Best of Beauty: Fake Awake

Its back to school – and making that adjustment to early mornings can be rough! A few simple tricks to looking awake when you’d love nothing better than to play hooky and hit the snooze button.

Wake up!!

•  Take a cool shower.  The  cold water gets your circulation going and adds color to your skin.  If that just sounds like torture, finish up with a cold rinse or just wash your face in cold water.
• Get rid of redness with eye drops such as Visine Maximum Redness Relief.  Since I wear contacts, I do a preemptive strike by using them at night.
• Use a brightening moisturizer to perk up your whole face. Try Korres Wild Rose 24-Hour Moisturizing and Brightening Creme – it does a great job of pepping up tired skin.
• And treat those eyes! Eyes will tell the world how tired you are! Use All About Eyes Serum De-Puffing Eye Massage by Clinique – rollerball goes on under the eyes to cool and refresh as it gently rolls away puffy bags and the appearance of fatigue.

Makeup

• Even if you have dark circles, use concealer sparingly under your eyes.  A large buildup of makeup to cover up circles will just create more attention. Use one like Laura Mercier Secret Concealer – its specially formulated for under eyes and won’t cake or dry out.
• Line your lower lid and the inner corner of your eyes with an eye-brightening pencil – we love  Smashbox’s Eye Beam Double-Ended Brightener.
• Don’t skip mascara. Tired eyes need to pop!
• Use a finishing powder to set your makeup to soften imperfections and create a radiant glow.  Try Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Powder. As a bonus, it helps your makeup stay in place all day, so even as your energy wears out, you’ll still look great!

Take Care

• Don’t underestimate the power of a ten-minute breather with a cold washcloth or a package of frozen veggies across your eyes.  The cold will constrict the blood vessels and reduce puffiness.
• Drink water. Then drink more. Dehydration makes you look and feel tired.
• Limit coffee. Try adding a cup of green tea in the afternoon instead of another cup of coffee. Green tea flushes toxins out of the system and has tons of antioxidents.
• GET some sleep!  There’s no substitute for a good night of sleep.