Metallic Lips
Red is the classic color for nighttime revelry, but it's a lot easier to instantly switch up your shade by simply adding a metallic gloss over whatever you already have on. Any of the colors made by Black/Up work wonderfully—they're lightweight, have a pearly finish and are intensely pigmented for women of all color.
To buy: Black/Up Cosmetics, $18
Smoky Eyes
One of the easiest ways to transition from day to night is with the smoky eye, which is highly underrated in terms of ease—all you need to do to create the look is smudge! On the back of your hand, mix a little bit of a neutral gray shadow with concealer to make it creamy. Then dab it on your eyelid with your fingers, blend it gently and top with a layer of silvery metallic shadow. Make the process even easier with this CoverGirl Smoky ShadowBlast stick.
To buy: Target, $7
Metallic Eyes
If you're not feeling the dark and smoky eye, it's just as easy to apply a bright metallic shade—shimmery gold, silver, copper and bronze work with any skin tone. Apply it dry, and you're good to go. You can also wet an eyeshadow brush and apply a thin line as an eyeliner for more dazzle. This palette by Shany has enough color choices to let you play around for months.
To buy: Shany, $18
CoverGirl Outlast
For those long days when you're going straight from work to a holiday party, CoverGirl's Outlast formulas are the perfect solution. The Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation (in Creamy Natural), which fuses primer, concealer and foundation in one easy step, provides a flawless, matte look that lasts all day long, while the Outlast All-Day Lipcolor (in Ever Red-dy) has a moisturizing topcoat that helps lock in shine for up to 16 hours of coverage.
To buy: Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation, $9; Outlast All-Day Lipcolor, $9
Cat Eyes
The perfect cat eye is one of those makeup techniques that's just hard—which is why we're so excited about Jesse's Girl Cosmetics' new Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner. It has a unique Japanese calligraphy-style brush that makes the look super easy. Pull your eyelid taut and, starting at the middle of your upper lash line, draw a line to the outer corner of your eye. (This is the trick that makes application foolproof.) Then go to the inner corner of your eye, and draw a line back to the middle. To make the wing, start from however far out you'd like it to go, and draw one line back to your outer eye corner. Finally, draw another line to create the desired shape and fill in the wing.
To buy: Jesse's Girl, $7
Bright Glow
Here's one of our best time-saving tips: Do your eyes first. This way, if you have to clean up any excess shadow or pigment, you won't have to redo your entire face. And if you're time-starved, don't even think about putting on more foundation. All you need is a little glow to brighten up your skin. Dab on a bit of lightweight moisturizer, then add a very sheer layer of highlighter, like this cream product in rose gold.
To buy: Topshop, $18
Shimmer
If you prefer a more matte face and a subtler glow for night, stick to your usual foundation and apply a light dusting of a shimmery powder. Or, skip the foundation altogether and simply apply your favorite moisturizer, wait until it's fully absorbed and then use a soft, fluffy blush brush to lightly dust your skin with sparkle. Kryolan's Glamour Sparks powder is high-luster and iridescent, and can be applied over regular eye shadow (preferably cream) or lipstick. Or, use it to add glow to your shoulders, legs and any other body parts by sprinkling it over a bit of lotion.
To buy: Naimie's, $11
Light Blush
This may seem counterintuitive, but you don't actually need a lot of blush for the evening—your cheeks are likely to be flushed with excitement already. Subtle is the way to go, and you can't go wrong with any of the blushes by Illamasqua. While a bit pricy, they last forever, and blend perfectly without looking caky or fake.
To buy: Illamasqua, $50
Glittery Nails
A sparkly nail color will instantly get you in the party mood. When taking the time for a manicure isn't an option, though, choose a polish that only needs one coat to apply. Put it on at least half an hour before leaving so it has time to dry without smudging. We like Nails Inc. London's Special Effects Sprinkles polish. Apply it over whatever color you have on already, and you'll look like you have tiny snowflakes glittering on your nails.
To buy: Sephora, $9
Party Locks
When you're rushing from the office to a nighttime event, you probably don't have much time for hair styling. Using the right kind of product, though, can instantly transform tired end-of-day hair into lively party locks. We like Pravana's Model Behavior Shaping Cream, which is enriched with botanicals to make your hair behave. A little dab will build body and shine—and create a great scent! Apply to dry hair for a smooth finish or let it air-dry on dampened hair to define waves or curls; or, if you can spare a few minutes to blow-dry, apply to wet hair for a sleek look.
To buy: Hair Care Choices, $19
Seductive Scent
Last but never least, choose a perfume that is much headier than your unobtrusive daytime scent. Nothing says day-to-night more deliciously than an intoxicating spritz of perfume that will have you leaving a delectable hint of seduction in your wake. We love Malin & Goetz's unisex Dark Rum Eau de Toilette because of its sweet and spicy extracts of bergamot, plum, amber and patchouli mixed with rum, leather and cream scents.
To buy: Malin & Goetz, $150
