Christmas hair and beauty tips from Cotswold Essence

While we all dream of being pampered at the hair salon before a big Christmas night out, more often the reality of our busy lives means that we are rushing from desk or domesticity to delectable diva with only a precious hour to spare.

However with some top tips from the experts and a selection of the newest products you can still achieve that 'salon perfect' appearance for your festive engagements.

Plan ahead for the party season by booking hair appointments early - particularly for colour. Popular salons are usually fully booked in the run up to Christmas and an early appointment also gives you the chance to experiment with new cosmetics to compliment colour and style.

This season contrasting tones such as highlighting brown with black and nearly black will help bring your style into the 21st century. But above all great colour will give you a confidence boost even if all you have time for is a quick blow dry before your night out.

This winter has seen a return to clean sharp lines for hair. The sleek and blunt bob with a contemporary twist has become one of the hottest looks this season.

This style just cries out for a super clean and groomed look but if time doesn't allow Emil Buchner at Salon Emil in Cirencester recommends using a texturising wax such as Wella's High Hair Punk Chic to tousle short hair into a funkier party style while also hiding tired limp hair.

If damp weather threatens to ruin your day to evening look, forget a frantic rush home for the hair straighteners. The new Neocurl from Corioliss is the UK's first luxury cordless hair straightener meaning you can reach straight into your handbag for perfect hair.

Completely portable and compact, these battery operated straighteners can be recharged at your desk or even on the move in your car, heating up in one only minute.

For mid length hair Velcro rollers can come to the rescue, with the help of hairspray such as MOP's (Modern Organic Products) new eco-friendly Glisten Finish Spray. The spray, which builds up fine hair used with the rollers can give body and shape to hair in just ten minutes.

Use a hairdryer (or even a hand-dryer!) to quicken up the process and still give the 'just been to the hairdressers' look in no time at all.

Richard Thompson of the Fellowship for British Hairdressing recommends that longer hair be twisted in large sections and pinned up, spritzed with spray and left for as long as it takes to change and apply make up. When ready shake the hair loose for sexy, sultry curls - perfect to create the season's super-full but casually undone style.

Finally if you do manage to squeeze in a last minute blow dry at the salon, ask for a head massage. It will help soothe tension leaving you revived, refreshed and ready to party.

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Unless you haven't been near a beauty counter for some time you cannot have failed to notice the vibrant range of colours on display for this season.

And if a girl ever needed an excuse to revamp her make-up bag, then the range available for Christmas this year must surely be it.

The make up palette reflects the richness of colour around in fashion this winter and is seductive and sexy but with one key change - it is more colourful that we normally expect in winter.

This is in keeping with the eclectic mix of colour and texture that we have seen in designer collections.

Earth tones have always traditionally been the mainstay of any winter look but this year orange tones have been substituted for warmer taupes and soft wearable pink shades such as the Pink Gold Metallic Crme Eye Colour (£18) from Laura Mercier's new Pure Metal range.

Whilst adding shimmer, these tones are still subtle creating an understated backdrop for the intensity of stronger colours such as Clarins Deep Shimmer Intense Eye Colour Vibrant Violet (£11.50).

The key to wearing these exciting colours is graded shading. Begin with the lightest colour applied from the upper lash line to the brow, shade the middle hue into the socket line and blend the darkest colour continuously around the upper and lower lash lines to crate a dramatic circle of colour.

To take the look up a level try Deep Purple Dramatic Lashes (£7) from the new Per Una collection. But even if this is a little too adventurous a new mascara should definitely feature high on your Christmas present list to yourself.

Barbara Daly's new Double Dimension Mascara (available from larger branches of Tesco) at only £5.50 performs well against more expensive designer brands.

Its ultra slim lower lash wand allows you to apply mascara with precision to the bottom lashes while the top lash brush contains a lengthening and volumising formula for fuller longer lashes allowing you to recreate a great party look.

And if all of this still hasn't got you in the festive mood yet, then how about some easy glamour from Molton Brown's Limited edition Christmas Wonder Lips Brilliance (£19.00). Among its new rich and super-hydrating colours are 'Sequin','Champagne' and even a glistening silver 'Sleigh ride!'

Party Rescue Remedies

* Save time and money by choosing the right make up bag this season. Think velvet, luxurious and sumptuous and it will double as a gorgeous evening purse to see you from day to night. Just grab and go! Try Accessorize in Cirencester and Cheltenham for a wide range.

* New shoes? - no problem. Don't leave home without Scholl's Party Feet gel cushions (£4.99) and gel sore spots (£3.99) available at Boots and chemists everywhere.

* If you're out of time to reapply full make up try Luminous Eye Care from the Barbara Daly range at Tesco. Treatment and Cosmetic all in one its cucumber extracts will help soften fine lines around the eyes and combat dryness when applied over existing make up £5.50

* And if despite everything you still forget something try investing in every girl's best friend - the 'Krisiskit' from www.krisiskit.co.uk at £4.99 for a selection of life-saving items it's a must.