SKIN SOS: Potions to make you look less Columbo and more Caprice

FOUR years into the 21st Century and it seems British bosses are still sticking two fingers up to equality.

According to a new survey, 25 per cent of directors are more likely to hire a woman who wears make-up, while more than a third believe fresh-faced members of the fairer sex look like they "can't be bothered".

And before the feminist rant ensues, there were actually more female big cheeses on this particular bandwagon, who branded employees without warpaint, "unprofessional".

But even if the Aziz Corporation poll of 100 top dogs at companies with turnovers from £5m to £500m is accurate, there's no point getting out the trowel if you are seriously flagging from too many Martinis and Marlborough Lights over the festive period.

Without a basic beauty regime, no amount of mascara is going to hide blood-shot eyes, lipstick will only hide dehydrated lips for so long and before you know it, you'll be sauntering into work more Columbo than Caprice.

How can this be when human psyche dictates we must begin the year as a super-fit, flawless embryo, irrelevant of whether December 31 brings with it decay and gangrene?

The good news is that there really is a simple SOS for well-worn partygoers this New Year.

First, the basics, revered in umpteen beauty manuals since the year dot, but still as relevant as ever.

Drink plenty of water.

By doing so, not only will you help to flush out toxins from the night before but also keep your skin looking bright and your eyes sparkling.

A milk thistle herbal supplement (available from chemists and healthfood stores) taken every day will also help to rid your body of nasty alcohol-related chemicals.

You may not feel like it after teetering home after a night on the tiles, but take off that make-up.

The dirty route to keeping life clean

It only takes a moment to get down and dirty with a gentle cleansing lotion such as Nuxe's Lait Demaquillant, £8.50 (020 7629 7711).

Neutrogena's Deep Clean Cleansing Lotion, £4.99, and The Sanctuary's Gentle Hydrating Cleanser, £6 (both available from Boots), are also very effective.

Alternatively, keep a pack of wipes by your bedside, so at least you can cleanse your face and eyes.

Simple, £4.35, and Nivea, £2.87, are both very effective at removing thick foundation and cloggy mascara.

Slathering on some skin-firming night cream is also a good idea, giving your complexion a much-needed boost overnight.

Elizabeth Arden's Good Night's Sleep Restoring Cream, £28 (available nationwide), gives the impression you've had eight hours kip when the reality is more like four.

The cosmetic classic Astral, £3.15, is also a winner.

When morning rears its ugly head, make sure you afford some time to pop on a couple of chilled Optrex Fresh Eyes disposable masks (£1.89 for two) and reduce that inevitable puffy-eye syndrome.

n In the shower, try smothering yourself in Blisslab's Mammoth Minty Scrub soap, £12 (0808 100 4151). Its pungent peppermint base ingredient will help to blow away any cobwebs.

Virgin Vie's Honeyed Sugar Scrub, £14 (0845 300 8022), is also good for nourishing and revitalising.

Masks are great for perking up pasty, partied-out skin, and they don't come much better than Ole Henriksen's Blue/Blackberry Enzyme Mask, £30 (020 7235 5000). A little pricey, perhaps, but certainly worth it if you don't want to look as though you've been propping up a bar all night. Make sure you use them no more than twice a week.

To transform your face from ropey to radiant apply some of Chanel's Base Lumire, £17, (available from all good department stores), for a glowing and evening out effect.

Nars' Essential Vitamin Serum, £56 (020 7299 4999), is also incredibly effective for banishing toxins and brightening the skin.

To avoid the bride of Dracula look, make-up should be kept minimal and natural-looking. Dark charcoals and jet-black eyeshadows may look great at night, but they're pretty terrifying in the office.

Perk up your cheeks with a dab of Pinch Your Cheeks, by Origins, £9 (0800 731 4039), add a slick of lip gloss, a few flicks of your favourite mascara and you'll look and feel much better.

Lastly, spritz on a light, alcohol-free perfume such as L'Occitane's Honey Harvest Honey Gentle Water, £18 (020 7907 0301), and voila, no one will ever put you and the words hedge and backwards together again.