
“You look tired, are you okay?” This is by far the worst question to hear, whether it comes from a boyfriend, coworker or friend. It’s a comment that comes with good intentions yet carries such a negative message. Even if you ARE tired, you were probably hoping you worked some magic with your makeup bag this morning to disguise any detrimental effects it had on your overall appearance.
But clearly, you didn’t. Hey, it’s okay, it happens to the best of us. But try these makeup tricks to disguise even the latest of nights – whether you were out at the bar or up with the baby.
Energize through exfoliation
Before you put any makeup on, it’s crucial to start with the brightest base possible. Of course, this means exfoliating your skin. No amount of makeup will visually wake up skin that is dry and dead, so starting out with a grainy exfoliating face wash is key.
Moisture and masking
Moisturizing is always crucial, but you should also take advantage of this step for a little extra concealing. Use a tinted moisturizer, BB cream or even mix a little foundation into your moisturizer before applying it to your face. This step will blend intense dark circles, blemishes and other tiredness giveaways into one even tone.
Cover and brighten
If you feel you need more coverage after the concealing step, layer on some light powder foundation. Using powder allows a little more of your natural flush to shine through – wearing heavy liquid foundation can just add to the tired look. Blush is a crucial step to look alive – choose a rosy hue that is close to your face’s natural blushing color and blend well onto the apples of your cheeks and just a touch on the bridge of your nose, forehead and chin. Mist a light toner or mineral water spray over your face to make the whole thing look natural and dewy.
Open your eyes!
Your eyes are the focal point of your face, so your makeup there counts a lot. To avoid looking too “done,” keep it simple. Applying a pearly white eyeliner to your lower lashline will make your eyes look more awake, and wearing a coat or two of black mascara will add just enough definition.