5 Tricks for Brighter Eyes & Skin After a Sleepless Night

It took me a good year after my son was born to realize that my exhausted looking eyes and skin were there to stay. I mean, it would be great if I could get more sleep, but let’s be real: It just wasn’t going to happen then (or now, to be honest). So, I went on a mission to find a few key products that would help me look awake and refreshed. Thanks to my job as a fashion editor, I get to try a lot of cool stuff! Here are the tricks I’ve learned (you’re welcome!):

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1. Brighten up the area under your eyes to diminish dark circles. If I could walk around with a reflector (the ones used at photo shoots) I would, because the beautiful light they reflect make my under-eye circles instantly disappear. Luckily for me (and you), under-eye brightener has the same effect. Most have a bit of sparkle to them, which is why many are called illuminators. So a dab goes a long way; you don’t want too much sparkle. I apply mine before my under-eye concealer so my under-eye is not too shiny. Out of the many under-eye brighteners I have used, the Radiant Creamy Concealer by Nars is the best.

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2. Beat the tired pallor with tinted moisturizer.
When pregnant I developed melisma gravidarum, thanks to pregnancy hormones, and a few spots stuck around. After experimenting, I discovered a moisturizer that adds a hint of brightening color to my skin and SPF for sun protection: Laura Mercier Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer

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3. Stay hydrated.
The Mayo Clinic recommends that we drink 2.2 liters (or nine cups) of water a day. It’s beneficial to skin because water keeps it from drying out. Not only does dry skin age you, it makes you look even more worn out.



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4. Play up your best feature. 
If your lips are your best feature then choose a bold lip color (like Zoe Saldana did at the Grammy’s in 2015). I have really been sporting the bold lip for the last year after I ran into a mother of three who had a bare face and red lips. I was mesmerized by how it just brightened up her entire face, so I copied it with my favorite lip hue, pink! If it’s your eyes, wear mascara. And so on.

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5. Simplify Your Hair. When tired try to not weigh your face down with heavy hair. I have pretty thick hair, and if I have had an especially rough night with my son I will not wear it down the next morning. The hair just seems to weigh my entire look down and deepen circles under my eyes; we’ve all been there. I exercise one of the first beauty tricks I ever learned, which is to give your face an instant lift by doing a sleek ponytail or a pulled back French twist.

This instant lift is honestly one of the best (and cheapest—it’s free!) beauty tricks out there.

More Beauty Tips to Look Awake:

Photos (from top): Sephora and Getty

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