Suppose you are generally stressed out, or one drink turned into ten last night and your poor body is feeling way below par. Worse still, there is a big party planned for the evening ahead. Here's how to prepare for a party when you're in serious need of rejuvination

What's needed now is a one-on-one appointment with yourself where you can book into the bath and indulge in hours of pampering to get you back to the vision of beautiful radiance that you really are. With the party season in full swing and invitations a-plenty, this cycle is sure to become familiar in the passing weeks. So, it's best to work out a routine that balances all the effort you put into going out with one that puts effort back into you.

For starters, skip that fry-up from the café. Instead, treat yourself to two glasses of water, a fruit cocktail and a multi-vitamin to start off the day. And for lunch, a well-balanced meal, including a good protein source like fish, is a perfect base to build upon for your next night out. Think about nourishing your body on the inside as much as the outside. It takes discipline, but it's well worth it when you step out looking and feeling great.

A good bath is the cornerstone of any true home-spa experience. This gives you time to tune it all out and spend some quality time with numero uno. Run the water at a temperature that isn't scalding hot but comfortably warm enough to soothe tired muscles. While bubbles are mostly for aesthetics, there is a plethora of bath products available for you to concoct your own perfect recipe of indulgence, depending on what you need most. To help increase circulation, try adding drops of geranium and cypress oils.

Infusing essential oils into a bath and lighting fragrant candles in the room will set the beneficial powers of aromatherapy into action. Round off the experience with a cup of peppermint tea and honey to help digestion.

The bath is also a great place to put on a conditioning hair mask or perfect those limbs by smoothing on a silky cream for a careful shave. While our body naturally exfoliates itself about once a month, a weekly boost is beneficial. Before you get out, grab a sea-salt mixture and give those hard edges a scrub.

Unfortunately, all that delicious bathing leaves your skin depleted of its natural moisture. So, once you dry off, the first and most important step has to be moisturiser. Pay special attention to your thighs and feet when applying your lotion of choice, giving them a mini-massage as you work it in.

Now that your body is feeling fantabulous, it's on to the face. The best time to tweeze is while you're still warm and moist. Tidy up those brows as needed but remember not to go overboard and never, ever pluck on top of the brow line. It might not grow back.

For intensive treatments, in come the masks and creams. Only you know your skin best so only you can decide what mask is going to work for you. Whatever you go for, bear in mind that face masks should only be used about twice a month and, if it stings or hurts, take it off immediately. If you have oily, acne-prone skin then it's best to stay away from moisturising masks, whereas a clay-based mask could further irritate dry skin.

While your mask is on, give your hands some TLC with an exfoliating hand treatment , followed by a luxurious hand-and-nail cream. After you've washed off your mask you can then use your soft fingers to moisturise your face by using a two-finger-touch in an upward circular motion to give you an extra glow for hours to come.

With body and mind now in happy harmony it's time to tip the scales back to the other side of your routine. Enjoy the balancing act.