If you have a big night coming up or you just want to look extra special, here are some very important steps you need to follow before you leave the house. This is prepping yourself for a night out 101!

1. Exfoliate

One of the important steps is to exfoliate….everywhere. It doesn’t matter if it’s winter or summer, your skin will give off a much healthier glow if you exfoliate. So choose a good exfoliator and rub in circular motions all over your body- especially rough areas such as knees, elbows, and heels. Now get a gentle face exfoliator and do the same for your face, just don’t be too rough or you’ll end up sloughing off more than you should. Exfoliating will leave your skin feeling super soft and silky, and give you a beautiful glow.

2. Moisturize

It is extremely important that you moisturize your skin as soon as you get out of the tub or shower. So after you’ve patted yourself dry, slather on some lotion and work it all over your body and massaging, circular motions. This will get your blood flowing which in turn will make your skin look that much better. Put extra lotion on your feet, heels, and elbows. Also, don’t forget to use a good moisturizer for your face as well- don’t be cheap, your face will need something good to stay soft and moisturized.

3. Tan

By tan, I don’t mean run to the tanning salon and burn yourself. Instead, try a healthier, more skin-safe option. Opt for a good self-tanner and use that on the areas you’ll show off such as your legs, arms, back, and whatever else will be exposed. Use a different self-tanner for your face and mix it with a little bit of lotion (this will make sure you don’t turn out orange!). Let it dry for about 10 minutes.

4. Blow-Dry

When it comes to blow-drying your hair, everyone’s got a different way. Depending on your hair type, blow-drying can take you just a few minutes or even an hour. So if you’ve got really thick hair, try letting it air dry about 80% of the way, and then start blow-drying. You can do the same for thin hair, as this will minimize the damaging effects of the heat to your already fragile hair. While the hair is wet, apply a good anti-frizz serum to the roots and the ends. To get that extra volume, work a quarter sized-amount of volumizing mousse through your mane, and run a brush through. Now depending on the amount of volume or hair style you want, blow-dry your hair either to straighten it with a brush or upside down for extra boost.

5. Apply Makeup

Start off with a clean face. Now that your self-tanner has dried, you can start by apply a foundation or a redness reducer. Make sure it matches your skin tone otherwise it’ll show! To make sure your foundation stays put all night, apply a matte powder all over your face. For an extra glow, try a translucent powder- you’ll see a huge difference. Get a darker blush color than you would normally wear during the day, and swipe it on the apples of your cheeks. Go as high as you can so you get beautiful, defined cheeks. If you have oily skin, it is best to use a powder blush, while those with dry skin can also use liquid or cream blushes.

6. Get Smoldering Eyes

To really get noticed, you need to focus on your eyes. That means spending more time on your eyes than on anything else. Start off by apply a little bit of concealer on your eye lids. This will ensure that your eyeshadow stays put all night. Swipe on a neutral color from the bottom all the way to the brow bone. Get a darker shade and blend it in with the neutral color, but this time don’t go all the way up…just leave if a little bit higher than the crease. Finish off with a swipe of dark midnight blue or black eyeshadow to get that smoldering effect. Blend well with your fingers. Line your eyes with a black eyeliner at the top and bottom. Curl your lashes with an eyelash curler (don’t forget to hold for about 15 seconds!). Apply two thick coats of black mascara- make sure there are no clumps. If you find clumps, get a lash brush and brush them out. Finish off your smoldering eyes by brushing your brows upwards and then taming them with a brow brush. Fill them in if you need to.

7. Get Kissable Lips

Since your eyes are already so dramatic, you’ll need to take your lips down a notch. So pick a matte, neutral color that is close to your lip color. Even a beige would work very well with the dramatic eyes. If you use a beige lipstick, make sure to finish off with a clear gloss to get that extra shine. No need to use a lip-liner here, but if you really want to, use one that closely matches your lip color. And voila! You are ready to hit the town- you’ve never looked better!