Beauty fixes for when you're sleep-deprived
Go from ravaged to radiant with these fast, simple tricks.
There are so many reasons you might wake up feeling like your head just hit the pillow: A particularly funny Daily Show. A baby who needs you every 1.5 hours. A noisy next door neighbor. A husband who's all knees and elbows (ouch). Or an early-morning appointment with your neighborhood jog buddy.
While we can't deliver a good night's rest, we can make you look and feel like yourself again. We asked top beauty pros to share their speediest secrets for looking pretty when sleep — and time — is scarce.
Skin SOS
Give me 50. Jumping jacks, that is, says dermatologist Ellen Marmur. "Skin gets shafted when we're fatigued," she says, explaining that when we skimp on sleep, our body goes into conservation mode, shifting vital resources away from the skin and giving them to priority organs like your heart and brain. Even just a few seconds of exercise is enough to bring blood flow to your skin, giving you a rosy flush, she explains.
Cool, then cleanse. After your micro-workout, hop in a skin-stimulating cool shower and wash your face with a niacinamide-containing cleanser. No time to shower? Hit the sink. Niacinamide dilates skin vessels and boosts skin repair, says Marmur.
BB all you can be. "It's all about multi-tasking," says makeup artist Laura Geller. Your ultimate skin multitasker: the BB or CC Cream — foundation that offers light-but-buildable coverage, good-for-you ingredients (moisturizers, anti-agers and/or pigmentation-correctors), and a dose of SPF, says Geller. In other words, one dollop can replace several steps in what was once your usual morning routine.
Makeup made easier
Conceal correctly. To bring light to your complexion instantly, says makeup artist Mally Roncal. apply concealer to these key spots: the inner and outer corners of your eyes, underneath your eyes, the outer corners of your nose and the outer corners of your mouth.
Brush up with mascara. When you're particularly bleary-eyed, simply slapping on some black mascara won't do the trick. Instead, try Roncal's "starburst" method: As you apply, stroke the wand toward the bridge of your nose — instead of toward the outer corners. Lashes stand up straighter, making eyes look more open.
Be a loud mouth. Swipe lips with a brightly-colored stain. Think fuchsia, says makeup artist Emily Kate Warren. The vibrant hue is enough to make you look more awake and also like you "tried," she says.