I read an article not long ago from the better sleep council at bettersleep.org discussing all the wondrous things that happen when we get the sleep our bodies need; in fact, we’re all so under served on our recommended daily doses of sleep that the CDC actually refers to insufficient sleep as a “public health problem”.
The point is, as adults, we’re all exhausted much of the time- and contrary to what the snarky memes of Facebook would have you believe, yes even adults without children are tired; we all have jobs, responsibilities, houses to clean, cooking to do and friends and family to keep up with.
We are all stretched way thin, and as such, we’re beyond tired.
So is it any wonder that we look so tired?
Sleepless nights run rampant in this house, and I know I’m not alone; there are plenty of grown-ups who are too wired, consumed with all that needs to be done or terrified (in my case, at least) that their toddler will need something to go to sleep.
Whether it’s work or family (or both) that is keeping us awake at night there’s not a lot that any of us can do about the sleep we’re not getting (aside from unbridled caffeine consumption), but you can fake looking fresh and well rested- here’s how I pull this off;
- Wash and moisturize; much the same as when you’re battling a hangover, when you’re exhausted and running on empty it isn’t the time to skimp on your skincare routine. Wash, tone and moisturize as usual. Not only will this help tamp down any exhaustion related redness and blotchy spots- the splashing of water on your face is also an age old method to revive us when we could sleep standing up like a giraffe.
2. This is another time for your friend, BB Cream; there are plenty of brands that offer this type of titanium dioxide spiked tinted moisturizer. The best textures melt right into your skin and just make it look a little more evenly colored; definitely take the time to find which one suits you best, it just so happens that my favorite is Maybelline’s BB Dreamfresh 8-in-1 Skin Perfector. Since I discovered it in the fall of 2012 it has been a consistent repurchase because of it’s light, creamy consistency and it’s automatic pore and line blurring capability. Love. This. Apply with a foundation brush for more even coverage or with your fingertips if a swipe will get the job done. On days where I’m exhausted I tend to skip the powder, opting instead for oil blotting papers like these Clean and Clear Oil Blotting Sheets– they absorb any grease without caking on extra makeup.
3. Fill in your eyebrows. I’m totally serious. This will frame your eyes without you having to go to the trouble of a full-on eye-shadow application; and you don’t have to go crazy in order to pull this off. I am not huge on filling my eyebrows in with pencil because my eyebrows are pretty much black and that makes them waaay too obvious, so my favorite way to fill in my eyebrows in 20 seconds flat without any regret is to use Benefit’s Gimme Brow gel. It has these fibers that fill in your sparse places with extremely natural looking results that don’t scream across the room at innocent bystanders.
4. In last week’s surviving a hangover post I mentioned that sometimes you have to bite the bullet and line your waterline with black in order to mask your red rimmed eyes- if you find on the morning following a sleepless night that your eyes are extremely bright red, definitely use that tip of the black eyeliner. It will mask the tired look of your eyes and at least curb the “are you sick” or “don’t you sleep” questions. If you just need a little camouflage (and, like me, you don’t always feel comfortable wearing eyeliner to go buy Pull-Ups at Walmart) then this might be a better choice for you; Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Inner Rim Liner is (for lack of a better descriptive) like waterproof concealer for your waterline- it brightens, conceals and makes you look alert without a make-upy look. It’s pricier than most of my cosmetics, however, it makes up for it’s higher price point with longevity- in a normal day, I only have to apply it one time so I’ve been using the same stick for awhile.
5. Lastly, I finish this “I’m Not Wearing Makeup, I’ve Totally Slept in the Last Two Years” look with a little tinted lip balm. As a general rule, my lips are fairly pale, so I have long been a fan of lip stains and tinted lip balms; my daily go to is Vaseline Lip Therapy’s Rosy Lips. It’s thick, has staying power and gives you a sheer slick of color that looks healthy and not at all like makeup- plus it retails for under 3 dollars! FTW!
And that is it! All of these together freshen me up without making me look and feel like I’m wearing a full face of makeup when I am low on sleep, and the best part? You’re freshened up and out the door in 10 minutes or less (slightly more if you decide to add a coat of your favorite mascara to those lovely lashes)!
Happy First Week of 2016, muh friends!
Make this year the best one yet!
Love,
Chick and her Chickadee