Surviving your work week: Office to Happy Hour

With as much time as I've been spending at the office, I thought I would write series of posts dedicated to powering through a tough work week with style.  For me, part of surviving a brutal week at work is having at least one night for going out with friends after hours, having a few cocktails and a nice dinner.  The only catch to this is that at around 5 pm every evening -although I don't do any physical labor as part of my job- I look like I've absolutely been through hell and back.  We're talking flat hair, dark under-eye circles, chapped lips (from obsessive biting/chewing/licking lips when I'm stressed), red eyes, wrinkled clothes, etc.  All I really want to do is come home, take a shower, and crawl into bed... but I always have such a great time when I actually go out and socialize.  I know myself well enough to know that if I come home to change clothes or get ready, I won't resist the urge to cancel plans and stay in for the night.

My solution for this is twofold: 1) Start with a fab, comfortable outfit that can easily transition from work to happy hour:

DVF Audrina sheath dress

           Office: Kate Spade necklace / Reed Krakoff tote / Valentino pumps / Chanel sheer gloss
Cocktails: Morgan Ashleigh necklace / Belle Noel ring / BCBG clutch / Stella McCartney pumps / Nars lipcolor

... and 2) prep your work handbag/tote/desk drawer with an arsenal of key beauty products to help refresh yourself AND your appearance before your night begins.

1) Colgate WISP spearmint mini-toothbrushes. Need I explain?
2) Bobbi Brown blotting papers. Use these to blot any oily spots or residue from your face. Psst... in a pinch, toilet seat liners work well, too ;) 
3) Caudalie Beauty Elixir.  This revitalizing mist feels amazingly refreshing on your face at the end of the day.  Radiance in a bottle.
4) Kai Body Glow.  This body splash/dry oil spray smells amazingly fresh and clean and is great for moisturizing tired skin after work.
5) Ojon Full Detox rub-out dry cleansing spray.  Spritz a bit of this at the roots, flip hair over, shake out excess, flip back over and voila!  It's like you just fixed your hair (and it smells great, too).
6) YSL Touche Eclat.  If you have been living under a rock and haven't tried this yet, please do so immediately.  YSL has managed to formulate and package a good night's sleep in a handy little click-pen.  Genius.
7) Benefit Dandelion.  This universally-flattering color is perfect to freshen up tired makeup at the end of the day.  It isn't a shade that I typically use in my morning makeup regimen, but when I plan to wear a bold lip color (such as the Nars one above), this is a great product to liven your cheeks just a bit.
8) Lancome Hypnose Drama. I use this religiously -morning and night - an extra coat is crucial to make lashes pop for an after-work outing.