It is a truth universally acknowledged that Friday night is Date Night*. In honour of this wonderful event, we're thinking today of those women eagerly planning and prepping for one of the most special dates of all... the first date. Though our taste in significant others may vary wildly, we're similar creates when it comes to the prep work. Here are the seven things every woman does before a first date. (*Disclaimer, we'll be on the couch watching the Late Late Show with Ben and Jerry's.) ____________________________________________ What a Day for a Daydream Half of the fun is looking forward to a big night out. Play it cool in person, but if your mind drifts away from work for a minute or two to picture the two of you laughing over dinner, strolling hand in hand along a beach (even though you live in Offaly and it's December), so be it. Try to resist doodling your name with his surname though... you don't want any hard evidence of this train of thought. The Social Stalker Everyone does it so you might as well just admit it. You're trailing his Facebook feed for any nods to his plans tonight, checking out Twitter in hopes of an old "#excited" and a smiley face emoticon. Just stop clicking through pictures before you get to any of him with an ex. You don't need that picture in your life. Go Compare We knew you wouldn't listen to good advice. Of COURSE you had to look at pictures of the ex. You couldn't stop yourself. Now, you're zooming in for any sign of imperfection and freaking out that she's "so much prettier than you!" She's not. You're lovely. Calm down. Bravery from a Bottle This is where you need to be very, very strict with yourself. If the date goes so well that you end up clubbing until the wee hours and drinking shots through linked arms, you'll find no judgement here. But do not show up the worse for wear. It's easy to let the wine go to your head when you're excited and probably haven't eaten a bite all day. One glass while you're getting ready is perfectly fine. Then put a cork in it. On the Catwalk The fashion show is an integral part of getting ready for any night out with a new beau. You'll need your best girlfriends... the kind who can be as honest as a sister and really tell you what looks good. You're looking for subtly sexy, and the kind of outfit that doesn't suggest for a second that you spend all day getting ready and a fortune shopping. You woke up like this! Flawless. The Beauty Binge Even for those of us who rarely wear more than a dab of foundation and a coat of mascara, a first date is a different animal when it comes to makeup. Resist the urge to pile it on and use the aforementioned audience from your fashion show to help you out. If someone's amazing at a smokey eye, let them at you while another tans your back to give you the perfect glow. There's nothing like women on a mission to illustrate teamwork perfectly! Pep Talk Party About ten minutes before you're supposed to leave, that's when the crisis of confidence will kick in. You'll panic about your outfit, your shoes, your ability to hold a conversation while swooning over those eyes and the setting for the planned date. Hello butterflies! This is where your besties have their final task, to remind you just how utterly wonderful you are in every way. Let's face it - this can go two ways. It's amazing and you fall head over heels, or it's terrible and you have a great story for the next girls night in/out. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.     We all like to look our best on a first date so be sure to have your trusty Cocoa Brown glow going on. Cocoa Brown is available in Penneys, Boots, Dunnes, Tesco and 97% of Irish pharmacies nationwide. Prices start at just €5.99