Five genius make-up tips to stop you looking tired
“You look tired.” Three words you never want to hear. It’s bad enough when you deserve to look knackered. When you’ve had a wild night out that saw you guzzling down a week’s worth of units and then getting sub five hours. But when you’ve actually had a good night’s sleep? Now that’s depressing.
I’ve been asked whether I’m tired a few times recently. Call it age, the single-parent holiday juggle, energy bill anxiety - whatever, it’s having an effect. Forget resting bitch face - I have resting knackered face. I’ve been here before. And the good news is that, being a beauty editor, I know how to counter it.
Over the two decades I’ve been doing this job, I’ve absorbed all the insider tips and tricks from make-up artists. I’ve witnessed how they can take a jaded, faded celebrity straight off the red eye from LA and make them look fresh and radiant, like they’ve slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber and consumed nothing but green juices for a week. So what’s the score?
Well, firstly it’s about accepting that post-30 you are going to have to make a bit of an effort. Oh, I know we all hanker after the bare-faced insouciance of a 90s Kate Moss, that off-duty model aesthetic which looks scrubbed clean, entirely free of make-up. Newsflash, even Mossy can’t work that anymore. It’s going to require a modicum of effort to look effortlessly radiant. But not much, I promise. Five minutes max.
I call my friend Caroline Barnes. She is a make-up artist with many celebrities on speed dial and a reputation for transforming tired faces. Follow these genius tricks and you’ll soon hear these three better words: “You been away?”
1. Be strategic with your concealer.
“Darkness and shadow make a face look tired,” says Barnes. She suggests adding light by dotting a concealer under the eyes and around the nose. “The important thing is that the concealer you are using is opaque. All those super sheer, highlighting formulations don’t last and don’t cover enough.” Me? I find drawing a swipe of concealer from the outer corner of my eye up to the tail of my brow and then blending, really helps lift the whole area. As does a dot of concealer on the inner corner.
Beauty kit
From left to right: Monika Beauty Blunder Cover, £45, Cult Beauty; Max Factor Factor Facefinity All Day Flawless Concealer, £9.99, Boots; Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra-Longwear Concealer, £26, Space NK
2. Embrace creamy colour (and abandon nude)
“If you are feeling tired, step away from the nude palette,” says Barnes. “It’s better to liven the face with colour, as it distracts brilliantly and wakes up the face.” She loves corals, watermelon or soft reds. If you are aiming for that weekend glow, there are brands which specialise in that off-duty, healthy glow aesthetic (I’m thinking the newish Hermes make-up, Chanel Les Beiges range or the more affordable Sculpted by Aimee Connolly). It goes without saying that blush is your friend. Choosing a multi-tasking product that can also be patted on both the apples of the cheeks and the lips is great for saving time. Avoid products with too much shimmer as they exaggerate lines and wrinkles.
Beauty kit
From left to right: Baby Cheeks Blush Stick, £44, Westman Atelier; Les Beiges Blush Stick, £38, Chanel; Cream Luxe Blush, £16, Sculpted by Aimee Connolly
3. Use a glossy mascara (but not on lower lashes)
Mascara makes everything better. Go for a formulation that makes lashes look silken and glossy, rather than anything too dramatic or fake looking. And “stick to the top lashes only,” says Barnes. “This makes you look more awake. Mascara on the bottom lashes adds darkness you don’t need in that area right now.” My tip? Be extra scrupulous about removing last night’s make-up from under your eyes. Use a cotton bud soaked in micellar water. Any trace of darkness here is going to exacerbate tired looking eyes. If you’ve got time, using an eyelash curler will make a real difference too.
Beauty kit
From left to right: Pillow Talk Push Up Lashes! Mascara, £25, Charlotte Tilbury; Hypnôse Custom Wear Volume Mascara, £28.50, Lancôme; Eyelash Curler, £16, Trish McEvoy
4. Prep before your pep
Caroline Barnes has a routine that brings even the most weary famous faces back to life. Firstly, she rubs an essential oil blend on her client’s wrists (she likes de Mamiel Altitude Oil, £30) and then asks her clients to inhale, taking a few deep breaths in and a moment to themselves. “The tension melts away from their face and the tightness around the lips and jaw softens. Next up, Barnes whips some Oliviere Wilson Cryo Ice Sticks, £90, out of her tool kit and presses them around the eye socket to depuff and refresh skin. Finally she uses a sheet mask - she rates Seoulista Beauty Super Hydration Instant Facial, £7.99, Meder Beauty Hydra Fill Deep Moisturising Mask, £61 for 5 and Shiseido Vital Perfection Liftdefine Radiance Face Masks, £91 for 6 - taking a few minutes after to massage in the remaining serum. “Even if you only do it for two minutes it’s better than nothing.”
5. Brighten up your eyes
One trick I like to deploy is eye drops. I use Lumify eye drops, £17.90, as recommended by make-up artist Ruby Hammer. It always works no matter how little sleep I’ve had.
Do you have any other make-up tips you use to stop yourself looking tired? Share yours in the comments section below
