Yes, you should clock eight hours of shut-eye a night, but sometimes life gets in the way. Here's how to look well rested even when you're not.
Start the Day with Vitamin C
After
you wake up, squeeze half a lemon into a cup of hot water and sip it on
an empty stomach. "Vitamin C helps reduce inflammation throughout the
body, including the skin," explains Joshua Zeichner, M.D., the director
of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital
in New York City. The result: Your complexion looks better.
Wash with Peppermint
Use
your knuckles to gently massage face wash into your skin in a circular
motion to increase blood flow and reduce puffiness, advises Renée
Rouleau, a celebrity aesthetician and FITNESS advisory board member.
Look for formulas that contain peppermint, which dilates blood vessels
to give skin a healthy flush. We like Renée Rouleau Luxe Mint Cleansing
Gel (reneerouleau.com).
De-Puff Your Eyes
This
DIY de-puffing combo feels almost as amazing as sitting at the spa with
cucumbers on your eyelids. Store Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber De-Tox
De-Puffing Eye-Cubes (for six, sephora.com)
in the freezer; when you need them, place the gel pods in the provided
pouch and trace it along your brow bone and under your eyes. The pods
contain cucumber, green tea and caffeine to help deflate bags, smooth
fine lines and soothe sensitive skin. Seal the deal with an eye cream
that has a cooling stainless steel–tipped applicator. Try one of these
to solve your top peeper problem:
Wrinkles: Benefit Puff Off! (benefitcosmetics.com) has light-diffusing pink particles to "iron out" fine lines.
Redness: Physicians Formula Super CC Color
Correction + Care CC Blurring Eye Cream SPF 30 (drugstores) packs
green-tinted pearl pigments to tone down the red.
Raccoon eyes: First Aid Beauty Eye Duty Triple Remedy (sephora.com) brightens dark circles with licorice root and caffeine.
Customize Your Cover-Up
New
and improved concealers won't settle in fine lines, offer antiaging
benefits to treat skin, and give you as much—or as little—coverage as
you want.
Sheer: Look for a brush applicator for a soft-focused finish. Try Jouer Luminizing Liquid Highlighter (jouercosmetics.com).
Medium: Choose a wand to distribute a
natural-looking yet decent dose of coverage. Try Urban Decay Naked Skin
Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer (sephora.com).
Full: Crayons conceal even the darkest circles—as
well as your latest night—and won't budge. Try Pixi by Petra Undercover
Crayon (target.com).
Bypass Bold Eye Makeup
Reach
for white eyeliner instead, which will extend and brighten the whites
of your eyes when you wear it on your bottom inner rim. We like Sonia
Kashuk Dramatically Brightening Kajal (target.com).
Next, brush a few coats of mascara on your top lashes only. Leaving the
bottom ones bare will draw attention upward, giving your lids a lifted
look. Try Origins GinZing Brightening Mascara (origins.com), whose blue and black pearl pigments make eyes appear more vibrant.
Add Pops of Pink
Flip
your head upside down for five seconds to rev up your circulation and
get a rosy glow, Rouleau says. Add a pop of blush to the apples of your
cheeks. Pink shades complement fair skin tones, and coral looks striking
on medium and dark tones. Try Bobbi Brown Brightening Brick in Pastel
Pink and Coral ($46 each, bobbibrowncosmetics.com).
Meet in the Middle
Nude
lip color will wash you out, while red requires too much precision to
apply when you're feeling groggy. Your go-to shade: juicy peach, which
will perk up your face. Pick your stick:
Balm: Clarins Instant Light Lip Balm Perfector in Coral (clarins.com)
Gloss: Revlon Ultra HD Lip Lacquer in Sunstone (drugstores)
Lipstick: Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Hydrating Sheer Lipshine in Désinvolte (chanel.com)
Take A Whiff
Awaken
your senses with a zesty fragrance. Choose one with invigorating citrus
notes, including bergamot, mandarin and lemon. For an added pick-me-up
(and to prolong the life of perfume), stash it in the fridge. It will
feel ultra-refreshing when you spritz it on. Get a whiff of this: Tocca
Beauty Eau de Parfum in Bianca (tocca.com).
