PRESTO-CHANGE-O: Ideas for Quick Holiday Changes from a Day at the Office to Evening Festivities

As we move into the holiday season we face an issue that is more pronounced now than at other times of the year. That is the issue of the business/pseudo-social event. When it comes to image it’s important to remember that we must never let our guards down. A work related party is never completely a social event. We need to keep this in mind at all times.This is the time of year when we get invited to festivities hosted not only by our own but our spouses’ companies. We also tend to get invitations to trade, colleague-oriented, and networking events and mixers. Because it is a festive time of year and food and alcohol are involved it can be deceptively informal.

Although you always want to be friendly, outgoing and fun it is critical to remember that people are always under scrutiny in a work environment. At a time when supervisors, colleagues, supervisees, support staff, potential and actual clients, are in evidence it is vital to maintain decorum. Limiting alcohol consumption is particularly important. The message of competence and good judgment that you have taken pains to build all year long can be eradicated in one evening—or reinforced.

The other issue that rises to the surface is that in this super-busy time of the year we have to appear at a variety of post-work parties looking fresh and party-ready but work appropriate. How can we freshen up, frequently without even going home first, and look great at these post-work fetes? Here are some tips to help you show up at post-work events looking and feeling fresh and confident:

Changing hairstyles is one of the best ways to freshen up your look while showing off a side of your personality that you don’t always reveal. When it comes to hair, it is always good to change from your usual look. If your hair is short and usually straight then you can change it by parting it on the opposite side, pulling it back with a barrette or using a curling iron to put a few quick and well-placed curls into your coif. The drugstores have large displays of beautiful hair ornaments that can be put into play for the holidays.

If your hair is normally curly you can use a little straightening gel to blow it out straight in just a few moments. Another alternative is to use a straightening iron. Today they heat up very quickly and many are ceramic and don’t damage the hair.

If your hair is long enough you can easily put it up in one of several ways. Using hair sticks is my personal favorite. They are readily available in drug stores or H&M. You can also use a decorative set of chop sticks. Just brush out your hair until it is smooth, twist it behind your head at eye level or higher until it forms a small bun tight against your head. When you put the first one in go right into the hair toward the front of the bun. Drag it lightly against your scalp going in and return it back into the bun again, gently. Do the same with the second stick but put it in at the back of the bun. If it is done correctly it will stay in all day or all night. To soften the look you can pull out some tendrils around your face and at the nape of the neck. Another advantage of this style is that if you leave it in for a while your hair will naturally have a lot of body in it when you remove the hair sticks.

When it comes to makeup simply remember that only one feature should be outstanding at a time. One way to dress up your makeup for evening is to simply emphasize your eyeliner. You might want to do this in a color if you are used to black or brown for day. Indigo is a great color choice because it is very soft. You might also want to invest in a “smudge” brush and go over the line that you draw. Make sure that there is no space between your lashes and your line. If this is a problem simply draw right into the lash line. This will not hurt your lashes in any way but will give you a nice line right up against the lashes. You might also want to highlight the brow bone with a light shade of shadow. This opens up the eye greatly and is easier and more subtle than adding a deeper shade to the crease. Just remember to blend well. If you have dressed up your eyes then use a subtle color on your cheeks and a shade of lipstick that is close to your own lip shade. You could also use a clear lip gloss.

If you choose to emphasize the lip area, you should start with a dry lip. There are lip exfolients on the market that will remove any dry or peeling skin. Start by following the directions on your product. You can then insure that your lipstick stays on as long as possible by starting with a bit of foundation on your lips. Next, use a lip pencil. Don’t ever draw outside the lip line because it looks artificial. Start with a sharp pencil. An insider’s secret is to use Wet n’ Wild Lip Pencil Shade #666. It costs next to nothing in any drug store and is a cult classic. It is almost a perfect lip color and works on everyone.

Carefully outline your lips with the tip of the pencil. You might want to emphasize the Cupid’s Bow which is the area in the middle of the top lip. Just go over that area a few times. Then, using the side of the pencil color in the rest of your lip. This creates a secure foundation for the lip color to come. If you are not playing up another area of the face then you might want to be a bit daring with your lip color. There is a perfect red for everyone. But you don’t need red in order to dress up your mouth.

When you select your color the critical aspect is to make sure that if you have a warm skin tone you select a warm shade. If you have a cool skin tone select a cool shade. Of course, the only other rule is that the shade should not clash with your outfit. Otherwise, live dangerously and select a shade you’ve never tried before! If you really want to emphasize the lip area you can use what we call a “lip pop”. This is a light touch of highlighter in the center of the lip. It will make your lips look more outstanding. Use a subtle touch and make sure it is well blended and not obvious.

As far as clothing, you can wear something festive underneath a blazer for the workday and remove or change the jacket at night. Another alternative is to bring a more festive top to work with you and change before the party or event.

In any case, have a wonderful time and enjoy this holiday season!

Merry P. Nachemin is a Certified Image Consultant and President of Extreme Elegance Image Consultants, LLC. She consults on issues of image and style to people in all walks of life, helping them to achieve their dreams quicker, more easily and with a lot more fun. To arrange a consultation or to ask a question or make a comment Merry can be reached at (212) 769-7996.

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