Work to play: the 10 best multi-tasking beauty cheats for party season

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The 10 best multi-tasking beauty cheats for party season

With party season now upon us, but our workloads not easing up (or possibly even growing?!) we’ve been on the hunt for some multi-tasking makeup  and skincare  must-haves to take us from work to play or day to night with the least amount of effort possible. Office Christmas parties are on their way after all, and we need some quick fixes to make sure we look our best when we’re short on time.

From cheek and lip tints to skin perfectors, contouring necessities to hair essentials, we’ve compiled our edit of the most versatile beauty buys around that no makeup bag should be seen without this winter. Click through our gallery to see our makeup tips and which products made our pre-party prep hit lists...

Image: Catwalking.com

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Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré + Gloss, £15

Primer, moisturiser, lip gloss and makeup remover in one (yes, you heard us correctly), this skin care must-have makes for one of the best boardroom to bar essentials around. With the award-winning Lait-Crème Concentré underneath a balm-tipped top, all bases are covered for keeping dryness and chapped lips at bay thanks to a nourishing combination of conditioning ingredients to leave both skin and pouts supple, soft and hydrated.

Buy online here .

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Urban Decay Naked Flushed, £22

A blusher, bronzer and highlighter in one, this triple threat skin and glow enhancer contains all the tools you need to give your complexion a quick hit of natural colour before hitting the town. The subtle iridescence and combination of flattering shades work in perfect harmony to enhance, highlight and contour  in one fell swoop, to have you exuding a radiant luminosity from dusk till dawn.

Buy online here .

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Clinique Chubby Stick Cheek Colour Balm in Roly Poly Posy, £19

A stationary essential, this foolproof crayon gives cheeks and eyes and even lips a quick pop of natural colour that looks healthy, glowy and most importantly, completely believable. Supremely easy to handle with a texture that melts like butter and blends like a dream, this universally flattering shade is our favourite for providing a fast track pick-me-up at the end of the most draining of days.

Buy online here .

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NARS The Multiple in South Beach, £30

A sophisticated golden touch to cheeks, eyes and lips, this multi-purpose shimmer stick gives skin the perfect finishing touch for the party season. Blend with fingertips onto the high points of the face to catch the light like a pro and add a luminous warmth to complexions missing their daily dose of vitamin D.

Buy online here .

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MAC Cream Colour Base in Root, £15

Creamy, compact and versatile, the number of uses for this pot of clever colour is limitless. Whether blended on cheekbones to sculpt or applied to eyes for a bold wet-look smokey eye, either apply alone or layer on top of your base of choice to add contrast and definition. Although this shade is best suited to olive and dark skin tones, the range comes in a variety of different colours from the bright white shimmer Luna for a soft highlight, to the striking pink Madly Magenta. It’s the backstage Fashion Week secret  the pros swear by.

Buy online here .

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RMS Beauty Lip2Cheek in IIlusive, £28

Conditioning, nourishing and not too heavy, this lip, eye and cheek tint ticks all the boxes for providing a speedy beauty fix when you’re on-the-go. Gluten-free and enriched with a luxurious combination of rose hip oil and coconut oil, the delicate rosy plum hue in particular makes for the ideal shade to suit any occasion whether you’re going black tie or little black dress.

Buy online here .

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L'Oréal Professionnel Tecni Art Dual Stylers Liss & Pump-up, £14.99

Volumising on one hand, smoothing on the other, this dual function crème/gel hybrid is the blowdry booster our frizzy hair has been waiting for. Simply apply a couple of pumps to damp hair pre-night out for an extra dose of humidity-proof  protection to keep hair slick, straight and styled no matter how crammed the dancefloor gets.

Buy online here .

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YSL Kiss & Blush in Fuchsia Desinvolte, £27

For cheeks and lips looking for a dose of statement colour this season, look no further than this playful but elegant show-stopping pink. Matte in finish and eye-catching in effect, the slick ‘hidden pearl’ applicator applies smoothly to lips and cheeks, leaving a veil of intense vibrant colour in its wake for attention-grabbing impact.

Buy online here .

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Clarins Beauty Flash Balm, £29

If the winter elements can leave your skin feeling dehydrated, tight and in need of extra attention, this SOS ointment will help soothe, smooth and quench dry skin effectively and efficiently and help eradicate seasonal imperfections. A moisturiser, primer, face mask and anti-ager in one, it’s the added touch of moxie our skin care regimes' required for seeing it through snow till spring.

Buy online here .

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BECCA Beach Tint in Watermelon, £20

This small but mighty makeup multitasker makes for the ideal clutch bag friendly  shot of colour that stays put through thick and thin. Great either used alone or mixed in with your favourite makeup staple to give cheeks and lips extra wow factor, keep this pocket rocket on standby in your desk drawer to go from work to play with minimum effort, maximum output.

Buy online here .