Hot Mamas Know: Do As I Say, Not as I Do.

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This month's "Hot Mama's Know" is the "Special Holiday Edition." Participating Hot Mama's are to blog their "Party Glam" tips on the 1st of the month, so that you'll have time to incorporate them into your holiday beautification routines.

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I used to have this reminder taped to my bathroom mirror:

Women who primp at night look better in the morning than those that don't.

Morning after morning.

It was a reminder to me to take an extra few minutes to wash the make-up off of my face, remove the mascara, and slather on a bit of moisturizer.

No matter how little you participate in holiday festivities, it's difficult to avoid excesses that December brings.

• Extra responsibilities.
• Extra obligations.
• Extra invitations.
• Extra food.
• Extra Alcohol.
• Extra Sleep Deprivation.
• Extra cold weather.

These things aren't exactly a recipe for Extra-Glam at the Company Party, are they?

My Holiday Beauty Tips for you, then:

• Take a breath this month, every chance you get. Unclench your fists and loosen up those shoulders at every stoplight, if that's the only still time you can find. Use it wisely.
• Drink lots of water. Have you ever watered a wilting plant and returned to it 2o minutes later to find it reaching for the sky again? Water's going to do the same thing for you. Plus it's going to keep your skin and lips moisturized.
• Everything looks better and lasts longer when it's clean and well-maintained. Your car. Your house. Your margarita blender. You. Wash that makeup off. Put on a little moisturizer. Lotion up that hide when you get out of the shower. Floss.
• Lower your standards. Leave the dishes. Scratch a few things off your list. When I say scratch them, I mean don't do them. Your cookies are fine with "only" colored sugar on them. Seriously. You don't have to bundle up and go back out and get the silver nonpareils. Go get some sleep.

And, when that Party of the Year rolls around, you're going to be hydrated and rested, and you'll look stunning, dahlink, when you go just a little bit out of your way, and dust yourself down with
BeneFit's Kitten Shimmering Powder in a Puff. $26 at Sephora. No garish glitter here, just a subtle "I bothered for this festive occasion" statement. In addition, poofing down with a powder puff makes you feel fun and feminine and sexy. It's oh-so-very-french, or something.

We all know that no powder or makeup or little black dress will ever out-glam a happy, peaceful, loving, laughing heart at the company party.

But there's nothing wrong with a little glitter, either, that says "look at me."

Go for it, chicas, and don't forget to drink your water.