by Elissa Frittaion
So in retrospect after the Holiday season, without a doubt, December and January are the busiest months of the year for many people. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanza, Winter Solstice or Festivus, they were generally filled with holiday parties, staff parties, New Year’s parties and, if you count any Sagittarians or Capricorns among your nearest and dearest, birthday parties. However, just because the Holiday season is over, the parties still go on. Sadly, for most of us, we still have our lives filled with work, traffic jams, last minute shopping and deadlines. This doesn’t leave you a lot of time to get fabulous for those last minute plans or the spontaneous girls night out. Luckily, my years in the film industry not only honed my makeup technique, but also my time management skills. So for you, I have made a timetable…
7:00 a.m – Ok, ok, you’re up. Shower, dress for work, eat breakfast, hair’s done, makeup’s done and you’re out the door by 8:00.
9:00 a.m – Ah, work. Drink your coffee, do your job, check Facebook, eat your lunch, work some more and then its 5 pm. Home again.
6:00 p.m- So, you’re home. The dinner party starts at 7. Reservations are at a pretty chi-chi restaurant, and you have to get fancy, but you really can’t arrive fashionably late. Plus you’re starved. The restaurant is about 10 minutes away by taxi. Ready? Set. Go!
6:00-6:05 p.m.- Work clothes off! Party clothes on! This can only happen in 5 minutes if you planned your outfit ahead of time.
6:05-6:15 p.m.– How’s the hair? Good? Flat? Frizzy? Whatever you need to do, do it quickly and keep it simple. Smooth away frizz, or pump up the roots, or just pull it back into a simple ballerina bun (elastic, bobby pins, hairspray) .
6:15-6:25 – Spritz your face with water. Even nicer if you add a drop or two of essential oil to it. This will refresh your foundation. If your skin is looking a little dry, then take little moisturizer and pat it over your face first, then spritz, then pat your face gently with your fingertips. While the water is evaporating, give your eyebrows a little groom. If you normally fill them in with a cosmetic, check to see if they need touching up. Touch up your concealer, and then powder. Throw a little blush on. Getting your skin looking its best and brightest after hours at work is a crucial step.Don’t skip it. Better to have a glowing face and no eye makeup than pretty eyeshadow and dry tired skin.
6:25-6:30 p.m. – Smokey eyes are lovely, but on days like this, you just don’t have the time to layer all that dark shadow on. You cannot go wrong with a pale shimmery eyeshadow. Something close to your skin tone, with sparkle.Just sweep it on over the whole eyelid. Curl your eyelashes. Add a little more mascara. Line the inner rim (waterline) of your eyes with a black pencil (kohl pencils are best for this, because they are soft).
6:30-6:35 p.m. – Brush your teeth! Spray on some perfume! Check your nails – if they’re painted and the manicure is looking good, great. If they’re chipping, take the polish off. Bare nails are better than chipped ones, and you don’t have time to wait for polish to dry. Moisturize your hands, and any other exposed skin.
6:35-6:37 p.m- Lipstick. A strong shade is nice for this time of year, and adds color to pale winter complexions. If you are not a lipstick girl, or it’s just too high maintenance for you to deal with tonight, then go with a brightly tinted lip gloss.
6:37-6:40 – Call a taxi. Throw everything you need into whatever evening bag you’re bringing with you. Don’t forget to bring powder/blotting papers, your black liner and your lipstick or gloss, for touch ups. Touch ups are crucial if you want to maintain your look through the evening. Permanency is not part of the nature of makeup .
6:40-45 – Jewelry on, shoes on, coat on, purse in hand. Cab’s here.
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6:55 – Imagine that, you’re even a little early. This gives you time to sit at the bar while you wait for your party, order a drink, maybe flirt a little with the bartender, and impress the room at large with your effortless, relaxed glamour.
And that’s that. However, if you are going to somewhere that requires a little more oomph, a little more flash, then forgo arriving early and do your lipstick in the taxi, and use the extra time to put on a pair of false lashes. Natural looking black ones are classic, and always nice, but this is a party, right? So, specialty lashes it is. Far and away my favorite specialty lashes come from Shu Uemura. For years only available overseas, this Japanese company is famous for their false lashes. If you visit their Tokyo Lash Bar (at Holt Renfrew), you can feast your eyes on the most diverse array of lashes you have ever seen, designs you would never have expected, and all of them wearable. I could go on about this season’s crazy Viktor Rolf designed vinyl lashes, the chrome coloured harlequin lashes, the fluffy green feather lashes, the black lace flamenco lashes, but in the interests of brevity, and practicality, I will refrain. For most consumers, 50 dollar specialty lace lashes are not likely to be an option, unless your party involves elaborate costumes, Carnivale, Studio 54 or Vivienne Westwood. Instead, I would recommend a set of Shu Uemura mini lashes – small sections of false lashes that are easy to apply and comfortable to wear. They are intended to line up with the outer corner of your eye, to give flare and added drama without weighing heavily down on the entire lashline., My favorites are the mini indigo (flared slightly up and out, a combination of dark blue and purple) and the mini crystal, which are black and curved like more conventional lashes, but have small diamante crystals along the lashline. If you are not able to visit the counter, you can peruse (and order) online at www.shuuemura-usa.com.