The NYE Getting Ready Routine

I don't know about you but before a big night out, I have my get ready routine meticulously planned. Everything from what time I'll get a bath. when I'll paint my nails and which lipstick I'm going to wear is pre planned! I'm not sure why I do this but I've always been the same - I think having a step by step routine helps keep me calm whilst getting ready as everything is in its place ready to be used and it prevents me from turning my room upside down looking for things. Or maybe I'm just a bit of a control freak and like everything to be 'just right'. I'll let you decide!

With this being said, it gave me the idea for this post - my New Years Eve getting ready routine. I tend to do this routine for most nights out but with NYE being an extra special night, I got all the products I'll be using together and took some photos so you can have a sneak peek at what I'll be pampering and beautifying myself with this evening. Looking at these photos, it looks like a LOT of products and I didn't quite realise just how many I used but they all serve a purpose for making me feel my best before a big night out. Enjoy!

Step 1: The Bath

SThe first thing I like to do before my night out is run myself a nice hot bath with a Lush bath bomb. This just makes my bath more fun and luxurious so I can have a relaxing soak and pamper myself! Before getting in the bath I'll apply the Philip Kingsley Elasticizer to my hair which is a pre shampoo treatment and brilliant for making my hair more manageable, smooth and shiny! Whilst in the bath, I'll wash my hair with my trusty Touch of Silver Twice A Week Brightening Shampoo and the Paul Mitchell 'The Detangler' Conditioner* to brighten my colour and make my my hair more manageable. I'll then pop on a face and hair mask and leave them to do their magic whilst doing the usual bath time things such as shaving and having a wash. Ew! The two masks I plan to use tonight are the Rodial Super Acids Extreme Hangover mask* and although I'll more than likely need it to cute tomorrow's hangover, I'm using it tonight to make my skin look radiant. As the name suggests, it contains acids that will help remove any dead skin cells or dry patches and ensure my makeup goes on smoothly. The hair mask I intend on using is one I got in a set for Christmas - the John Freida Sheer Blonde Conditioning Treatment! When that's all done and I've chilled, its time to get out ...

Step 2: Tanning

Once out of the bath, I like to apply a bit of false tan so I don't look too pasty on my night out! The tan I've been loving at the moment is the ModelCo Dark Instant Tanning Mousse* - it provides instant colour, smells lovely and is very natural looking. I don't like to go too overboard with tan so one coat is usually enough. I sometimes apply this the night before too!

Step 3: Nails

When the tan is on, its time for nails. I usually do my toes first and tonight I'm planning to use Victoria from Nails Inc which is a lovely deep purple and I might add Piccadilly Place which is a silver glitter on top. It is NYE after all - sparkle is allowed! I've also got some ImPRESS nails in the shade 'Rated R', a lovely deep burgundy shade which I intend to wear on my fingers. I probably won't apply these until I've done my makeup though because knowing my luck, they'll pop straight off!

Step 4: Skincare

Before applying my makeup, I like to thoroughly prep my skin for makeup so I start by giving my lips a scrub with a Lush lip scrub* to remove any dry skin. I then apply my Elemis Advanced Brightening Even Tone Serum* and Pro-Collagen Ultra Rich Moisturiser* which I find work perfectly together to plump up my skin and provide a smooth base for my makeup! To finish, I pop on some of my Rodial Glam Balm Lip Balm* which is a current fave!

Step 5: The Music

Yes, that's right, a very important part of my getting ready routine is the accompanying soundtrack. Don't lie and tell me you don't dance around your room to the likes of Taylor Swift and One Direction too? Guilty! In all seriousness though, my favourite music always gets me in the mood to party!

Step 6: The Makeup

Now my skin is all prepped, its time for makeup! I like to take my time doing my makeup before a night out and I usually add in extra steps that I wouldn't for a day to day look such as primer, contouring and false lashes. I'm not going to go through my whole makeup routine as that's another post entirely but here's a few of the products I'll be using tonight. I like to kick things off with my Benefit Porefessional Primer* so I've got a smooth and even base for my foundation and it also helps my makeup stay in place all night. My go-to foundation at the moment is the Bourjois Healthy Mix as it provides my skin with a beautiful glow and a flawless finish. I like to use my MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural Powder to set my base in place and then I'll be using my new NARS Virtual Domination cheek palette for bronze and blush. I also like to use MAC Harmony Blush before a night out to add some extra definition to my cheekbones. I finish my base off by adding the Bobbi Brown Pink Glow Highlighter * to the tops of my cheekbones - this is such a beautiful product! I like to wear my favourite Lord & Berry Polish Eye Liner* to add some definition to my eyes, as well as my favourite The Vintage Cosmetic Company 'Gracie' Lashes for a glamorous look. The lip duo I'm going for tonight are MAC Soar Lip Liner and MAC Brave lipstick - a very Kylie Jenner 90's combo!

Step 7: The Hair

I totally forgot to take a photo of all the hair bits I use but I like to start by running Moroccan Oil through the mid to end lengths of my hair and spritzing the Clynol Wonder 10 Treatment Spray* all over to keep it protected from heat. I then blast my hair upside down with my hairdryer to create volume and then lift it at the roots with my ghd barrel brush. When its completely dry, I pop in my HK Quad Weft Hair Piece from Dirty Looks which adds a bit of volume to my own hair as its the same length! After that I like to spray it with heat protector again and then add some soft curls to the bottoms with my ghd Eclipse Straighteners*. I then like to spritz is with some Charles Worthington Texturising Spray to give it a bit more texture and volume!

Step 8: The Outfit

After I've pampered and preened myself, its time to put on my outfit! Tonight I'm wearing this absolutely stunning dress from Miss Selfridge which I picked up in the sales. It was reduced from £99 to £30 which is a serious bargain (find it here)! I think its the perfect New Years Eve dress - if NYE isn't a good enough excuse to wear a bit of sparkle, what is? I also love the 1930's feel of it and that its very elegant and ladylike. I'm going out to a nice restaurant with my boyfriend and two of our friends tonight so I didn't want anything too short or revealing! I plan to pair it with the cute black box clutch photographed above which my mum got me for Christmas and a pair of simple black courts. I'm sure there'll be some full length pictures on my instagram @kayleighjcouture later this evening so keep an eye out if you want to see how it looks on!

Step 9: The Finishing Touches

So now I've got my tan, hair, makeup and nails looking fab, its time for the finishing touches! As my dress is a statement piece, I'm keeping it very simple with jewellery and sticking to my Daniel Wellington Sheffield watch and Pandora Mother of Pearl ring. I then like to add some Vitamin E Shimmer Body Lotion to my arms and legs to add a nice sheen, spritz my hair with the Orofluido Shine Spray and finally a spritz of my favourite perfume! Chloe is photographed here but I'll be wearing my new Yohji Yamamoto her Love Story perfume which i got for Christmas from my Nanna as its my new fave!

Step 10: Clutch Bag Packing

Before I can leave the door for my night out, there's one last thing I need to do and that's pack my clutch bag full of essentials ready for the night ahead! Phone, money and ID - check! Makeup for touch ups - check! Mini hairspray - check! Mini perfume - check! I think that's everything I need, right?

Step 11: PARTY!!!!!!!!

Now all that's left to do is crack open the bubbly and have a good old night! Woo!!

I hope you all enjoyed seeing my night out get ready routine! I know it might seem a bit extreme to some but for me, the whole process of getting ready is all part of the fun and its the one time I really get to give myself a good old pamper so I'm feeling and looking my best. I am a beauty blogger after all, did you really expect anything less? 

Whatever you're doing tonight, I hope you al have a wonderful New Years Eve and an even better New Year! Here's to 2015!

Lots of love,

TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | INSTAGRAM