Faking a full night's sleep

21 Dec 2007 22:21 PM | Posted by Editor

Well, they do say that hindsight is perfect 20/20. If I'd have known that Bh's Christmas lunch would morph into an evening and then a night of very merrymaking, I'd have put my made-for-such-occasions gel eye mask in the fridge.

But what's the silly season without a surprise celebration? Luckily, I have a strategy up my sleeve for when it's an even bigger occasion than anticipated…

I say how you look first thing the morning after depends much on your last moves the night before. Obviously, sinking as much water as poss before hitting the pillow is top priority and removing make-up before slathering on moisturiser is a must, but spending the night under a gel sleeping mask is my secret weapon. Chilling it provides maximum puff-defusing power, though it requires prior planning, but even worn at room temp over a cooling eye gel like Mary Kay's Indulge Soothing Eye Gel ($30) I find mine indispensable.

Then, when the alarm goes off, I kickstart my skin with a scrub. It's not just about exfoliation; the massage gets my circulation going until I'm glowing much brighter than I deserve to.

Next on the cheat sheet: neutralise and disguise my eyes. One lesson I've recently learnt is that puffs and shadows are different problems that require different action plans. If I awake wearing fluid-filled bags of Balenciaga proportions, more moisture isn't necessarily the best policy, so I use MD Formulations Brighten & Tighten Eye Serum ($80) instead. This 6am saviour features micro-circulators that deal with water retention and make my fragile eye area look firmer in instants.

Bluish circles need to be neutralised. After ironing out dehydration lines with a little moisture, I rely on Maybelline New York Coverstick Corrector ($12.25) in yellow. But the most crucial step is to disguise this counteractive colour with a flesh-toned, light-reflector like ELES Mineral Makeup Mineral Illuminator ($63). Otherwise I'm not fooling anyone that I slept like an angel; I'm all but advertising that I've got something to hide.

And faking it's all about clever concealment – with eye drops, white liner and the willpower to stick it out the office all day. Wish me luck…

 

 

What's your best strategy for faking a full night's sleep?