“You look tired” are three of the worst words you can hear in the English language, insulting enough to make anyone feel self-conscious and unattractive. But let’s get real: for a busy college student in the middle of finals, beauty rest goes from tangible to foreign pretty fast, and sadly our exterior often suffers the consequences. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to get the same effects even when you’ve had your worst of all-nighters or the like, so you’ll never again have to hear those three words. Here are a few of the best tricks and tips:
1. Take a cold shower. I know this sounds beyond less than appealing, especially in the morning when you’re not enthused about being awake in the first place, but it really works. The cold water from the shower stimulates circulation in your body and tones your face, and the frigid temperature makes you feel more awake! Not quite ready to take the plunge? Try using a peppermint-infused soap instead, which has been proven to increase alertness.
2. Warm up. A little movement can go a long way when you’re body is in zombie mode. And you can start before you even get out of bed! When you’re laying down and ready to sit up, focus on your abdominal muscles and isolate them as you rise, mimicking a stomach crunch. Then, warm up the rest of your muscles. You could try doing some yoga moves like tree and downward-facing dog, but odds are if you’re sleep-deprived then you probably don’t have time. As an alternative, do ten jumping jacks followed by ten deep breaths and repeat once. That burst of cardio will be just enough to open up your lungs and keep your fluids flowing, preventing blockage that causes stress in areas such as the eyes.
3. MOISTURIZE. I put this in all-caps because as mundane as putting on some lotion sounds, it can be the difference between looking runway (or classroom) ready and looking like the Witch from Snow White. First, erase the stress of last night’s cram session with a good exfoliating cleanser, preferably a chemical-free one like Aveeno Skin Brightening Daily Scrub (see above). Then choose a facial moisturizer that contains vitamins C and E, which are notoriously effective complexion-boosters. All you need is a dollop of a rich, creamy moisturizer on your face to hydrate dry sleepless skin and reflect light, which automatically gives the appearance of healthy, well-rested skin.
4. Attack your eyes. The eyes suffer the most from the effects of sleep deprivation, and contain flaws that are the most difficult to conceal, which is why you have to approach them from all fronts. Just like you crave caffeine to stimulate you in the mornings (and in fact are probably drinking as you reach this stage in your routine), your puffy eyes need it too. The best way to give them a caffeine fix is through the old teabag trick, which you’ve probably heard from your mom, grandma, and anyone else born in the yesteryears. Simply steep two tea bags in hot water, then after about 2 minutes take them out and set them aside on a nonabsorbent surface to cool. When they’re cool but still damp, place one bag over the puffy skin under each eye, and leave them in place for about 15 minutes at the most. If this method is too extreme or time-consuming, you can get similar effects by using cold compresses like cucumber slices or the cliché bag of frozen peas. If you’ve also got issues with redness, try using eye drops like Clear Eyes to make your pupils more alert.
5. Curl, cover, color. If your eyes don’t suffer from puffiness, odds are that you probably at least have dark circles to wrestle with every morning. All you need to tackle them is a decent creamy concealer. Make sure you choose a shade slightly lighter than your skin tone, and dab a small amount over dark areas. {If you already use foundation, add concealer after you apply your base.} After concealing one curve, it’s time to amplify another by curling your lashes. For best results, hold the curler as close to the lashes as possible; if you do that, all you’ll need is one squeeze to maximize your lashes and make you look instantly more awake. Now to top it all off, even if all else fails, nothing works like the art of illusion through a little eye makeup, but don’t overdo it. Rim your lower lid with a pale neutral eyeliner to brighten eye areas and conceal redness or irritation, then add a charcoal or chocolate liner on the top lid and a swipe of mascara to top it off.