1. When it comes to lips or eyes, make it an either/or situation. The combination of dark, glossy lips with heavy, vampish eyes never looks as good in real life as it does in a photo shoot, where the model is carefully lit.
2. No matter how tired you are, don’t overdo the under-eye concealer. Remember: no one has completely shadow-free eyes. Anything with an overly pink base will show up extra-bright in photographs, so to avoid the reverse panda effect go for something yellow-based, such as Bobbi Brown’s Creamy Concealer, which has great staying power (£16; bobbibrown.co.uk).
3. Don’t wear too much perfume. Overpowering fragrance is as much of a turn-off as bad breath.
4. Clean your teeth before going out after a long day at the office. It’ll perk you up.
5. Beware red lipstick. It will look great to begin with, but as the evening progresses it will start to fade. Being highly pigmented, though, it will leave an unsightly stain on your lips, which will mean you will have to keep topping it up – and there’s nothing more off-putting than a tipsy woman with a wonky mouth and vermilion teeth.
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6. Be careful about careless deodorant application as you rush to get changed; the same goes for moisturiser and any form of last-minute depilation. Just leave it. Chances are no one will notice a bit of leg stubble; they will, however, notice a shaving cut.
7. Don’t be fooled into thinking you can wear glitter just because it’s the party season. If you have even the tiniest crow’s-feet, all the glitter will migrate there, highlighting your wrinkles.
8. Apply eyeliner to your top lid, but not underneath. This will help open up the gaze and instantly make you look perkier.
9. Get your eyebrows properly shaped. A cleanly arched eyebrow is half the battle when it comes to looking groomed. Threading provides the sharpest finish, and Blink is the best for threading (blinkbrowbar.com).
10. Invest in a pair of eyelash curlers – there is no quicker way of glamming up the eye. MAC has a great pair, £12 (maccosmetics.co.uk).
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11. Buy new mascara – it pays to have one that can withstand all eventualities. Clinique High Impact Curling Mascara (£14.50, left; clinique.co.uk) is virtually indestructible. It will only come off with warm water; otherwise it will stay put through heat, rain, sweat and tears.
12. Take your make-up off before your head hits the pillow, no matter how exhausted you are. A couple of minutes in front of the mirror can be soothingly sobering, and you can drink a big glass of water while you’re at it. Origins A Perfect World Cleanser (£15; origins.co.uk) is a lovely foaming wash that will gently lift off grime, and lessen your chances of coming to the following day with an unsightly spot.