​	Our Community Partner, Lauren O’Donnell of Lauren O Makeup with invaluable advice on how to prep your makeup in the office before heading to a Christmas party! Over to you Lauren...

Going from your desk to your office party shouldn't be a panic stricken free-for-all! Here are my top 5 tips to help you quickly and easily create your party look with ease, confidence (and probably a cheeky glass of fizz in your hand!)

A Classic Smokey Eye
This is one of the easiest things to do, especially when you’re topping up what you already have on. All you need is a Khol pencil, a slight darker metallic eyeshadow and lots of mascara! Use your pencil to cover the lid area up to the crease, then take an eye shadow brush (or your finger) and smudge the top line to take away any hard edges. Then, using your metallic eyeshadow, cover over the top to blend out, pop a bit of a lighter shade by your tear ducts and then add lots of mascara!

Another top tip is to go for a coloured liner and shadow... dark navy will make brown eyes pop! The same applies for green eyes with purples or burgundy and bronzed colours with blue eyes. These are also a softer alternative to black but still give that party look!
 

A Sultry Red Lip
Red lipstick is a classic look and there is a red for EVERYONE! If it’s something new to you then why not go for a red gloss or tinted balm? Using a red lip liner, you can eventually add to it until you have the confidence to rock the solid red colour. The key to perfecting the red lip is to completely cover your lips in the matching liner – this helps to keep your lipstick in place for longer and also means you can get the perfect shape that is more difficult to do with a lipstick.

If you have a warm skin tone, are naturally tanned or have darker skin, then a warm red will complement your skin (eg, orange or brown-red type colours). If you’re paler, or have a pink tone to your skin, then anything with a pink or blue undertone will really suit you (and also make your teeth look whiter!). This doesn't mean that you have to wear just one, but it’s a good start to finding your perfect shade. Most makeup counters are happy to show you different shades and let you try some on to help you find your match!

Get that Glow
If you're in the camp of the 'no makeup-makeup look' then that doesn't mean that your makeup has to be boring. Adding a beautiful highlighter to the top of your cheekbones, brow bones, cupid’s bow (top of the lip) and down the nose will add a whole new life to your skin and lift your whole face! Highlighters have came a long way and now there are creams, liquids and powders in all kinds of shades that suit all kinds of skin tones. Gorgeous, glowing, natural skin is so on trend that you can't go wrong – all you need to do is add a touch of gloss and you're good to go!

If you're struggling to find the right highlight colour for you, then stick with the rule of the darker your skin, the more gold/bronze you should go. Also, a silver highlight only really suits the extremely pale, so steer clear! If all else fails, stick to rose gold.
 

‘Tis the season to Sparkle
If there’s one single time of year where all the rules of glitter go out the window, it’s Christmas! I love anything glitter and it’s really easy to add a touch of sparkle to your party look. Glitter lips were all over the catwalk earlier this year, and you can recreate that with a glitter lip gloss on top of your lipstick, or go full-on by using a loose glitter in the same colour as your lipstick and patting it on with your finger. 

Add sparkle to your eyes in the centre of your eye lid or by the tear ducts, making eyes sparkle every time you blink! Go for classic gold or bronze on the eyes or a pale iridescent if you want something a bit more subtle.

Big Beautiful Lashes
If you’re a complete newbie then the best lashes to buy are ones which are longest in the centre rather than the end, as you can cut them in half and create a 'half lash'. Apply the glue and leave it for a good 20 seconds so it’s less wet and more sticky, then wiggle the lashes about to make the band more pliable. Stick the lashes on with tweezers or just your fingers, starting from the outer edge of your eye. You’re sticking the lash on top of your natural lashes – not onto the top of your eye-lid. Wait a few seconds, then apply a little mascara to blend with your own lashes and you’re done! 
 

I hope these top five tips help you to show your 'party girl' side this Christmas Season! I’m always on hand (see below) if you’d like a proper makeup lesson for your skin tone/eye shape, or just to ask some questions!
 

You can find out more about Lauren on her Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages, call her on 07845 196 164, or email info@laurenomakeup.co.uk.

Lauren O Make-up is one of our Community Partners. To find out more, click here.