This is How You Get the Best Party Skin Ever According to Beauty Experts: 7 Tips

Finding the right balance between skin care and makeup is always a tricky issue in December, when the champagne-filled holidays call for a glowy complexion and striking makeup. For the best tips when it comes to a flawless party skin, we turn to facial specialist Georgia Louise and make-up artist Gucci Westman.

Tips for the best party skin

Ten years ago, Louise and Westman were introduced by none other than Linda Evangelista in her Chelsea apartment (“Linda said: come over here! You have to meet this girl ,” laughs Westman, who remembers how she and Louise met. ) Since then, the two have had a close bond and together they spread the gospel of a so-called lit-from-within-glow .

In light of the festive season, Louise and Westman join forces and share their tips for a beautiful, radiant, dazzling party skin and how you can improve it with the right makeup.

Now start prepping your canvas

“For big events you have to do some preparation work,” Louise emphasizes. “If you want your skin to look and feel flawless, you should gradually exfoliate at least a week in advance so you don’t experience dryness or flaking during the holidays .” Louise is the go-to facial specialist for celebrities, models and editors. She instructs her clients to avoid abrasive scrubs and use a gentle enzyme cleanser, such as Dr. Enzyme Cleanser. Barbara Sturm, which is enriched with oil-absorbing maltodextrin and brightening vitamin C. “You get the exfoliation in the skin without the aggression,” she says.

Massage, massage and more massage

According to Louise, the best alternative to professional microcurrent treatments is a nightly facial massage. Whether you use your fingertips or a Gua Sha-inspired rose quartz stone, massaging the forehead, cheekbones and jawline will sculpt the face, depuff and stimulate collagen growth – both immediately and long-lasting. “Regardless of your age, you should always massage your face for at least five minutes a day, even if only with your cleanser or night cream,” says Louise. “It is essential for your skin a longer lifespan of our skin cells.”

‘Supercharge’ your skin the week of a big event

The days leading up to an event are best devoted to ‘supercharging’ (in other words: ultimate pampering and care) of your skin. For example, with facial masks that are full of moisturizing, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory ingredients. Or with hi-tech gadgets, such as the GLOPulse Deep + Quick Ion Enhancer from Louise’s brand. The headphone-like device is equipped with two cheek plates designed to enhance the mask experience.

Go for ‘play up’ – not ‘cover up’ – when it comes to makeup

“The goal is to look great and feel confident with minimal effort,” says Westman of her personal approach to holiday beauty. “I mean, of course you can make a visible effort, but you want to amaze people with how you look without it looking like you’re wearing too much on your skin, you know?”

Shine from within

When it comes to blush, Westman sticks to a warm glow by applying a blush stick to the apples of her cheeks using her fingertips, and sometimes adding a touch to the eye sockets as well. “I always feel like you have more control with your fingers,” she says. “So I apply it to the skin where I want and then usually blend it with a brush. After applying all your facial makeup, you should always blend it with a blending brush .”

Finding the right highlighter (silky and with a pearlescent glow , but not over the top) is the key to success, but you have to use it strategically. Or better yet, secretly. “I like to create a highlight from under the skin,” says Westman. She clarifies that she even swipes some under her moisturizer and foundation, as well as on top of the cheekbones, bridge of the nose, eyebrows, and cupid’s bow. “The point is to make the skin look almost liquid.”

Work on better, thicker, more believable eyebrows

“Something that always contributes to a youthful, fresh face is a thicker, well-groomed eyebrow,” says Westman, emphasizing that skin is referring to the tight ‘Instagram brow ‘. First she applies ultra-fine, hair-like strokes to fill in sparse areas, then gently elongates the shape of the brows before combing them through with a brush. “The points are always the hardest part, getting that angle right,” says Westman. “So take some extra time and look at them in the mirror from multiple angles.”

Make a soft lip your new signature look

Instead of traditional lipstick, Westman likes to use a blush stick as a vibrant pigment for the mouth. After using a neutral lip liner to outline and plump the lips, she presses a single rich color into the center of the lips. “It brightens the face, adds nice contrast to the skin and brings out the highlights,” she says. Because during the most magical time of the year, minimal should never equal mediocre.

This article was originally published by Vogue US.