Whether you’re just attending a couple of holiday parties, one for work and one with your family, or have a full calendar, you always want to look your best. However, that desire for a quick fix might push you to make some bad decisions.
Trying new spa treatments and making big changes to your look are the biggest beauty mistakes to avoid before holiday parties. Taking risks can lead to great results, but if this is the most important social season in your year, you should think twice before committing to a procedure that can have unwanted side effects.
Getting the Wrong Facial
It’s never a good idea to try a drastic new cosmetic procedure. If you’ve never gotten a chemical peel or went to a spa for microdermabrasion, this is not the time to try them. Even the wrong facial can cause a breakout or leave your skin inflamed for a few days. Clay masks are particularly tricky before a big holiday party, since they can cause problems for up to a week before showing the final results. Schedule spa treatments at least two weeks before your party.
Going Too Far with the Self Tanner
If you want to get the perfect glow before the holiday season starts, experimenting with self tanner might not be the right way to achieve it. Avoid using a new self-tanner and opt for products that give you a more subtle look after daily application. Attempting to get your tan on the night before is one of the beauty mistakes to avoid before holiday parties.
Trying a New Eyebrow Shape at Home
Whether you’re growing out your brows for a more bold look or want a new arch, that’s more flattering to your facial features, leave it to the pros. Even when you’re putting yourself in the hands of a brow expert, you should consider postponing your big change for after the holidays.
Waxing at Home
While misshapen eyebrows are to be avoided, there are other beauty mistakes to avoid before holiday parties that also involve wax. Don’t take matters into your own hands when it comes to your upper lip. Getting burned or irritated a day before the work holiday party is not a good idea.
See also: Whould You Shave Your Face for Better Skin?
Trying a Last Minute Crash Diet
Whether you’re thinking of a juice cleanse or any other type of crash diet, consider the impact it can have on your skin. Even if you don’t get moody because you’re hungry all the time, you might be able to ruin your complexion just in time for the holiday season.
Experimenting with a Radical Hairstyle Change
Messing with your hair in a major way is one of the worst beauty mistakes to avoid before holiday parties. Unless you trust your hairstylist completely and you’ve made the big change before, don’t do it, especially if the new look involves bangs. The last thing you need is forehead acne while you’re networking at a work party or trying to relax with the people you love.
Popping Zits
It can be very tempting to mess with a zit before a party hoping it will go away completely. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen most of the time, and you can end up with swollen and red skin. Leave it alone and apply a 1% hydrocortisone cream to fight the redness and speed up the healing process.
Don’t miss: Are At-Home Chemical Peels Just as Effective?
Teeth Whitening
Whether you want a professional teeth whitening session or you’ve got a DIY kit, trying to get the perfect smile can actually turn out to be one of the worst beauty mistakes to avoid before holiday parties. You could end up with sensitivity that prevents you from enjoying any food or drink at the big party.
Getting a Little Botox
If you’ve done Botox before and enjoyed good results without any side-effects, go for it, with the same professional and the same product. Unfortunately, trying it for the first time is one of the biggest beauty mistakes to avoid before holiday parties, since you don’t know how you’ll look a week after the shots.
Trying New Body Wraps
Even body wraps can be problematic. They can’t really get rid of cellulite, even though many spas promise that. The best you can expect is relieving bloating and maybe getting fatty tissue compressed for a day or two. There’s also a worst case scenario, in which body wraps lead to dehydration, causing dry skin.