How to Look Glowing and Rested on Zero Sleep
We've all been there: A late night out with friends; up in the middle of the night with a crying baby; too much caffeine consumption in the afternoon. All of the above will keep you from catching those vital Zs —and leave you looking less than lovely the next morning.
Want to know how to get rid of dark circles, puffy eyes and pale skin? You can't turn back time, but there are a few ways to fake it. I asked three experts how to hide the proof of a bad night, and tested their advice for myself.
1. Dr. Jeannette Graf, dermatologist, New York City: Get to work fast with some triage.
• Get 20 minutes of brisk exercise or cardio. This may be the last thing you want to do after a big night, but it will give you some color as it increases circulation.
• Hydrate! If you are drinking some morning joe to wake up, beware that it can also be a diuretic and increase dehydration. Be sure to drink plenty of water with some lemon or lime.
• Try a cool compress for puffy eyes. Dr. Graf especially likes cool cucumbers or cotton soaked with cooled green or black tea. The tannins and caffeine help puffy eyes. (Plus you will look sort of glam while you recover.)
2. Rita Csizmadia, owner of Rita's Beautiful Skin Institute in Santa Monica: It's all about a few minutes of skin pampering.
• "You want to make sure that you give your skin a good exfoliating scrub, such as Nia24's Physical Cleansing Scrub, to gently remove dead skin cells and increase circulation," she says. "The increased blood flow to the skin will help give your skin plumpness that is usually gets through the rejuvenation cycle of sleep."
• If have some extra time, you can steep some chamomile tea bags or mints in hot water. Use this water to wash your face.
• Keep an eye cream in the fridge. The coolness will help minimize eye puffiness. Also, it just feels nice putting on cool eye cream!
• If you are tired of drinking water to hydrate, try some fresh fruit.
• "Also, you want to make sure that your skin is well-hydrated on the surface," Csizmadia says. She suggests both a light hydrating toner, such as Murad's Hydrating Toner, and a light moisturizer, like Chi Yang Golden Glow Moisturizer.
3. Dr. Gerald Imber, plastic surgeon and author of The Youth Corridor: Planning ahead is your best defense.
• Stock up on melatonin to help with sleeping cycles.
• When you get home from a late night, prepare your morning-after remedy. "Green tea bags that have been steamed and cooled in the refrigerator or freezer can be applied to the eye area to decrease puffiness with natural caffeine components," Dr. Imber says.
If all else fails: Conceal. I asked makeup artist Jessica Lauren for a few helpful tips:
• "I would start with a moisturizer suitable for your skin type. Follow that with a firming eye cream that is also good for dark circles," she says. "Teamine eye cream is one of my favorites."
• To hide dark circles, try a yellow-based concealer.
• As far as eye makeup goes, a light shadow is best. One with a light reflector is even better. White eyeliner also cans help the whites in the eyes appear whiter if they are blood-shot.
My own approved morning-after favorites? Regenerist Anti Aging Eye Roller helps me reduce puffiness while the tiniest bit of It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye lightens my dark circles. For futher wake-up makeup, I like CoverGirl Exact Eyelights Eye Brightening Shadows worn over BareEscentuals Brightening Eyelid Primer.
As for the complexion, a shower plus 20 quick jumping jacks does wonders. But I also like some Revlon PhotoReady Foundation and pink blush on the apples of my cheeks to get some color.
And now, I am off to get some sleep until the next big night calls for these remedies.
Info from StyleUnited.com
