By taking a little time out to get organised you'll be able to just throw on a dress and go and by having a few crafty social survival tips up your sleeve you'll be able to see the party season through glamorously and without too many side effects to your health and well-being. Here's how...

Sensational skin
Just because it's winter time doesn't mean your skin (which is probably nestling under lots of woolly layers) should be neglected. For skin to look and feel good all year round you need to continue to dry brush, exfoliate and moisturise regularly. This not only ensures smoother, softer skin it also results in a hell of a lot less work when you want to don a flesh flashing little number for a last minute drinks bash. Exfoliate twice weekly and moisturise daily and your skin - not to mention your LBD - will thank you for it. Origins Incredible Spreadable Scrub (£20 0800 731 4039) is a great skin slougher while Biotherm's Biosenses Nutrition Nourishing Fortifying Body Balm (£20 available from Selfridges) will help to keep your limbs moisturised long after you've showered.

Foot Notes
Chances are you'll be wearing a pair of sexy sandals at some point over the next few weeks so the last thing you want is craggy, chapped feet. Take time out to give yourself a DIY Pedi to transform your tootsies from rough to ready-to-party. First slough off any hard or flaky skin using a foot file such as The Body Shop's File A Foot (£4.50, The Body Shop). Next, fill a bowl with warm water and sprinkle in a few drops of The Sanctuary's Relaxing Foot Soak (£4 0845 070 8090) which boasts skin soothing lavender, tea tree oils and seaweed. Towel dry, moisturise, then trim and paint your nails in your favourite dancefloor diva colour.

Salon SOS
Why waste time nicking yourself in the shower or smudging self-tan everywhere before a big event when you could already have had all the ground work done for you by an expert? Whether you visit a salon for a Brazilian bikini wax, a Californian spray tan or a French manicure make sure you've booked yourself in to have a couple of essential pampering treatments. Well groomed nails will instantly make you feel more glamorous and a fuzz-free, gorgeous golden body will obviously ensure that you look great in your new sparkly party dress.

Wateraid
I know it sounds horribly boring but if you try to drink a glass of water for every alcoholic drink you have you'll keep yourself hydrated and will therefore lessen the chances of having a horrible hangover the next day. Forget about feeling a prude about it - just subtly slide up to the bar, drink a glass of water every half an hour or so and think how great you'll feel when everyone else the next day is cupping their head in their hands and trying to work with a banging headache! It's also a good idea to limit your intake of champagne and wine and switch to something like vodka mixed with soda as this is the purest and lowest sugar alcohol out there.

Appetite for Destruction
The simple truth is if you don't eat before you go out drinking you'll feel worse for wear the next day and probably end up eating far more than you would normally in order to make yourself feel better. This vicious cycle of starving then scoffing not only helps to pile on those excess seasonal pounds, it also makes you feel drained of energy too. Make an effort to line your stomach before hand and it'll make all the difference. Take a Milk Thistle supplement (available from all good health stores) to limit liver damage and eat a couple of high protein/carb snacks such as a chicken salad sandwich followed by a banana to decrease your chances of getting a stonking hangover. By doing this you'll have more energy for dancing and will be less likely to be tempted by the trays of highly calorific canapés.

Bedside Manners
When you finally get home don't just slump into bed otherwise you'll wake up looking and feeling utterly horrible. If you can muster the effort to cleanse properly and down at least a pint of water before collapsing into bed, then your skin will have a much better chance of recovering. If, however, you're too 'tired' to make it to the bathroom then make sure you have an SOS cosmetic kit sitting on your bedside table. This should include a pack of wet wipes in order to quickly cleanse (try Olay's Total Effects Age Defying Wet Cleansing Cloths £4.29 Boots nationwide), a bottle of still mineral water so you can have a good glug before sending up the Zzzzzs and a radiance boosting night cream so you can at least look like you've had eight hours sleep when the reality is more like two! Guerlain's Issima Midnight Secret (£51 01932 233 909) may cost more than your average night time skincare product but it really is the business.

Face Value
Smoky environments and all those late nights will eventually take their toll on your complexion so make sure you drink plenty of water during the day (at least two litres) and eat plenty of foods that are rich in antioxidants such as tomatoes, grapes, peppers and red berries. Green tea is also great for helping to flush out nasty toxins. For those mornings when you really do look like you've been out on the town all night invest in a face saving cream such as Guerlain's Super Aqua Day Refreshing Gel-Crème (£35) and mix in a little of Clarins' classic Beauty Flash Balm (£22.50 0800 036 3558) to really give your complexion the extra boost it needs.

Cosmetic First Aid
Here are some other essential items you'll need to have in your bathroom cabinet if you're going to burn the candle at both ends this party season:
Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream (£19 department stores nationwide) - to rehydrate kissed out lips and cracked, winter dry complexions. Mac's Select Cover Up (£11 020 7534 9222) - to conceal those tell-tale dark circles and blemishes brought on by excess alcohol consumption. Barbara Daly for Tesco's Face Lift (£6 0800 505 555) - a brilliant illuminating moisturiser that will enhance the appearance of saggy, tired skin instantly. Jurlique's Herbal Recovery Gel (£42.50 0870 770 0980) - packed full of good-for-you organic ingredients this will soothe stressed out skin and restore radiance. Ren's Damask Rosewater Toning Facial Mist (£12.50 0870 607 7060) - this gorgeously refreshing spray contains extracts of organic rose petals and is great for healing and reviving dry or tired looking skin. Laura Mercier's Secret Brightening Powder (£18 0870 607 7060) will breathe new life into your skin after a hard night's partying. Daniel Galvin's Hangover Hair (£3.99 available from Boots nationwide) - this intensive hair repair conditioning and gloss treatment is a must for any party queen who wants to transform her hair from grungy to gorgeous. Dermalogica's Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque (£24.50 0800 591 818) - slather this on your skin and leave for ten minutes to pep-up partied out skin. Bach Rescue Remedies (from £6.49 available from all good chemists) - whether you're feeling fragile because of a hangover or delicate due to having your romantic hopes dashed, this range of brilliant rescue remedies will help sort you out.