makeup from day to night without fussing too much with brushes?
If you prefer a simpler, streamlined routine when trying to step up your look for the evening, pick up NUDESTIX #GILTYLOVE Holiday Kit ($55, sephora.ca). This set (housed in a portable tin) contains 3 full-size Magnetic Eye Colour pencils in Twilight (shimmery taupe), Gilt (warm bronze) and Night (intense black), as well as a sharpener. The formula is long lasting yet it won’t dry lids out due to its creamy texture (no eyelid tugging here). Run Twilight all over your lids and blend out with your finger for a day look. When evening rolls around, layer on Gilt in a similar manner and then concentrate Night on the outer corner and lash line, tapping and blending the colour in with your finger for an effortless look that’s cocktail-ready.

How can I give my hair a little lift before heading to a holiday party straight from work?
There’s no need to cart around your whole hair routine from home to office just to refresh hair and give it a little volume before enjoying an evening out! Just stock up on travel-size Batiste Dry Shampoo ($5, well.ca) and rest assured that your morning workout and stressful day will be no match for this formula’s volume-boosting power. Shake up the can before spraying on and massaging into your roots where the rice starch in the formula will work to absorb excess oil, giving hair a substantial lift from the scalp. Brush through the lengths of your hair for added texture and volume.

How can I streamline what I put in a very tiny clutch for the evening?
There’s only so much we can cram into bejeweled minaudière or teensy evening clutch, and our phones probably take up the majority of that space. Maximize your space by ditching a wallet and only packing the essentials you need and even cutting back on items required for touch-ups throughout the night. Try this: load up Real Techniques Retractable Lip Brush ($9, farleyco.ca) with your lip colour for the evening and stash just the brush instead of the lipstick and brush in your clutch. The brush has stiff synthetic bristles for precise lip colour application and will save you precious real estate in your tiny pochette for other necessities for the night.

My current mascara makes my lashes too stiff to be buildable. What can I use that I can apply more of at the end of the day before going out for the night?
Crunchy and brittle are hardly terms you want your lashes to be associated with, and stiff lashes are not conducive to layering on mascara hours after your initial application. If terms like soft, lush, and fluttery are more appealing, it’s time to ditch your old mascara and start using M.A.C Mineralize Multi-Effect Lash Mascara ($26, maccosmetics.ca). This formula is full of emollients and mineral extracts like shea butter to keep lashes conditioned and soft to the touch, which are excellent for lash health, not to mention essential when you’re topping up lashes before heading out the door.

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