Hiding Tiredness

AKA 'the hangover face'. This is the failsafe makeup look I use when I look and feel awful, but can't lie around in bed binge-watching cartoons and drowning my sorrows in Ben and Jerry's.

Due to a combination of less sleep than usual and not enough water, I look and feel like a decrepit crone today. Happy Monday, everyone! 

Optional accompaniments to this post: a cooked breakfast, a coffee the size of your head, about five chocolate croissants. 

Right, let's get started.

Skincare

It makes a huge difference. I've done a quick exfoliating cleanse with Soap and Glory Massage Mitt and Vichy Pureté Thermale 3in1 Cleanser to get my skin looking smooth and bright, followed by Vichy Aqualia Thermale Serum and Oilatum Face Repair Cream.

I'm also wearing Avène Very High Protection Cream SPF 50 - although it's cloudy, BBC weather informs me that the UV rating is high, and a sunburn is the last thing I need.

Base

I've gone for Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation in Porcelain. It's lightweight, easy to blend, and gives a lovely glow to my skin. I've applied a light coverage as any redness and imperfections can be covered with concealer.

Concealer

Ah concealer, how I love you. I'm using Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla here. A great tip for hiding dark circles (courtesy of a Mary Greenwell tutorial) is to apply a thick semi-circle of concealer around the bottom of your dark circles, then pat it up under the eye, onto the side of the nose, and down onto the tops of the cheeks. Makeup looks more put together and undereyes look less puffy.

Eyes

I want to scribble on a dark eyeliner to match my mood, but I'm going for Maybelline 24 Hour Colour Tattoo in Pink Gold. The light shimmery pink makes my eyes look brighter and more awake. Two coats of Maybelline Colossal Volum' Waterproof mascara and my eye makeup's done.

Brows

I want to keep the look light and fresh so I've swept some Collection Colour Lash in Clear through my brows.

Cheeks

I've applied Benefit Highbeam highlighter to the tops of my cheekbones to amp up the glowiness, then added Clarins Multi-Blush in Peach to my cheeks to put some life back into my face. A sweep of L'Oreal Glam Bronze bronzer in Blonde Sun on the sides of my face gives my skin some warmth. I no longer look like an extra in a zombie film.

Lips

I'm tempted to go for a bright red lip, but I can't quite be bothered to apply it with the precision it needs. Instead I've chosen Nars Sheer Lipstick in Mayflower, a gorgeous slightly shimmery peachy-pink that never fails to make my lips look lovely.

Powder

I've patted on Bobbi Brown Sheer Finish Powder in Pale Yellow onto my T-zone with an Ecotools Tapered Blush Brush to set my makeup and minimise shine.

Now, where did I put my coffee?