We’ve all been there: out too late, up too early, and with the dark circles and dry skin to prove it. Since we’re too busy to start curing chronic fatigue (who has time to snooze eight hours a night?), we consulted some of Washington’s makeup wunderkinds for tips on looking more alive. These cosmetic maestros have worked their magic on famous faces including Zooey Deschanel, Rashida Jones, and Ivanka Trump, so they know a thing or two about looking beautiful while staying busy. Consider their tips a mini intervention to tide you over until that packed calendar opens up enough to allow for a healthier sleep schedule.
Carl Ray
First and foremost, Carl insists that all makeup must be removed before bed (no getting lazy—it’s bad for your skin and for your pillowcase). “Then manually exfoliate with a light cleansing scrub or a hand-held electric buffer, and follow up with a moisturizer.” And in the morning? “Apply mascara just to the top lashes for a fresher, more awake look. Also, I like to put a small dab of concealer on the inner part of the eye socket, next to the nose (this area usually has a bluish-purple cast). The concealer will camouflage that area and give you an instant well-rested look. Then brush eyebrows upward and fill them in with a powder brow shade two shades lighter than your eyebrow color. This will make eyes look more awake and helps complete a polished look.”
Carola Myers
“Apply some crème moisturizer with a lavender or lemon scent on your hands, neck, and shoulders prior applying your makeup—this will awaken your senses and invigorate you instantly. And then kick up your lip color a notch or two! Instead of a pale or nude tone, use a more vibrant lipstick to perk things up. To add an open and fresh look to your eyes, apply black eyeliner pencil on the outer corner of each eye as an inverted ‘v.’ This step will open the eyes right away.”
Gustavo Mottola
“For big events, makeup artists hide wrinkles and fine lines with primers, which set the canvas to a perfect complexion. You can apply a primer over moisturizer or instead of moisturizer. Lines fill in, pores are concealed, and excess oil is controlled. Skin [becomes] so touchable, so silky smooth, you will find it hard to believe.”
Jenny Dickson-Rankin
“I always use Visine for instant whitening of the eyes. Makeup-wise, use shades with smoky dark blue undertones—colors that make the whites of your eyes appear brighter. A pop of bright color on the lips does the trick for those who don’t want a full face of makeup.”
Victoria Stiles
Victoria recommends keeping your eye cream in the refrigerator for an extra chill when you apply it before bed and when you wake up. “This will instantly relieve any puffiness or irritated skin around the eye area, which can make fine lines more prominent,” she tells us.
Kimberly Steele
“One of the best ways to appear more awake is to put a pop of cream or white shimmer shadow in the very inner corner of eyes next to the bridge of the nose. You can also apply this at the brow bone, which will really wake up your look!”
