5 Easy Beauty Tricks to Fake a Good Night's Sleep
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Fake It ‘Til You Wake uP
Even though we know inadequate sleep can increase the risk of a myriad of physical and mental health issues, we’ve all subjected ourselves to sleep deprivation. Whether it’s because you spent the night partying (binging an entire series on Netflix counts ;)) or burning the midnight oil, you still have to face the next day with low energy, dry skin, a sallow complexion, under-eye circles, puffy eyes, and the list goes on! The last thing you need is someone telling you just how tired you look. Even if you’re not particularly self-conscious, I find it can work wonders for my energy levels if I can visually trick myself into thinking I got a few extra hours of sleep because I feel more tired when I look tired (and people constantly remind of it…) Having pulled my fair share of all-nighters at the office (side note: not a badge of pride for me), I’ve decided to round-up my five fave beauty tips and tricks for faking a full night’s sleep!
Top 5 Beauty Products TO Look Well Rested
1. Beige Eyeliner – Line the lower inner rims of your eyes with beige coloured eyeliner to make them look bigger, brighter and less tired. Although white eyeliner will also do the trick, it can sometimes look too harsh. Plus beige tones, more than white, help to cancel-out some redness in and around the eyes. My top pick to achieve this effect is Tarte’s Fake Awake gel eyeliner in universal nude. It’s a soft beige (with the slightest hint of pink) that is buildable and glides effortlessly (a must when your eyes are already tired and overly sensitive) onto your lower lashline. My drugstore pick is Rimmel’s Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal Liner in nude. Although not as creamy as Tarte’s Fake Away, it certainly does the job of making your eyes look less tired.
2. Dry Shampoo – Even though I have very thick hair, I need to wash it every other night or it’s an oily mess. If an all-nighter happened to land on a hair washing night, my dry shampoo would save me from feeling and looking greasy. My go-to product is Verb’s dry shampoo. Even with my black hair, Verb’s fine white powder does not leave a white or grey cast. The powder quickly and effectively absorbs the oil and leaves a very light, fresh scent. I usually create five rough sections in my hair and use the nozzle to apply a little bit of powder near the roots of each section, gently massaging the dry shampoo into my hair. Tip: If you’re wearing a dark suit, remove it before applying the dry shampoo. Although the white residue hasn’t stained any of my clothes, it’s best to avoid having to wipe and dab away any residue.
3. Eye Masks – Although a bit of a splurge, Peter Thomas Roth’s 24K Gold Pure Luxury Lift & Firm Hydra-Gel Eye Patches are my absolute favourite eye masks. In order to “justify” the hefty price tag, I would save these masks as a “treat” for the morning after an all-nighter at the office or I’d apply them during the wee hours of the night in my office (with my door closed!) for a mini lavish mental break. They make my under eyes feel and look smoother, hydrated, less puffy, firmer and brighter. Tip: Flip the jar over before taking out a pair of eye patches so that the serum can drench the top pair you’ll be using instead of just sitting at the bottom of the jar. If you can’t trick yourself into believing that you’re indulging in a mini moment of zen and/or you can’t justify the price tag, I highly recommend the Ordinary’s Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG. The caffeine and EGCG help reduce the appearance of puffiness and dark circles. I find the product to be a little drying at times, but this is easily fixed by applying an eye cream after application.
4. Concealer – I rarely wear foundation or concealer, even after an all-nighter. But when I need some extra help after a particularly long stretch of late nights, I reach for Tarte’s shape tape contour concealer. Unlike most other concealers I’ve tried, it’s a full coverage concealer that doesn’t feel cakey. It’s creamy, easy to blend and results in very minimal creasing (let’s face it, is there really a 100% creaseless concealer?) It effectively conceals dark circles and makes my eyes brighter. Tip: If you feel like your concealer just accentuates your bags, don’t use it to directly trace the bags under your eyes. Instead, draw an inverted triangle under your eyes (and blend it in) to brighten up your entire complexion.
5. Blush – The quickest and easiest way to add life to your sleep-deprived lackluster complexion is with a few swipes of blush. My fave everyday blush, Glossier’s Cloud Paint, will give your face a very natural, healthy glow. It’s a gel-cream like formula that isn’t runny and will blend out seamlessly. It’s hard to look like a zombie with a rosy glow-from-within look!
Obviously the best solution is to improve your sleeping habits, but I have a feeling you might have landed on this post because you Googled “how to look well rested after no sleep” or some similar desperate query. So, instead of irritating you, my sleep deprived reader, I’ll leave you with a few additional tips: Try to limit your coffee intake and choose water or herbal tea instead of that third cup of joe; try to resist (overindulging in) junk food (especially if you have another full day of work ahead) because the inevitable crash will follow; and a bright lipstick will also work wonders!
Let me know in the comments below if you have any other tips for faking a good night’s sleep. To be notified each time I post on the blog, please subscribe.
