Getting a decent amount of sleep is one of my top beauty tips (and one of the toughest to achieve!) Busy schedules, obligations, stress, Netflix…they are all robbing us of our beauty zz’s. Our body (and skin) repairs itself as we sleep and if we’re lacking, our faces are the first to show. Dark circles, dehydrated skin and breakouts can all be caused by a lack of sleep and usually leave us wanting to pile on the products.
Not getting your 8 hours of sweet dreams? Not to worry! I’ve got you covered. Here are my 5 tips to help you look like you’ve slept in a cushiony cloud of magic (well…at least to make you look like you’ve had a coffee.)
1. Facial Massage
I know I’m constantly talking about facial massage but it’s because I truly believe in the benefits! Even a quick 2 minute facial massage can work wonders on tired, puffy skin. Our goal is to drain any unwanted liquid that may have built up in the face. Take an oil cleanser or cleansing balm and work in small, quick circular motions around the face. Gently draw circles in outward motions around your orbital bone to drain any puffiness around the eyes. Sweep the hands or a jade roller gently on each side of the cheeks moving from the center of the face out towards the ear. Finish it off by taking your fingertips and gently tapping them all around your face and orbital bone (you may feel crazy but I promise, it helps.) Voila! Time for skincare.
2. Hydrate your skin!
One of the number one things that ages us (and makes us look sleepy) is dry, flaky skin. When we’re exhausted and not sleeping enough, our skin usually isn’t balanced and happy. Reach for hydrating products.A hyaluronic acid serum topped with a hydrating moisturizer or oil should do the trick. Just make sure you don’t overdo it as our goal is hydrated skin, not glazed donut.
3. Less is more
When we are tired (or hungover) we usually attempt to pile on the products to cover dark circles, blemishes and uneven skin tone. Do the opposite! We want the light to bounce off of our cheeks. We want our skin to look so hydrated and juicy as if we’ve just left the spa. Opt for a light foundation or tinted moisturizer and skip the powder. Don’t overdo it with concealing under the eyes (and please, for the love of God, do not bake!) Use a light reflecting concealer such as my favorite,YSL’s Touche Eclat to conceal and highlight under the eyes. Keep your lip simple and try a tinted lip balm rather than a heavy lipstick.
4. Choose cream and liquid formulas
You’ll want to resist the urge to use powder all together on these extra sleepy days. If absolutely necessary, just powder the t- zone area where you would naturally become extra shiny. My holy grail, can’t live without powder is Charlotte Tilbury’s Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder. It is insanely finely milled and does not settle into fine lines. Choose liquid and cream formulas for foundation, blush and bronzer. Never underestimate the power of a cream blush! My favorites are from Bobbi Brown and Honest Beauty. The formulas are super lush and not sticky. Take your finger or a stippling brush and tap a bit of pink/peach cream blush on the apples of your cheeks. Use the leftover on your lips to waken them up a bit! I always like to toss my cream blush in my handbag as it doesn’t tend to be as long lasting as powders. But that’s ok! It is better to work in layers than to pile everything on at once and pray that it lasts until happy hour.
5. Highlight for your life!
Ok, maybe not to that extreme but highlighter (particularly a creamy formula) is your best friend today! You’ll want to highlight the areas where the light naturally hits your skin. Tap a bit of cream highlight on the tops of your cheekbones, the cupid’s bow (right above your lip,) down the bridge of your nose and (most importantly) the inner corners of your eyes. You will be shocked at how a bit of highlight can instantly brighten up sallow, tired skin and make you look refreshed!
There you have it! 5 quick little ways to make yourself look healthy, glowy and well rested. Let me know in the comments below your favorite tricks to look awake (even before you’ve had your latte!)
You are MORE than enough!
Love and light, Carrie xo
This was so very helpful Carrie! Also I wanted to follow you on bloglovin, to get updated when you post something, but couldn’t find your account! 🙁
http://www.mybeautysilence.con
These are such good tips! I honestly can’t temember the last time I slept 8 hours, haha. I’ll have to try the facial massage. I usually just splash my face with cold water in the morning but I’ll try this!