How to Look Great for Less this Holiday Season

by Jamie Simmerman · 6 comments

Holiday parties, family get-togethers, charity auctions, and dinners of all types are plentiful during the next two months. If you do not have at least one on your calendar, you are certainly the exception. In fact, some people have two or more holiday events scheduled every week from now until New Years! With all those festivities, you may be wondering how you can look your best without breaking your budget. Here are some tips for looking great this holiday season- for less.

How to Get More from Your Holiday Wardrobe
One of the biggest areas of expense when you have multiple parties to attend is your wardrobe. You do not want to wear the exact same thing to every event, but neither do you want to purchase several hundreds of dollars worth of new clothes just to get through the holidays.

To help stretch your wardrobe further, look for mix and match type items such as pants, skirts and jackets in neutral colors. You can dress these items up or down by adding a colorful scarf or tie, or your best jewelry. If you purchase separates, such as dress pants and a jacket, you can change your look by adding different colored tops and shoes to spice up the same outfit you wore to last week’s event. If you are going for a classy look, keep your shoes (and hosiery) the same color intensity (or darker) as your hemline. Otherwise, go for a fun or flirty look with whatever colors strike your fancy.

Party Till You Drop Without Losing Your Clothes
Ladies, get stubborn loose camisole and bra straps to stay in place by inserting shoulder pads under your bra straps. This keeps your undergarments in place and adds balance to your overall look. For bare shoulder garments, try using a strong hold hairspray applied to the skin. Stick the straps in place and allow the spray to dry for a little extra support.

If you plan to dance the night away, remember, antiperspirant isn’t just for the underarms. Apply your favorite antiperspirant to any areas of your body that tend to perspire. A solid antiperspirant can also keep skin from chaffing and can lessen the discomfort from clothing seams and fasteners.

The Holiday Bulge Bites Back
All this food is making me fat! You don’t want to invest in all new clothes, and alterations must be planned in advance! What do you do when you’ve temporarily outgrown your pants and skirts? If your favorite pair of jeans or dress pants are too tight after all your holiday feasting, you can give yourself an extra inch or two in the waist by using a rubber band to fasten your drawers. Loop the band through the button hole and then back through the band itself to create a slip knot, then loop the open end over your button to secure. Just be sure to carry an extra band or two in case one snaps.

3 Tips to Get More from Your Holiday Make-Up
Getting your makeup to last through a night of intense partying is no small feat. Instead of reapplying your make-up once or twice during an event, try out a few of these make-up saving tips.

  1. If you find your favorite foundation on sale, but in a shade darker than you prefer, go ahead and purchase it. You can add baby powder or translucent powder to a powdered foundation to lighten the shade and make it last twice as long. For liquid foundations, mix a few drops with your favorite moisturizer to create a sheer, natural look that lasts all night. Set your foundation with a finishing powder to create even more staying power. (Always apply a good moisturizer before applying foundation to keep your make-up from fading as the hours wear on.)
  2. Apply your favorite lipstick and set it for the night by dabbing a little rubbing alcohol over your lips. Just be sure to apply plenty of moisturizer later to keep your lips from becoming overly dry.
  3. Get the most from your mascara by prepping your lashes with a lash conditioner and using an eyelash curler for at least 20 seconds on each set of lashes. With this approach, you can use less mascara with maximum effects.
  4. If you want to update your look in a flash, see a professional eyebrow manicurist. Changing the position of your eyebrow arch or thinning out the shape of your brows can dramatically affect the overall appearance of your face. It’s often an investment worth making.
  5. If you’ve put on a few pounds lately, one way to avoid having people ask if you are expecting a new baby or if that new desk job is getting the best of you is to purchase clothing in a size larger than you would normally wear and have a seamstress alter it in strategic places to make the garment fit better without being too snug around the middle. This approach also allows you to purchase sale or clearance clothing that is too large and invest a few dollars more into alterations to create a high-quality outfit that you normally couldn’t afford for far less than the original ticketed price.

Looking your best during the holidays doesn’t have to be expensive. You can look great without spending a fortune on clothes and make-up, even when your holiday partying has the inevitable side effect of making you a little soft in the middle.

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  • Corina says:

    Great tips. Loved your advice on investing in clothing you can mix and match and definitely your tip on purchasing make up one to two shades darker and lightening it with baby powder.
    I hadn’t heard that tip before and will surely use it.

  • Corina says:

    Great tips, I particularly loved your advice on investing in clothing you can mix and match and definitely your tip on purchasing make up one to two shades darker and lightening it with baby powder. I hadn’t heard that tip before and will surely use it.

  • Janet says:

    I’ve only used deoderant where it was designed to be used, but maybe I’ll take you up on your trip and try it elsewhere. One thing my girlfriends and I agree on, though, is using men’s deoderant. It’s so much better.

  • Michael Douglas says:

    i should show this post to my brother and to my wife. They’re really having a crazy time looking for clothes that they’re gonna wear for the family reunion. Plus, my wife use a lot of powders and cosmetics. I think its the right time to do some improvements.

  • Jenna says:

    Buy one ugly holiday sweater at Goodwill and you are set for life 😉

  • Tracy O'Connor says:

    I had to laugh at the rubber band trick, Jamie – that’s what got me through the first 16-18 weeks of all my pregnancies.

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