My 7 best tricks to wake up a tired face

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Image by Rasmus Weng Karlsen for ELLE SWEDEN

– What can I do to look less tired?  Is one of the most frequently asked questions I get this time of year.

Living in the north we are used to the dark wintermonths, but we never really get used to the cold sapping the moisture out of our faces.
Or the dark under-eye circles. Or the dull complexion that follows.
As a makeupartist I have several tricks to wake up a tired face.

Below I share my 7 best tips for how to wake up a tired face!

EYE PADS

Eye pads gives  an instant feeling of a refreshed under-eye area.

MY TIP: Keep the pads in the fridge and apply first thing in the morning, while making coffee, meditating or whatever is your am routine.
I like these cucumber ones from Peter Thomas Roth, and these gold eye patches from Shang Pree

MOISTURIZE

MY TIP : Apply mosturizer while skin is still damp!

Even if you don’t wash your face in the morning, use a calming face mist to hydrate your face prior to applying moisturiser.
That way the skin will absorb the moisture much better and stay hydrated for longer and leaving face more radiant.
I like this one from Avène,  especially soothing on sensitive skin!

GUA SHA

MY TIP: Use a Gua Sha tool to effectively rid puffiness under eyes, boost circulation, lymph flow and even out skin tone!

I love this gua sha spoon that works wonders for the eye area.
You need an oil for the gua sha tool to glide smoothly over the face. You should find an oil that suits your skin’s unique needs.

If you want some recommendations for face oils, these are a few I like:

OM – SE Renewing Face oil

Exuviance citrafirm faceoil

Maria Åkerberg Jojoba Oil

Madara Soothing hydrating beauty oil

EYE CREAM

A good eye cream soothes and hydrates the delicate eye area.

MY TIP: Use an eye cream that is brightening and contains caffeine 

I like this one from Sunday Riley , and this cult classic from Ole Henrikssen
Also curious to try this brightening eye cream from REN

CONCEALER

Use a concealer to diminish dark circles and brighten up the eye area

MY TIP: Use a Concealer with an apricot/orange undertone that neutralizes dark circles. 

I always have this classic highlighter/ concealer handy in my kit.  YSL Touche Eclat Radiant Touch
Other concealers to give a go, could be this corrector from Becca x Smashbox or this Circle/Delete Concealer from Jane Iredale

For darker skin tones I love these MAC Conceal & Correct palettes.

CURL LASHES

Curled lashes are an easy trick to make you look much more awake in seconds.

MY TIP: Use a professional eyelash curler and starting from the root, pump the curler  2- 3 times along the lash as you move towards the tip.  
That way the lash stays curled for longer and looks more natural.
I swear by this eyelash-curler from She Uemura, but they are hard to get hold of here in Sweden.
Luckily Shiseido has a good one too.

BLUSH

A tired face gets an instant lift with some rosey cheeks. Match the colour of your blush to your complexion.

MY TIP : Look in the mirror and smile! With a medium brush apply the blush on the apples of the cheeks  and fade out and up towards the temple.
Using a cream blush? Apply it with your fingers in the same motion.

I like Lip2 cheek from RMS and ILIA beauty multi sticks to name a few

Hope some of these tricks will come in handy at some point.
We still have February to get through..

Take Care,

/ Marina