MNN - Mother Nature Network

Whether you spent the evening tossing and turning or stayed out way past your bedtime last night, you’re probably paying for it this morning with a matching set of luggage under your eyes.

 

But putting on your makeup as usual won’t help you hide those puffy eyes. That’s because makeup looks different on your skin when you’re tired. It actually sits on the top of your skin, so less is more.

 

Try these makeup tricks to fake looking more awake.

 

Wake up your peepers

To refresh your eyes before applying makeup, I like Rohto’s minty eye drops. The amazing cooling effect from the drops actually makes you feel more awake.

 

If your eyes are puffy (or if you’ve had a crying jag), go a little heavier on the eyeliner. A little extra dark liner on the top lid at the lash line will help to disguise the redness and puffiness. Anything too light or shimmery will just make your eyes look more swollen. Instead, choose dark colors, such as a taupe eye shadow on the lid, to help recede any puffiness.

 

One of my favorite tricks is to dab a cream highlighter — any luminizer will do — right in the middle of the top lid at the lash line (right above the pupil). But remember, just a tiny bit. It creates a little highlight and sparkle and makes your eyes look brighter and white.

 

Also, don’t forget to curl your lashes! Open up those tired, puffy eyes with a good curling and an extra coat or two of mascara.

 

Add some light

Use a concealer with light reflective particles in it (like Clarins Instant Light Eye Perfecting Base or YSL Touche Eclat) to brighten up the under eye area. Concealers in peachy tones also cut the darkness from under the eyes.

 

Warm up cheeks and lips

Hung over skin tends to be more sallow and pale and a bit lifeless looking. Using a touch of extra blush, especially something peachy, will bring life back into the face. Pinky peaches are more flattering because they warm you up. Stay away from anything too cold looking, such as champagne tones, that make you look more drained.

 

I love By Terry Rose de Rose liquid blush in Coral Rose. The liquid formula dries into a luminescent matte blush and gives a wonderful soft and subtle glow.

 

If you have an oily complexion or prefer powder in general, powder blush with some shimmer or luminescence can help brighten your complexion. MAC’s Mineralize Blushes are fantastic. They come in really pretty colors and add shimmer without looking like you’re sparkling.

 

Or use a cheek stain in peach or pink tones, such as Benefit’s Posietint poppy-pink tinted lip and cheek stain, just to give flush of color to your lips and cheeks.

 

Lips stains also give pale lips a dose of color. Hourglass has great lip stains, which look like your own natural lips. After all, you want to look like you, only a little bit better.

 

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