Whether you spent last night working late, partying a little too hard or up all night with a newborn, late nights and early mornings are a fact of life. And they usually leave us looking less than refreshed. So when turning in early just isn’t in the cards, use these tips to perk up your appearance. You’ll fool everyone (but yourself) into thinking you had a full 8 hours of blissful sleep no matter what time your head hit the pillow.
Start with the basics. The easiest way to refresh your complexion turns fast and easy; simply splash cold water on your face. The coolness constricts blood vessels, giving your skin a smoother, more toned look.
Get rid of the baggage. If your eyes are puffy, apply a cold compress for five to 10 minutes to decrease swelling. Don’t have that kind of time? Place ice cubes into a bowl of water, and splash your face a few times. This’ll increase circulation and decrease the puff. Known for its rich oil, avocados also work as great eye depuffers. Just lay one slice of fresh avocado under each eye and lay back for 15 to 20 minutes.
Ditch the Darkness. Awaken to dark circles? Take a potato and thinly slice it. Apply the slices directly beneath your eyes for 10 minutes, allowing the juice to seep into the darkness and fade it away (just don’t let the potato juice come in contact with the eye itself). Potatoes contain an enzyme called catecholase, which is used in cosmetics as a skin lightener.
The Art of Concealment. Never underestimate the power of concealer. Mix a drop of eye cream with a yellow-based concealer and apply below your eye area to conceal dark circles, create light reflection, and perk up the appearance of tired eyes. Apply the mixture from the inner corner of the eye to the midpoint beneath the eyeball, then feather it out, blending away any obvious demarcation lines.
Cue the Curls. Curl your lashes. It helps open up your eyes making you appear more alert. Aim the curler as close to the lashline as possible and give a good 10-second squeeze. Then go over the outer lashes again.
Blush Up. Go for a peach cream blush over pink for a quick pick-me-up. Peach tones brighten skin and take the focus away from dark undereye rings and cream formulas leave a slight dew on cheeks, like a ‘flush of youth. Dab color on the apples of your cheeks, and blend well.
Brighten Up. Avoid dark eye shadows; they will cast the entire lid in darkness – which clearly we’re trying to avoid at all costs. Instead opt for flesh-toned hue instead to even out skin tone, then top it with a sheer shimmery shadow, applied from lashline to crease.
Whiteout. Not that kind of whiteout, but that too does erase mistakes! Use white eyeliner on the inner, lower rim of your lash line is a classic makeup artist trick to brighten the eyes. If pure white makes you feel a little Halloweeny, go for a very pale pink, ivory, or even silver.
And voila! You’re looking more bright eyed and bushy tailed already. Now get yourself some caffeine and consider a few minutes of meditation to refresh your mind and you’re ready to conquer the day!
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