We’ve all done it. Gone out on what was supposed to be a civilised and sophisticated evening, and ended up over-indulging then paying for it the next day. But it’s not big and it’s not clever, from either the point of view of your sanity (morning-after paranoia, anyone?) or your looks.

As ingrained as we are with the advice to drink plenty of water when we get in from a big night out, it’s not always what happens in reality. As my biology teacher remarked: “If you’re sober enough to remember to drink the water, you’re not drunk enough to need it.” It’s reassuring to see responsible drinking being advocated in high school.

Any beauty expert worth her salt will tell you to cleanse your face before you go to bed, come rain, shine or intoxication, but a proper cleanse is unlikely to be high on your list of priorities when you stumble in a little worse for wear. Simple’s new Daily Radiance Cleansing Wipes (£3.99; www.simple.co.uk) take the hassle out of washing your face. They cleanse, remove make-up and leave skin nourished and exfoliated, meaning there is no need for a sink or a mirror, and – good news for the truly louche – the whole procedure can be carried out from the comfort of your bed.

However, even if you don’t drink the requisite two pints of water, and crawl into bed with a full face of make-up, there are a few things you can do to rectify the damage the following morning. As soon as you wake up, start re-hydrating. Next, remove the make-up that is no doubt smeared across your face (and pillow). Clinique Take the Day Off Make-up Remover (£11.50, www.clinique.co.uk) is a must-have: it will get rid of the hardest-to-shift waterproof mascara and spruce up even scarlet-stained lips.

Should you wear make-up to work out?

If you must wear make-up in the gym, opt for some mineral products or a tinted moisturiser to avoid clogging pores

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Now thoroughly cleanse your skin and slough off all those dead cells. Apply a face mask such as Elemental Herbology Facial Detox (£25, www.spacenk.co.uk) to draw out impurities, remove with lots of warm water, and you’ll be left with undeservedly radiant skin. Follow up with an intensive moisturiser such as Korres Thyme Honey 24 Hour Moisturising Cream, (£18, www.asos.com). Finally, soothe your eyes – the biggest give-away of a hangover. Use Optrex Red Eyes Eye Drops (£3.85, available nationwide) to brighten, then conceal those telltale dark circles with Benefit’s Erase Paste (£18.50, www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk).

Don’t be tempted to overdo your make-up – by the end of the day it will only reveal skin in need of moisture. Instead, keep it simple: tinted moisturiser, black mascara and a little lip gloss. By the time you get to work, you’ll look like you’ve had eight hours’ beauty sleep.

Sarah Vine is away

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