For this month’s The Beauty Thread, we asked our Sales Director, Christina, to share her getting a glam-over for the Christmas party. We spot some favourites from this month’s Desk-to-Disco Edit..

PREP

First thing’s first, two days before the Christmas Party Jem and I always have our tanning party. Come back to mine, cook dinner, watch Christmas movies and spend the evening smelling like holiday!

I absolutely love using the Bean Body Care Coffee Scrub (add to your box) before fake tan. The Coconut scent is my favourite as it leaves my bathroom smelling amazing. In order to prep perfectly before applying fake tan, I jump in the shower and open the pack. Grabbing a generous handful you need to rub the coffee granules all over your body. Yes, it can be a very messy process but nothing a quick flush of water can’t fix. I scrub in circular motions to get my blood flowing, targeting areas where I get dry skin e.g knees and elbows. While this is working its magic I wash my hair! Leave the scrub on for five minutes before washing it off. The coconut oil leaves my skin feeling so soft, I then rub off any excess with a towel before the tanning begins!

HAIR

I have to say, this month’s Haul of Fame product from SHOW Beauty is one of the best leave-in conditioners I have ever used (add to your box). After I have washed my hair and towel dried it, I pump the product into my hands and smooth through to the ends. This product is perfect pre blow dry and luckily enough for our Christmas Party we have booked with BLOW Ltd to come to the office to blow dry/ style everyone’s hair.

MAKEUP

After cleansing my face with my current favorite cleanser, the Kiehl’s Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash, I always moisturise with the Avene Hydrance Rich Hydrating Cream. I have been using this moisturiser religiously for over four years and have not found another moisturiser that helps my makeup stay in place all night, without me looking like I’ve just worked a shift at the café and have been frying chips all night.

After mosturising my face and décolletage, I jump straight into priming my skin, and for this I use The Original Photo Finish Smashbox Primer. I use a really small amount and spread it all over my face. We’ve worked with Smashbox a number of times over my last four years at LiB so luckily enough I have been able to stock up.

Next up, I have been using the Evaline Dew Beauty Benefit Cream (coming soon) in shade medium, due to my tan, in replacement of my foundation. I use my beauty blender to apply it all over my face, it’s a nice blend of coverage. I then go in with my all-time favorite concealer – NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in shade Light 2 Vanilla, and I use this to even out any areas that I want extra coverage on (under eyes, around my nose, down the bridge of my nose, and around my mouth).

I fill my brows in with the IT Cosmetics Brow Power – I’m not just saying this but it’s the BEST EYEBROW PENCIL IN THE WORLD #ad. I am blessed with quite big bushy brows so I don’t really need to use much, I just create brush strokes and fill in some sparse areas.

As the only Chinese person in the office, I am afflicted with small straight eyelashes, so for the last eight years I have had eyelash extensions. Yes, I can hear you all out there telling me I need a break, but it’s an addiction now so that’s not going to happen. The great thing is I have not worn mascara in 8 years as well and constantly have long fluttery lashes.

Next I move onto bronzer, NARS Laguna (add to your box) has been my go-to since I started wearing makeup. It’s a perfect shade for when I have a tan. I use my Real Techniques brush and dip it into my compact and spread this across my cheek bones, a little under my eyes, down the bridge of my nose, across my forehead and a little on my chin. I know this sounds excessive but a little goes a long way, and it’s just a great way to have an all over face glow. When I don’t have it on people literally ask me if i’m sick – thanks guys.

I’m not the best when it comes to eyeshadow. As I have very hooded eyes, it can be really difficult for me to apply eyeshadow so I usually just swipe a small amount of NARS Laguna over my eyelid (or force Jem or Harri to do it for me). As this is a special occasion I am going to try my hardest to try something a little different. As I have very dark eyes I usually try to go for lighter colours to basically make myself NOT look like an emo (already been through that phase, it definitely doesn’t need to be brought back)

From the W7 Seduced Eyeshadow Palette (coming soon), I used Silk across my lid and then used Touch and Vamp within the outer corners. Then with a mix of Oyster and Temptation I use these on the upper lashline and move it into the tear ducts. The W7 palette is great because it has a lot of universal colours and isn’t too highly pigmented, so if like me, you make a mistake, it’s super easy to fix

As with every Christmas Party I always opt for a bold lip, last year was Fenty Beauty’s Stunna Lip Paint in bold red, this year I am opting for Leighton Denny’s Lip Dual in Sheer Bravery (add to your box). It’s a really lovely deep purple colour. The formula is really lovely with a lipstick on one end and a gloss on the other.

FINISHING TOUCH

For the finishing touch I am going to be using the STORIES NO. 02 EAU DE PARFUM (add to your box) and popping the vial in my bag for the evening… some selfies and we are ready to go.

BUILD YOUR DESK-TO-DISCO EDIT NOW!