MA Beauty Insider: New Year’s Eve Glamour at Home

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Donna Macdonald, GoLocalWorcester Beauty Expert

Keep it simple: Buy some fresh strawberries at the market and dip them in chocolate for a festive touch.

A wise sage (ok, my mother) said “New Year’s Eve is for amateurs”. That may or may not be true but everyone should still experience a few go-for-broke big New Year’s bashes. But if this is the year you overshot the Christmas budget, a child has the flu, or you’re just plain exhausted, a cozy New Year’s Eve at home can still be festive and full of all the glamour you crave. Here’s how to ring it in safe and warm and with a lot of fun for two:

Prepare

Besides the bottle of bubbly cooling in the fridge, pamper yourself to set the right mood. Now is the time to use that beautiful scented soap you found in your Christmas stocking. Take a luxurious bubble bath with some of the beauty treatments you received as presents and you will ring in the New Year more gorgeous than ever. If not now, when?

Romanticize

Toss a warm pretty throw on the couch. Download some Sinatra. Change up your living area with a little crystalline sparkle by creating a lovely coffee table tableaux of white candles on a silver tray. Get out your wedding day toasting glasses. Who cares if they’re etched with “Bride” and “Groom”? The reminder will set a starry-eyed tone. Take the time to light the fire (also in the fireplace if you’re lucky enough to have one).

Food for two

If you have leftover Christmas cheeses, arrange them anew in a flat basket with some gourmet crackers and seedless grapes which are so sweet this time of year. Or buy some fresh strawberries at the market and dip them in the chocolate for a festive touch. Keep it simple and romantic.

No Tech

Keep your laptop in another room and turn the TV off – at least until the ball starts to drop. Pretend you’re before the fire in a special country inn. Listen to that Sinatra or some classical choices. It goes without saying, but a bowed head over a cell phone isn’t going to inspire starry notions in your partner. Instead, chat about the kids if you must but also your wishes for the coming year or a few of those cherished dreams you have. Plan your vacation if you’ve got one coming or just recap your favorite times from the waning year.

Dress the part

Full on evening wear à la Downton Abbey is not completely out of the question but chances are you’ll want to be comfy instead. Boost the excitement with a little bling. Do you have a top with a smattering of sequins? Paired it with your favorite jeans to create an interesting juxtaposition in your look. If he gave you a stunning cashmere sweater for Christmas, now’s the time to show how much you love it. Wear it with warm leggings and cute flats and you’ll be dazzling AND cozy. Don’t forget a spritz of your favorite winter perfume and slick on some lipgloss too. It’s ok to be more natural in the make-up department but a little effort will give the evening the importance it deserves.

Take-aways

New Year’s Eve may be steeped in ancient traditions and rites but it can also be filled with tired clichés. If you’ve chosen to be home, or even if you must out of necessity, celebrate this magical wintry night with style, romance, and grace. It could be the start of something truly new.

Donna Macdonald is a freelance writer who enjoys covering topics of interest to women, especially fragrance, style, beauty. She has also written marketing material for a women's book that hit the New York Times Bestseller list and netted her an up close and personal discussion on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Donna currently writes her own personal blog, alovelyinconsequence.blogspot.com where she also writes about issues close to a woman's heart. Donna believes that when a woman finds beauty in the world, she will find beauty in herself.

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