‘Remember Christmas socialising is a marathon, not a sprint’

Christmas is coming. There’s no stopping it. But what you can stop is the inevitable onslaught that the party season wages on your body.

No matter what your social life is like normally, in the weeks leading up to and over Christmas, you’ll probably only find yourself actually without alcohol and food while you’re sleeping.

To make sure you get through the season looking and feeling your best you need to start preparing your body both inside and out.

Glowing skin and hair show you off better than any killer heels or dress you might have. The late nights, alcohol and excess make-up can all have detrimental effects on your skin.

There are plenty of vitamins specifically for the skin that can help to keep it looking healthy and prevent breakouts. Evening Primrose Oil and Starflower Oil are two, two easily available examples.

But the best thing for cleansing your whole system out is water. Drink as much as you can. Although it’s something that you’re always being told it really does work.

If you haven’t been doing it already, start exfoliating your skin at least once a week. You could follow this by applying a facemask that lets you relax while working wonders on your face.

The results are immediate with this and if you apply a good moisturiser afterwards the glow on your skin really will amaze you. Your make-up will go on better and the after-effects of a late night won’t be so noticeable.

Each outfit will naturally be accompanied by different hairstyles and shoes. A good dry shampoo will give your hair a boost without having to wash it.

The girls at the Irish beauty blog beaut.ie swear by Batiste but there are lots on the market.

For feet, the wish is for high heels to become unnecessary but they really do enhance everything. So plasters, insoles and Scholl’s party feet range are first on the list and the first thing you should try and fit into your handbag. To fake tan or not to fake tan, that is the question. And on that question it really is a personal choice. Yes, all clothes look good on sun kissed skin but what doesn’t look good is that sun kissed skin all over your clothes.

Keeping healthy on the inside is crucial - prevention really is better than cure. You know that a lot of alcohol is going to be consumed; the effects can be lessened on your body if you do a few simple things. Which leads us back to water again. Drink it before you go out and try having a glass of water between drinks. Definitely drink a few glasses before going asleep.

Your kidney and liver will be sustaining the most damage so give them a break. According to Jane Scrivner’s Quick Fix Hangover Detox, cranberry juice, bananas, black grapes, raw carrots and especially green tea are all great beforehand.

What you’re drinking can affect the scale of your hangover. Instead of mixing your spirits with spirits or with high sugar content drinks like red bull or coke, try cranberry juice, soda water or the diet variety of your regular mixer.

So you’ve had a great night and now it’s the morning after. Your first instinct is to grab something sugary, fatty, a bacon butty or a gallon of coffee. But stop right there, unfortunately all that good stuff is going to make you feel worse.
Fresh fruit, yoghurt and porridge are great or combine them all for a refreshing smoothie.

Remember Christmas socialising is a marathon not a sprint. By taking some simple steps you can finish the marathon in one piece as opposed to the human wreck that January usually finds you in.