I haven't been sleeping very well lately, meaning I wake up looking positively gray and zombie-like every morning. I've narrowed down the best products to fake a full night's sleep and make you look all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and whatnot.
When I have time, I'll start with an energizing mask - the perfect one for early mornings is the REN Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial. If I use this in the morning I'll leave it on for even less than a minute to avoid any post-mask redness (I get some slight redness from pretty much every mask, more from removal than the mask itself), and I get refreshed, awake-looking, and glowing skin. Instead of my normal moisturizer plus base I'll swap in the Origins VitaZing Energy-Boosting Moisturizer because it gives my skin a good dose of moisture along with a little hint of warming color - it helps me not look as gray, and builds up that natural glow that the mask was giving me. Instead of masking my face in a full application of foundation, I opt for just using concealer where I need it - under my eyes (a must), and down the center of my face where I get some splotchy redness. Under my eyes I've been trying out the Estee Lauder Doublewear Brush On Glow BB Highlighter in the shade 0N - it gives great coverage without caking or creasing, and the soft pink shade really cancels out the darkness of my undereye circles and brings light to the area. On everything else that needs concealing I'll use my usual NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer. To add more color and life to my lackluster skin, I'll use a blush with a slight iridescence to it, like the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Diffused Heat or the NARS Blush in Deep Throat. Usually this is enough glow for me but if I'm looking really dull I'll also throw in a quick sweep of the Benefit Watt's Up highlighter. Since it's a cream consistency, it looks more natural and less "disco ball" than some other highlighters.
I tend to do my eyebrows and eyes as normal, a quick brush-through of the Anastasia DipBrow Pomade, a wash of a champagne eyeshadow (the Stila Eye Shadow in Kitten always does the trick, with one of the middle shades from the Naked2 Basics Palette in the crease), and lashings of my beloved L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara. To bring more light to the area, I'll dab some of the highlighter on the inner corners of my eyes. For lips I'll always reach for a complexion-brightening pink, such as the Dior Addict Lip Glow.
So there you have it, a not-too-complicated edit to fake getting all of your beauty sleep. What are your favorite products to help you look more awake?