It’s safe to say we could all use a little more sleep. In fact, according to The Great British Sleep Survey 2020 commissioned by The French Bedroom Company, only only 11% of Brits regularly sleep soundly through the night, leaving the majority of us feeling groggy and looking wiped out.
While the best cure would be endless uninterrupted nights of 8 hours’ sleep or more (dream on, right?), most of us are looking for quick fixes and instantly achievable hacks to at least fake the look of a good night’s rest. Luckily, our beauty regimes have a lot to offer, from complexion brightening massages, to puffiness solutions and dark circle fixers. Here, we share the seven genius beauty hacks to look less tired…
1. Try a pop of shimmer
According to makeup artist Cher Webb, there’s an easy makeup hack to make eyes look wider and appear brighter – and it involves a hint of shimmer applied in precisely the right spot. Rather than applying it all over the eyelid as you might for a full-on makeup look, use your finger to press a shimmery shade directly in the centre of the lid. Think of it like contouring for your eye – the shimmer reflects the light, making that part of your eye look bigger. Genius.
2. Apply concealer the right way
The rule for concealing dark circles used to be painting an upside down triangle under the eyes. However, according to makeup artist and makeup influencer Danielle Marcan, we’ve been doing it all wrong. In her TikTok video, which has over 13 million views, she reveals a new ‘lifting techniques’ that will make you look less tired and far more radiant.
Simply apply concealer to the inner corners of your under eye area, and apply to the outer corner at an upwards angle. Finish with contour applied on the cheekbones (not under them), and a dab of blush on where you would traditionally apply highlighter. These simple application techniques create an optical illusion that draws the face upwards, making you look well rested and perky.
3. Apply something cool to eyes
If your eyes get puffy when you’re tired, the fastest and most effective way of treating them is to apply something cold. If you want to kill two birds with one stone, opt for an “ice-globe” – the viral new facial massage tool that you put in the freezer for ten minutes before using to gently massage the skin and boost lymphatic drainage. If you’d rather get another 10 minutes of shut eye, simply pop a couple of cucumber slices on top of closed eyes and relax for an extra few moments. The cold temperature will boost circulation, helping to shift any excess fluid and reduce inflammation.
4. Perform an 8-minute acupressure treatment
According to a viral TikTok video, there’s a quick and easy acupressure technique that will leave eyes looking bright and feeling utterly refreshed. Based on the same principles as acupuncture (only without the needles), acupressure seeks to alleviate the tension in our body and balance our energy by applying pressure – in this case, with our fingertips – to different tactical points on the face and body.
In this case, the treatment focuses on specific points around the eyes, starting with the inner corner of the brows. Taking your thumbs, massage the point using inwards circular motions for two minutes. Next, pinch the bridge of your nose directly in between your eyes and wiggle up and down, again for two minutes.
The other techniques, which all take two minutes, include using your index finger to massage the top of your cheek bone directly below each pupils, and putting your thumb on your temple and using your knuckle to trace the brow bone and under eyes in outwards motions.
According to the creator Zoey Gong, this eight-minute regime will boost circulation, reduce puffiness, boost elasticity in the skin and reduce the appearance of dark circles – so it’s well worth doing.
5. Ditch the eyeliner
While it’s second nature to call upon every product in our makeup bag in the face of a sleepless night, you might want to lay off the eyeliner – especially if you usually apply it in the waterline. Doing so makes the eyes look smaller, as well as picks up any dark tones in the under eye areas. Instead, try a fluttery mascara and if you can’t go without liner, stick to a subtle, uplifting feline flick in just the outer corners.