5 effortless ways to refresh your look ahead of a girls' night out

Segueing from conference room to cocktail bar for a girls' night out is all in a day's work for women on the go. After hours of meetings, deadlines and catch-ups around the kettle, it's natural to find yourself – and your skin – feeling a touch tired. Thankfully, however, a few simple steps will revitalise you, ready for a memorable evening bonding with friends. Blend these makeup and skincare tips into your after-work glow-up regime to feel as though you've just stepped out of the spa.

Brighten up your complexion

Before freshening up your make-up, dab your face with a thin tissue or oil blotting sheet. Natural oils build up on your skin during the day, which can dull your complexion. Follow with a thin layer of Pivoine Pure Perfecting Mattifying Fluid to help draw away any leftover sebum. Crafted from precious peony extract from sleepy Drôme, where wild ibex tread forest paths lined with this thousand-petalled blossom, our fluid helps to brighten your complexion and reduce the appearance of pores. It's also a light moisturiser, beautifying skin and leaving a matte base for a fresh layer of foundation.

Touch up your eye make-up

Even the trustiest eyeliner and mascara stray beneath your eyes or onto your eyelids as the day goes on. To tidy up any smudges, pop a small amount of water on a cotton bud and use it to whisk any unwanted make-up from your under-eye area. Retouch eyes with a new layer of makeup, for a rejuvenated look without needing to start afresh.

Apply a statement lipstick

Does anything make you feel instantly better about your look than a bold lip? Scarlet red is a classic choice for a glamorous look, while deep burgundy provides a dash of Parisian sophistication – ideal for creating a certain je ne sais quoi during dinners out.

Prepare your lips with our Shea Ultra Rich Lip Balm to help nourish and soften your lips – a long day in an air-conditioned office can be drying. Give it a minute or two to soak in. This will leave your pout soft and create a smooth base for lipstick.

Apply a zingy perfume

A spritz of fragrance will instantly make you feel fresher, with an evocative scent transporting you away from the office and towards the excitement of the night ahead. If you're sleepy, opt for a refreshing and sparkling scent like our Citrus Verbena Eau de Toilette. It combines zingy grapefruit and lemon from the Mediterranean with the zesty smell of verbena – a herb from Provence that has the unmistakable citric smell of the area's local markets. This stimulating aroma re-energises as much as a mid-afternoon espresso sipped on a Saint-Rémy terrace.

End with a mist

Even if you're too strapped for time for a full makeover, a spritz of a refreshing facial mist will help you feel good as new. Our Pivoine Sublime Perfecting Mist is produced with balancing geranium floral water, which provides skin with an invigorating pick-me-up.

It's also delicately moisturising, giving tired faces a treat by providing complexion-plumping hydration. Another benefit is that it helps to sets your make-up in place – so you'll stay looking fresh even if you end up dancing for hours.

Re-energise after a long day of work, with our tips on how to refresh your look before going out. These quick steps will reinvigorate you, body and mind.