Beauty under the mistletoe: Get Your Sparkle On!

Party season is upon us, local
boutiques have adorned their windows with the most darling of decorations and
all of us want to be the belle of the proverbial ball.

Our problem? Pallid, wind-battered skin
that hasn’t seen the light of day since September and many of us have been
living off a diet of comfort food. Our wardrobes have about as much sparkle as
the average office supply cupboard.

It’s time to seize control of the
situation, RSVP to those invites and reclaim your shimmer.

Get into shape

You can’t make up for a year of playing gym-hooky, but you can certainly tone
up, get your circulation pumping and boost your energy levels in very little
time. Sports supplements can help you burn fat and gain lean muscle faster,
exactly what you need for strutting your stuff in your LGD (little glitzy
dress).

Instead of committing to one workout,
spread your fitness out throughout the day with short, intense blasts of
energy, focused on problem areas, whether it’s blitzing your belly flab
or tightening those glutes. 

Spinning, dancing and aerobics are the
most effective ways to combat excess weight, fast,

and for a beatific, seasonal glow,
attend a yoga class to feel fabulous, from the inside, out.

Find The Dress

Don’t settle for something old that’s
been skulking around your wardrobe all year: allow yourself to splash out on at
least one new dress. Work with your silhouette, not what’s ‘in’, to feel your
most confident.

Hourglasses should embrace their curves
with a nipped-waist pencil dress. Apple shapes do well in an A-line shape, and if you tend to have a leaner, less
curvy frame; 

have fun with frills and embellishments.

Book a pampering session

If you simply cannot face tackling your
roving eyebrows with the tweezers, sawing at your feet with the loofah or
attempting to epilate without a double gin, it’s best to leave matters to the
professionals.

Book a spa day. Write it off as a
Christmas present to yourself. Feel like a million dollars.

Watch your alcohol intake

All those late nights and odd glasses
of wine can add up at a time of year when everyone’s immune system is a little
vulnerable. 

Try to drink a glass of water for every glass of alcohol to keep
hangovers at bay. 

Boost your body with a healthy helping of vitamin C
throughout the day, 

and remember to eat more than Beef Wellingtons and the odd
bit of shrimp cocktail!