My Dirty Little Secrets

Swollen, puffy, and red eyes with blue undereye circles. Washed out face. Dull skin.
These are some of the common symptoms women experience the morning after drinking too much, eating salty foods, having temporary insomnia, and hormones just doin' their thing. Yep, we've all been through this too many times to count but it is still frightening to look in the mirror and face your own face. Some mornings when you look not as great as usual like shit, there ARE some ways that you can semi-conceal to the world that you had one too many Pink Panty Droppers or stayed up past your bedtime having an awesome, uh, conversation with a lucky guy.

Garnier's eye roller contains caffeine

First, wash your face! Even if you washed your face the night before, it won't hurt to make yourself feel more awake and refreshed. Next apply moisturizer (preferably one with SPF of at least 15!) to hydrate your thirsty skin (I use Cetaphil for both face wash and moisturizer on mornings like these to avoid irritating my skin even more). Unless you are perfect and don't get bags under your precious eyes, then invest in an undereye serum that contains caffeine because it will diminish puffiness and the dark cast under your eyes. I love Clinique's All About Eyes and Garnier's Anti-Puff Eye Roller.

When you aren't looking your best it can be tempting to slab on a bunch of makeup to attempt to conceal what is going on with your face, butin this case less is more. DO NOT over-apply your makeup!

Almost every single morning I use a couple drops of Visine or Clear Eyes in each eye, even if they're not terribly red, because it clears up my eyes and moisturizes them so they feel more refreshed too. It only takes a couple seconds to drop this miracle-worker into your eyes and the results are totally worth it. If you are not super comfortable putting drops into your eyes, then get comfortable or walk around with unbeautiful eyes.
Dab concealer under your eyes and blend it, going towards the inside corner- not outward (this is because it is 'going against the grain' similar to when you shave your legs the opposite way the hair grows...you'll get more coverage this way). I prefer to use my fingers, as long as they are clean, to do this because it's easier and gives a more natural look. Apply your concealer to blemishes and other red spots such as your eyelids and under your nostrils.

 

Pur Minerals 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Makeup

Go light on your foundation, or use tinted moisturizer, so you get a more natural finish and your skin can appear less matte and more moisturized. If you use powder foundation like me, use a big fluffy brush to apply it to avoid applying too much. My absolute favorite foundation is Pur Minerals foundation because it contains SPF, looks completely natural, and is better for your skin since it's mineral makeup.

Best lip/cheek stain ever!

 Use a cheek stain as blush to liven up your skin so it doesn't look washed out. A cheek stain looks more natural and contributes to the "moisturized and refreshed" appearance we're going for here. My absolute favorite cheek stain is the berry color from The Body Shop- it looks so natural, like I just finished a light workout, and literally stays on the entire day. If your face needs extra brightness, apply a small amount of the stain to your lips as well.

Do not wear any bright eyeshadow! This will draw attention to your blah eyes when you want them to look fresh and like you did not wake up looking gross. If you feel naked without eyeshadow, wear a flesh colored one. I love Bobbi Brown's eyeshadow in Bone and Benefit's Cream Shadow in R.S.V.P. I wear R.S.V.P. almost every single day because it has a little bit of shimmer, but is still very natural looking.

This little pot does wonders for tired eyes.

Finally, curl your eyelashes and apply black mascara! My all-time favorite mascara is Covergirl's Lash Blast in blackest black. If you feel that your eyes still look too tired, apply a little bit of eyeliner right next to your lashline to give a natural look. The best colors for a day like this are black, dark blue, and dark green to counteract the redness in your eyes. Avoid purples and browns and any colors that have a warm tint because they will bring out the redness in your eyes and make you appear more tired.

This process should only take about 5 minutes and voila- you are gorgeous and refreshed!