10 Make-Up Tricks To Help You Look Well Rested
Boost Your Base
If my complexion is glowing, I instantly feel fresher. I like to choose a foundation that has skincare benefits and will give me a glow – because I feel that a radiant base makes you look more youthful. A cream bronzer is another effortless way to give skin a sun-kissed glow. I apply mine to the high points of my face to add definition. It can also double up as a really good eyeshadow, defining the eyes to make them look more awake.”
1. Sheer Skin Tint, £42 | Summer Fridays
2. Glow Filter, £12 | By Beauty Bay
3. Awesome Bronze™ Sunkissed Bronzing Cream & Brush, £80 | Beauty Pie
Correct & Conceal
A corrector is my number-one make-up secret to looking fresh and awake. For most people, darkness under the eyes can make them look tired and aged, so using a corrector before concealer will help to neutralise discolouration and brighten dark circles. My favourite one is from Bobbi Brown because it glides on effortlessly, offering instant brightening. After I’ve used my corrector and concealer (you will almost certainly see benefits from using both), I like an illuminating primer or a foundation with a dewy finish to help give my skin a glow.
Try A Dewy Foundation
Matte foundations can leave the skin looking flat, but the light-reflecting particles in dewy foundations are more flattering to tired skin. A dewy foundation also usually contains ingredients that help the skin to look radiant and fresh. You can easily add a little powder to the areas of the face that can be a little shinier, like the T-zone.
1. Glowy Super Skin Foundation, £34 | Saie
2. Revealer Foundation SPF 25, £35 | Kosas
Invest In A Cream Blusher
Blush is a great way to instantly add colour and perk up your complexion. I prefer cream blushers to powder because they emulate the way your cheeks would naturally flush. It’s also easier to blend cream blushers. Use a brush to apply it on the skin instead of fingers – and warm up the blush in the palm of your hands before application for a dewy look. You could also add a little bit of illuminator or a drop of liquid highlighter into your cream blush for a radiant and fresh glow.
1. Cheeky Tint Blush Stick, £18.40 (was £23) | Huda Beauty
2. Halo Glow Blush Beauty Wand, £9 | E.l.f.
3. Supercheek™ Gleam Blush, £30 | Beauty Pie
4. Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder Flushed, £27 | Danessa Myricks
Use An Illuminating Primer
Illuminating primers and bases can be worn alone or under make-up to give your complexion a boost and glow. I love how versatile these products are because you can customise your glow and wear them alone, or under or over make-up. Mix with foundation for a fresh, dewy finish or apply to the high points of the face for targeted illumination. If you prefer that more targeted approach, you could also try a highlighter instead of an overall complexion illuminator. Simply apply your highlighter of choice to your cheekbones or any area you want to bring forward, and this should add subtle dimension and radiance.
1. Halo Glow Liquid Filter, £14 | E.l.f.
2. Positive Light Liquid Luminizer, £24 | Rare Beauty
3. Instant Anti Age Perfector 4-In-1 Glow Primer, Concealer, Highlighter, £10.39 (was £12.99) | Maybelline
Gels Can Reduce Puffiness
A good eye cream will reduce puffiness around the eyes. I like lightweight gel formulas, and I look for caffeine as an ingredient. Eye cream plus corrector plus concealer is a fantastic trio for brightening the under-eye area.
1. Brightening 4% Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Caffeine & Banana Powder Eye Cream, £10.99 | Garnier
2. De-Puff & Brighten Eye Gel, £11.04 (was £12.99) | Byoma
3. The Eye Concentrate, £195 | La Mer
Ditch Black Mascara
Brown mascara is a great alternative to black, especially if you have a fairer complexion. It is softer than black and really suits a natural day-to-day look. Curling your lashes can also give the illusion of bigger and brighter eyes. You can even experiment with coloured mascara as a fun way to add a pop of colour and contrast to instantly brighten the eyes.
1. BADgal BANG! Volumizing Mascara, £25.50 | Benefit
2. Lash Clash Mascara, £26.10 (was £29) | Yves Saint Laurent
Don’t Forget Exfoliation
A quick way to add glow to your skin and radiance is to exfoliate. Dr Dennis Gross’s Peel Pads are super easy to use; they remove dead skin cells and unclog pores to improve skin texture. If you don’t have the time or budget for a professional facial treatment, you could add a brightening mask into your routine like the new Kate Somerville Vitamin C one. And, as I always say, great make-up starts with great skin, so a good hydrating serum and moisturiser can create a nice canvas for make-up application – I love the dewy skin moisturiser from Tatcha and Glow Recipe’s niacinamide drops.
1. Mega-C 30% Vitamin C Brightening Facial, £62 | Kate Somerville
2. The Dewy Skin Cream, £65 | Tatcha
3. Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel, £21 | Dr. Dennis Gross
4. Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops, £31.64 | Glow Recipe
Look To Setting Sprays & Tanning Drops
An illuminating setting spray or a dewy mist is a great way to boost glow. Add one at the end of your routine or in between your make-up application stages. A lot of luminous setting sprays are infused with hydrating skincare benefits to help lock in moisture and keep your skin looking radiant. I also like to spray these mists onto my brushes and tools to help with my application. Tanning drops are another nice option – they can be added into your moisturiser or used neat on the skin to add colour and radiance.
1. The Face lluminating Self-Tanning Drops, £28.80 (was £36) | Tan Luxe
2. Luminous Dewy Skin Mist, £48 | Tatcha
3. Luminous Setting Spray, £18 | Morphe
4. Prep-Set-Glow Hydrating Mist, £24 | ICONIC London
5. Luxe Tan Tonic Glow Drops, £24 (was £30) | St Tropez
Keep Brows Groomed
Brows frame your eyes and are such an important part of the face. Grooming them properly can make you look more awake and instantly lift the eyes. One of my favourite brow treatments is a brow lamination, but you can achieve this lifted brow look yourself by using a few products. A brow gel can slick the brows into shape, then you brush them up to give them some extra height and dimension. Once the brow gel has set, I like to go in with some brow powder or a brow pencil to fill in the brows – use light strokes here, so you achieve a fluffy, soft brow look. Lightly filled brows are more youthful looking than harsh brows.
1. Air Brow Tinted Volumizing Treatment Gel, £19 | Kosas
2. Brow Powder Duo, £22 | Anastasia Beverly Hills
3. Precisely, My Brow Pencil Ultra-Fine Brow Defining Pencil, £24.50 | Benefit
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