Get Party Ready In 10 Minutes After Long Work Day

In an ideal world, we'd all have the time to go home, run a warm luxurious bath and linger over our makeup before a party. But reality intrudes in the form of last-minute deadlines, meetings that run late and bosses who want to discuss something with us for just "two more minutes". Even when that happens, you don't have to go to a party looking like you were just put through the ringer and left out to dry. Here are five quick tips to help you get party-ready in 10 minutes (ok, may be just a few minutes more)!

Keep a capsule outfit ready in your car/desk

A capsule outfit is one you know you love, looks great on you, is in a colour that compliments you, takes just a few seconds to put on and you know exactly what makeup works with it. A zip-up dress that you can shrug into with a matching necklace, a flattering top over ripped jeans, or the tried and tested LBD with a popping necklace. The idea is to cut down the thinking time and go straight into action mode.

Makeup shortcut

When you're short on time, stick to the basics and do them well. Wash your face, moisturise, rub some foundation into the skin to conceal your long day's tiredness and put on some lip and cheek tint in a subtle pink or peach. Don't experiment with eye makeup or lipstick shades, no matter how much you're tempted. If you're not used to doing the smoky eye, stick to your regular liner style, no matter how much your dress begs for a little drama. You might feel a twinge of disappointment but it's better than being horrendously late because you got carried away and had to start from scratch.

Just the lips

A full Kardashian-level contour, cat-eye, and perfect lip shade probably just isn’t going to happen if you’ve only got 10 minutes to get ready. When you're really, really pressed for time, skip all the other makeup and head straight for the red lipstick. It's so eye-catching, even you won't notice the lack of foundation or concealer. Plus, it eliminates the need for eye makeup, which is usually what takes the longest

Hop in the shower

Most of us take a rushed, just-shave-to-the-knee shower before starting our beauty routines, but Biondo’s go-to trick for looking party-ready is to shower after getting done up. “One of my favorite getting ready tips is after you put on your makeup on, jump in the shower. Avoid wetting your face, of course, and when you get out you'll have glowing, youthful skin. You'll be sure to get tons of compliments on your skin at your next holiday event!

Quick Curl

When your hair is lying limp but you don't have the time to use any tools, quickly twirl your hair with your fingers and secure them in a knot on top of your head till you get to the venue. If the knot itself doesn't work for you, when you untie them, they're going to tumble down in sexy curls, thanks to the twirling before tying!