St Andrew’s Eve, the office Christmas party, a team trip: how they differ
In Poland, Andrzejki (St Andrew’s Eve) is celebrated on the evening of 29 November. In 2026 it falls on a Sunday, so most parties will take place on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 November. It is the most relaxed of these events: music, dancing, fortune telling and a more casual dress code. Here you can allow yourself more sparkle.
The office Christmas party, known in Poland as wigilia firmowa, usually takes place in the first half of December as a dinner in a restaurant, a hotel or the office. The atmosphere is elegant, and you spend a large part of the evening at the table, talking to managers, clients and colleagues. Classic, polished makeup works best then: festive, but still professional.
A team trip or a company ball combines both. Many companies organise such trips in hotels on the Masurian lakes, so it is often an elegant dinner followed by a party until late at night. Makeup for this has to be both elegant and very long-lasting.
Which makeup to choose
For company evenings I usually suggest one of four directions. I adapt each to your features, your outfit and how you want to feel among your colleagues.
- Elegant classic. Even, fresh skin, defined brows, a thin line of eyeliner and lips in a nude or pink shade. A safe choice that always works for the office Christmas party.
- Red lips. The simplest way to give makeup an evening character. With red lips the eyes stay calm: mascara, a thin line of eyeliner, polished brows.
- A soft, smoky eye. Browns, plum or graphite blended with no harsh edges, and soft lips. It suits black, navy and velvet.
- Glowing skin with sparkle. Highlighted cheekbones, satin eyelids with a touch of shimmer in the centre and a lip gloss. Best for St Andrew’s Eve, when the party is more relaxed.
At company parties one rule works especially well: one strong accent. Either bold lips or bold eyes. Makeup like this looks elegant up close, at the table, and does not draw attention away from you.
Straight from work to the party
Company evenings often start at 6 or 7 pm, shortly after work. In Giżycko at the end of November and in December the sun sets at around 3:10 pm, and it is dark before 4 pm. So you will spend the whole evening in artificial light: warm in the restaurant, cooler in the office, colourful on the dance floor. That is why I work with my own neutral-coloured lighting, in which colours look the same as they will later in the photos.
If you can, book your makeup after work, an hour or an hour and a half before you leave. That is when it is freshest. If you cannot leave earlier, there are two options:
- makeup in the morning, before work, in a calmer version that you can turn into evening makeup in a few minutes: all it takes is a lipstick in a shade we choose together, a little darker eyeshadow in the centre of the eyelid and a touch of highlighter,
- makeup in the evening version straight away, but with a matched intensity, so that it does not look overdone in the office and is just right at dinner.
With the first option, I will show you exactly where to add colour, so that the transformation is quick and risk-free.
St Andrew’s Eve: fortune telling, candles and a little sparkle
Andrzejki is an evening of fortune telling: pouring hot wax through the hole of a key, lining up shoes from the wall to the door, drawing names. For this kind of party, warm, glowing makeup works well, because candlelight brings out golden and peach tones. Satin eyeshadows in champagne, copper or bronze, softly highlighted cheeks and lips in a caramel or warm pink shade look most beautiful in this light.
One practical note: when pouring wax you lean over a flame and hot wax. Tie back hair that is heavily set with hairspray or keep it away from your face, and keep false lashes away from the fire.
If you like glitter, St Andrew’s Eve is a good moment to try it. A touch in the centre of the eyelid or in the inner corner of the eye is enough. You can read more about working with glitter in the article New Year’s Eve makeup.
The office Christmas party: elegance that fits work
At the office Christmas party you meet people from different departments, often including management and clients. It is a chance to look festive, but in a way that suits you and in which you feel confident. I focus on polished details: foundation that looks like skin up close, not a mask, carefully drawn brows, lashes defined with mascara or a few individual lashes in the outer corners, and lips in a colour matched to your outfit.
Dinner at the table means face-to-face conversations at close range. Makeup with soft transitions works better here than strong contouring or a thick line of eyeliner, which look nice from a distance but can be too strong from a metre away. If the evening ends with dancing, you can always add intensity yourself by switching to a bolder lipstick.
Makeup for your outfit: dress, suit, velvet
Your outfit suggests the colours. A few combinations that work well in winter:
- Black and sequins. Complete freedom: red lips, a smoky eye or a silver or gold shimmer on the eyelids.
- Bottle green. Warm browns, copper and gold on the eyelids, lips in a nude or brick shade.
- Burgundy and plum. A smoky eye in plum shades, or burgundy lips with calm eyelids.
- Navy. Browns and gold, which nicely warm up the cool colour of the outfit.
- A suit or blazer. Clean, even skin, defined eyeliner and bolder lips. This makeup emphasises the elegant, modern character of the outfit.
Before the makeup, show me a photo of your outfit and jewellery, or have them at hand. The colour of the fabric seen in person is the easiest to match with the shade of the lips and eyelids.
Party photos: flash, photo booth and the company gallery
Company parties leave photos behind: from the photographer, the photo booth and colleagues’ phones. Some of them end up on company profiles, in the newsletter or on LinkedIn, so it is worth making sure the makeup looks good in them.
- I mattify the T-zone, because with flash a shiny forehead and nose look oily.
- I apply highlighter only to the tops of the cheekbones, not the whole face.
- For evening makeup I do not use powders and creams with SPF, which create a pale cast on the face in flash photos.
- I slightly intensify the brows, lashes and lip colour, because the camera flattens features and weakens colours.
- I make sure the colour of the face and neck is the same, because in flash photos the difference shows immediately.
Dinner, toasts and dancing: how to make makeup last
A company evening means several hours at the table and on the dance floor, plus going from the frost into a warm room. To keep the makeup looking good to the end:
- I prepare the skin with hydration and a primer suited to its type,
- I apply thin layers of foundation and set them in stages, not only at the end,
- I outline the lips with a lip liner, fill them in with it completely and apply lipstick in layers, so that colour remains after dinner and toasts,
- I choose mascara and eyeliner that resist heat and humidity,
- for individual lashes I use a glue that holds all night.
Take the lipstick from your makeup, blotting papers and a small powder compact with a mirror in your bag. After dinner, a minute at the mirror is enough for your lips and skin to look fresh again.
Winter skin before the party
The end of November and December is a difficult time for skin: dry, heated air at home and in the office, frost and wind outside. Dehydrated skin takes foundation less well, and makeup breaks up on it faster. In the week before the party:
- apply a hydrating mask in the evening, ideally twice,
- gently exfoliate your lips and apply balm, especially at night,
- do not have new treatments or strong peels and do not test new cosmetics,
- drink more water and try to get enough sleep, because that shows most on the skin.
On the day of the party, simply wash your face and apply a light moisturiser. I will prepare the rest before the makeup.
Several people from one company and booking
Several colleagues from one department often get ready for a company party together. Then it is most convenient to book together: I will set the order so that everyone is ready on time, and the person leaving last has her makeup done last.
Giżycko is my main place of work. If you are getting ready in a hotel during a team trip or in another town, tell me where: I agree on travel individually. In your message, give the date, the time you are leaving, the number of people and, if you have one, a photo of your outfit. I will check my availability and prepare a quote; I set prices individually. I book the date once I confirm it by email or text message, and I do not take any deposit.
The end of November and the first half of December is one of the busiest times of the year, especially on Fridays and Saturdays. The earlier you write, the easier it is to get a convenient time. You can read more about makeup for different occasions on the occasion makeup page.
Frequently asked questions
When should I book makeup for St Andrew’s Eve or the office Christmas party?
Ideally a few weeks in advance. The end of November and the first half of December is the time of many parties, and most people want to be ready on a Friday or Saturday afternoon.
Will my makeup last from work to the end of the party?
Yes. I prepare the skin with hydration and a primer, and set the makeup in stages. For touch-ups after dinner, a lipstick, blotting papers and a little powder are enough.
What makeup is appropriate for the office Christmas party?
Elegant and polished, with one stronger accent: bold lips or defined eyes. Makeup like this looks festive and at the same time suits a gathering with colleagues and management.
Do you do makeup for several people from one company?
Yes. Tell me how many people are getting ready and what time you are leaving, and I will plan the timings. Giżycko is my main place of work, and I agree on travel, for example to a hotel during a team trip, individually.
Do you take a deposit?
No. I book the date once I confirm it by email or text message, with no deposit.
See also my portfolio and the article New Year’s Eve makeup.