How to never look tired: 10 easy tricks that replace sleep. (But you should get some of that, too!)
That coworker's voice is full of concern when she says, "How are you? You look tired." But her sympathy doesn't stop you from wanting to throttle her. Nobody wants to appear sleep deprived-and nobody has to anymore. "It's easier than ever to not let exhaustion show on your face. There are lots of effective products, many of them inexpensive, that de-puff, glow you up and disguise problems," says New York City dermatologist Francesca Fusco, M.D. And there are plenty of look-alive tactics that are free. Hallelujah! We've got six satisfying comebacks to use the next time someone says you seem pooped-but you'll never need them if you try the following ideas from beauty pros and some very clever weary women.
See our entire list of 25 tips here!
Try a Little Eyeliner Magic
New York City-based makeup artist Laura Mercier perks up models at early-morning photo shoots by rimming their inner, upper lash lines with navy. "It make the whites of their eyes seem brighter," she says. White is the liner color of choice for singer Katy Perry, 24, who's learned it's not easy to get shut-eye when you're promoting a hit album (One of the Boys) and spending nights on a tour bus. She swipes it onto her inner, lower lids. The white helps offset redness, she says; "catnaps help too." (How to perfectly apply liquid eyeliner.)
Glow With Gravity
Kathleen Baird-Murray, 40, author of the new novel Face Value, does a backbend when she's tired. "It gets me going," she says, "and brings a flush to my face." You could also hang your head over the side of your bed for a few seconds.
Do a Ponytail Face-Lift
Pulling your hair into a high, tight one literally gives your face a little lift, so you look refreshed, says Paris-based runway hairstylist Odile Gilbert. (Perfect the smooth ponytail with this backstage secret.)
Caffeinate Your Eyes
Leigh Lezark, 24, globe-trotting deejay for the Misshapes, has a special A.M. ritual when she's worked till dawn: She dips cotton pads in brewed espresso and presses them beneath her eyes. "It eliminates all the darkness and puff," she says. Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor, so it shrinks blood vessels and minimizes dark circles. Its diuretic effect also helps reduce swelling, which is why it's so popular in eye creams.
Take a Cold (and Hot) Shower
Alternating blasts revive Jayne Sandman, 29, associate publisher of Capitol File magazine, when she's done the D.C. party circuit five nights in a row. Says Dr. Fusco, who recommends this to overworked patients: "The temperature change revs circulation and brings back color-it's like CPR for the skin."
Go for a Bronzer-Blush Whammy
The Hills star Audrina Patridge, 23, admits to losing all color in her face when she's wiped. Her strategy: "Bronzer all over and shimmery blush on my cheeks, so I don't look like a zombie!" (Check out this genius blush tip!)
Rub on an Ice Cube
Dancing With the Stars pro Karina Smirnoff, 30, spikes ice-cube trays with her Russian mom's special cocktail (not vodka!) to prep for sunrise rehearsals. She just adds a drop of lemon juice and olive oil to each square, and later runs a frozen cube over her face. The cold reduces swelling, the lemon's citric acid tightens and the olive oil adds moisture.
Put on Skin-Flattering Clothes
"After late nights, I'll slip into a dress, heels and my Steven Alan headband to throw off coworkers," says Lilia DeGregory, 33, a photographer at Kate Spade who moonlights as a deejay. Makeup pro Bobbi Brown, author of Makeup Manual, dons a pink scarf: "Pink warms up skin; I get kudos even on bad days!" (Here's how stars really get perfect skin.)
Spoon!
When she's been working nonstop, Kate Somerville, 38, founder of a skin-care line, chills teaspoons in the hotel-room mini fridge and rests them on her eyes: "It reduces puffiness and redness."
Dress up Your Lips
"I draw attention away from my weary eyes with pink lip gloss," says Paula Froehlich, 34, deputy editor of New York Post gossip column Page Six, who spends nights reporting. The shade transforms a "just-shoot-me-now look," she says.
Find 15 more of our never look tired tips here!
MORE FROM GLAMOUR:
