There’s something wonderful about having a proper excuse to dress up.
Not just changing your shoes before heading out for a drink after work, but an event that involves a beautiful dress, perhaps a pair of heels you haven’t worn for a while, and a little more thought than usual about your hair and makeup.
Whether it’s Christmas party hair and makeup for a company celebration or something a little more glamorous for a black-tie ball, the aim is always the same: to feel beautiful, elegant and entirely yourself.
And while choosing the outfit can be enjoyable, there’s another consideration that tends to creep in as the date approaches.
How am I actually going to be perceived on the night?
Because it’s one thing to fall in love with a beautiful outfit. It’s quite another to put the whole look together and feel completely comfortable wearing it.
When you want to feel glamorous, but still feel like yourself
I think there’s an interesting dynamic to getting dressed up for a corporate Christmas event.
For much of the year, your colleagues see you in a professional setting. You might be running meetings, managing a team, meeting clients, or simply going about your working day.
Then suddenly, you’re all together in a ballroom, wearing evening dresses and dinner jackets, with a glass of champagne in hand.
It’s a very different environment.
And while it’s lovely to have the opportunity to dress up, I suspect there’s sometimes a little hesitation about looking too glamorous in front of people who normally know you in a very different context, particularly if you’ve spent years establishing yourself professionally.
Of course, that doesn’t mean you should hold back, but I do think there’s something to be said for hair and makeup that makes you feel beautiful without making you feel unlike yourself and like it’s a bit too much.
You can wear a gorgeous evening dress, have your hair beautifully styled, and enjoy a little more glamour than usual without feeling as though you’ve arrived in disguise.
And that, to me, is what good occasion hair and makeup is all about.
You’ve found the dress. Now what?
We’ve all been there. You’ve spent ages finding the right outfit, perhaps had it altered, found the perfect shoes and finally decided which earrings to wear.
And then, a few days before the event, you realise you haven’t given your hair or makeup much thought.
Or perhaps you’ve saved a photograph of an elaborate hairstyle that looks absolutely beautiful on someone else, but have no idea whether it will work with your hair, your dress or, frankly, your patience.
This is where having a professional artist can be particularly helpful.
Hair and makeup shouldn’t be considered separately from everything else you’re wearing. They’re part of the overall look.
A beautifully tailored dress might look wonderful with a sleek, understated hairstyle. Something softer or more romantic could suit a little movement around the face. If you’re wearing fabulous earrings, why hide them?
The same goes for makeup.
Sometimes a beautifully defined eye and fresh, luminous skin are all that’s needed. Other times, a stronger lip or a more glamorous evening look feels absolutely right.
There’s no rule that says Christmas makeup has to involve glitter. Although if you love glitter, by all means embrace it!
The point is to create something that works for you, rather than simply following whatever happens to be fashionable that December.
Looking beautiful shouldn’t mean feeling uncomfortable
One thing I’ve learnt from years of working with clients is that there’s a big difference between admiring a particular makeup look and actually enjoying wearing it.
You might love the idea of a dramatic smoky eye, but if you’re constantly checking your reflection because you feel self-conscious, it’s probably not the right look for you.
Equally, if you rarely wear makeup, having someone apply considerably more than you’re accustomed to isn’t necessarily going to make you feel more confident.
A good makeup artist should be able to read that.
We always want to understand how our clients usually wear their hair and makeup, what they’re comfortable with and whether there’s anything they’d particularly like to try.
Sometimes that means gently encouraging someone to be a little more adventurous. Other times, it means knowing when to leave well enough alone.
And of course, the practicalities matter too!
A Christmas ball or gala dinner can be a long evening. There may be photographs, speeches, dinner, dancing, and several hours between leaving home and finally taking your shoes off.
Your hair and makeup need to last, without requiring constant attention.
Because nobody wants to spend the evening wondering whether their hair is collapsing or their lipstick has migrated halfway across their face!
Making an occasion of getting ready
I actually think one of the loveliest parts of booking professional hair and makeup is the experience of getting ready.
Particularly at Christmas, when everything can feel rather hectic. There are deadlines to meet, presents to organise, people to see and an extraordinary number of things competing for your attention.
So the prospect of rushing home from work, washing your hair, attempting to style it, applying your makeup and getting dressed in approximately 45 minutes isn’t especially appealing.
Having an artist come to your home or hotel gives you the chance to enjoy the process. This moment of calm in the makeup chair is sacred.
You can put some music on, have a cup of tea (or something a little stronger) and let somebody else take care of the details.
It’s also rather nice to have someone there who knows exactly what they’re doing, particularly if you’ve invested in a beautiful outfit and want everything to come together.
And if you’re not someone who regularly spends much time on hair and makeup, there’s no reason you should suddenly have to become an expert just because you’ve been invited to a ball.
Making an occasion of getting ready
I actually think one of the loveliest parts of booking professional hair and makeup is the experience of getting ready.
Particularly at Christmas, when everything can feel rather hectic. There are deadlines to meet, presents to organise, people to see and an extraordinary number of things competing for your attention.
So the prospect of rushing home from work, washing your hair, attempting to style it, applying your makeup and getting dressed in approximately 45 minutes isn’t especially appealing.
Having an artist come to your home or hotel gives you the chance to enjoy the process. This moment of calm in the makeup chair is sacred.
You can put some music on, have a cup of tea (or something a little stronger) and let somebody else take care of the details.
It’s also rather nice to have someone there who knows exactly what they’re doing, particularly if you’ve invested in a beautiful outfit and want everything to come together.
Christmas events aren’t just about the guests
Of course, Christmas is also a busy season for corporate events, awards ceremonies and gala dinners, where the people taking to the stage have their own considerations.
Hosts, presenters, auctioneers and VIP guests may be photographed, filmed or appearing under strong stage lighting.
We’ve worked with professionals preparing for these sorts of occasions, including auctioneers attending charity auctions and corporate events outside their usual working environment.
For anyone appearing in front of an audience, professional hair and makeup isn’t simply about looking glamorous. It’s about creating a polished appearance that works in person, on stage and on camera.
And for organisers, arranging this in advance means one less thing for a busy presenter or host to worry about on the day.
At CJC Hair & Makeup, our corporate styling services can be arranged for individual presenters, hosts and VIPs, or as part of a wider event production.
A little forward planning goes a long way
If you have a Christmas ball, gala dinner or black-tie event in the diary, it’s worth arranging your hair and makeup sooner rather than later.
November and December can become busy very quickly, particularly on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
When you enquire, it’s helpful to know where you’ll be getting ready, what time you need to leave and whether you’re looking for hair styling, makeup or both.
You don’t need to have decided exactly how you’d like to look. That’s something we can work through together.
Any details of what you envision for your look are helpful, and if you have a photograph of your outfit, then that’s great too as we can see exactly what we’re working towards.
Your evening, your style
Ultimately, I don’t think getting dressed up should be about trying to impress everybody else in the room.
It’s about enjoying the opportunity to wear something beautiful, feel a little glamorous, and most importantly, have a wonderful evening.
Whether that means an elegant updo and a statement lip, or softly styled hair and makeup that looks almost effortless, the right choice is the one that makes you feel good.
After all, the best compliment isn’t necessarily that somebody loves your makeup; it’s that you look and feel absolutely wonderful.
Christmas event hair and makeup in London
CJC Hair & Makeup provides professional hair and makeup for Christmas balls, gala dinners, black-tie celebrations and special occasions across London and beyond.
Our artists can come to your home, hotel or event venue, creating a look that’s entirely tailored to you and the occasion.
For availability and bookings, email Zoe at hello@cjchairandmakeup.com or use the contact form here.
By Camilla Collins.
Camilla Collins is the founder of CJC Hair & Makeup, leading a team of experienced hair and makeup artists working across corporate production, weddings, events, TV, film and live appearances.
With more than 15 years of industry experience, Camilla specialises in the relationship between appearance, confidence and how people show up when it matters.
