Wake up little Susie...

Or Barb or Nicole or Melissa...whatever your name may be, here are some tips to help your face appear more awake on those days when you feel and look like you could have stayed in bed for two more days, I mean hours. Here's a little video for you describing them in detail.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAsCzSA4Tx4

Our eyes and skin seem to take on a dark appearance when we are tired or not feeling well.  Dark as in shadowed, not tanned.  If that were the case people would want to be tired all the time.  Ahem..ha ha.  Our lips, however, tend to turn pale in these instances.  So we will start off brightening those tired eyes:
1. A light/white/bright color applied to the inner corner of the eye, also considered the tear duct area, helps to draw light into that space and dispell the dark shadows that tend to hover there when we are tired/sick.

2. A brightening under eye concealer helps to remove the dark shadow from underneath the eye.  I use Revlon Age Defying Concealer in the color Light.  It stays in place, doesn't cake up and is brightening without making it look "white".

3. Either a flesh toned or white eye liner pencil applied to the lower water line does wonders for making the whites of your eyes appear whiter and brighter.  I prefer a flesh tone but it's a personal preference.  I use the Anastasia Brow Highlighting pencil for that as opposed to on my brow bone which is what it was intended for.  You can buy a white lining pencil in almost any brand including but not limited to NYC.  You can also use a pale yellow color which is quite lovely!

4. Eye lash curler.  Let's curl those droopy lashes ladies!  It really really does open up the eye and make it appear more "awake".  Lashes hanging down in your eye draws the own down and makes it seem more "closed" and sleepy.

On to the face.  We tend to look "dull" when we are tired/sick so a nice highlighting powder or cream (if you have dry skin I recommend the latter and vice versa for us oily girls).  In the video I show you the best places to apply that highlight to draw light into the face and make yourself appear more "alive" as opposed to putting it in the "wrong" places and appearing oilier.  I use a Mac Mineralized Skin Finish in the color Soft and Gentle.  Physician's Formula makes a nice one called a "Shimmer Strip" that comes in different shades and those are available at most drug stores.  They are a little more pricey than your regular "drug store buy", or for my friends from the UK, "high street brand" but still much less expensive than Mac.  And they are just as lovely.

And lastly the lips.  I don't know about you but I tend to go white in the lip area when I'm tired and/or sick.  Not a pretty look on anyone.  I like to use something that is just the same color as my natural lip color to bring the color back.  I used Covergirl's Lipslick in Bronze Goddess which is just a tinted lip balm.  Very natural.

And now that we are all looking wide awake, here's a few photos so you can see these products in action!
 And believe me I was tired today!