Oh, the dreaded hangover. Likely followed by a night out with friends where one cocktail led to four and you chatted the hours away feeling like you had no cares in the world. Fast forward to the morning after, your head is pounding as your alarm is buzzing and you slowly make your way to the bathroom mirror to see the post-cocktail hour effects that reveal all signs of a hangover – a puffy face, under-eye bags, a tired, dull complexion, and rather oily hair. If only you had just waited for the weekend when you could slumber in peace and hide under your covers watching Netflix and eating pad Thai until the sun goes down.
However, it’s Thursday morning and there’s certainly no way you can walk into work flaunting your hangover to your boss. Sure, it may feel like you’ve been hit by a truck, but at least there are essential beauty tricks you can use to mask your hangover so you look like a functioning human being. For starters, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate; your skin and body need it, and although you may want to cover up your face, go easy on the makeup. Stick to a bright lipstick shade to draw attention away from your tired skin and eyes, and you’ll find your saving grace in dry shampoo for seemingly just-washed hair. Read on to find out all the tips and don’t forget to grab a coffee on your way into work.
15 Circulation
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You can kick start circulation in your skin by filling a ziplock bag with ice and using it as a cool compress all over your face. All you need is 10 to 15 minutes and this little trick will help get fresh, healthy blood flowing in your face and enhance your natural complexion. After a night out drinking, your skin can get dehydrated and dull, and boosting circulation will help to brighten and liven your face so your boss will never have a clue.
14 A Cucumber De-Puff
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Puffy eyes are usually a surefire sign that you either spent the morning crying or were out on the town throwing back a few too many cocktails the night before. When it comes to the latter, the reason for your puffy peepers is fluid retention that occurs in the eye area due to dehydration. Luckily, there are soothing eye creams infused with cucumber that work to de-puff, hydrate and calm the eyes.
Recommended: DHC’s Eye Bright goes a step further, minimizing dark under eye circles with caffeine-infused goodness.
13 Hydration Station
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Hydration is so important when you are hung-over, and not just for your skin, but your entire body. A morning cup of joe may be all you can think about, but make sure you drink tons of water when you wake up, and even better, throughout the night in between your non-virgin drinks and before you go to sleep. Hydrating can combat dry skin and make you feel more refreshed. And if you’re looking for the added benefits of electrolytes (which regulate hydration), gulp down some delicious (and natural!) coconut water all through the day.
12 Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize
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Your skin is thirsty, especially after a night out drinking, as alcohol dehydrates your skin cells and dries out your complexion. Moisturizing is key to refreshing your skin and reducing redness and irritation. Nourishing your skin with a good moisturizer will add some glow to your skin and make it feel much softer, too.
Recommended: Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel.
11 A Dose of Vitamins
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Don’t forget your daily vitamins, especially in the form of a face serum. Using a multi-vitamin-infused serum re-energizes the skin so it looks refreshed and bright. Vitamins such as A, C and E work together to make you look younger and contain anti-oxidants that promote healthy skin. Using products with vitamins on your face soothes and softens the skin, while also enhancing your facial glow. It’s a skin pick-me-up that you need in your hung-over state.
Recommended: Laura Mercier ‘Flawless Skin’ Multi-Vitamin Serum with vitamins A,C and E.
10 A Silicone-Based Primer
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Priming your skin for makeup can make the difference between smooth and clumpy application. Using a silicone-based primer can actually make your skin shine as the silicone smooths the surface of the skin and reflects light from your dark under eye circles.
Recommended: Smashbox Photo Finish Primer.
9 A Hint of Yellow
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Recommended: Sephora Collection Smoothing & Brightening Concealer in Radiant Vanilla.
8 A Glowing Complexion
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Let’s face it – tired, dehydrated skin can make you look less-than-lively. If you want to combat looking as tired as you actually feel, add some glow to your face in the form of a good bronzer and blush combo. The bronzer will make you look healthy and sun-kissed, while adding a peachy or pink blush to your cheeks will add the perfect element of freshness to your face. Looking like you just stepped off the beach is ten times better than looking like you got about 3 hours of sleep the night before. Wouldn’t you agree?
Recommended: NYX Cosmetics Bronzer and Blusher Combo in Sunrise in Bali.
7 A Bright Pout
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A key way of drawing attention away from your tired skin and eyes is laying on a lip colour that pops! A bright red or light coral will do the trick, accentuating the lips as your facial focal point. But if you want your face looking fresh, make sure to stay away from dark colours like burgundy or deep purple. When you’re hung-over these colours can make you look vampy, but definitely not in a good way.
Recommended: M.A.C ‘The Matte Lip’ Lipstick in Pink Pigeon.
6 A Neutral Liner
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The day after a night of drinking is not the time to use dark eyeliner. Dark liner can highlight your irritated, red and tired eyes, which is exactly where you want to draw attention away from. Nude eyeliner will open up the eyes and make them look brighter and more awake, diminishing the appearance of redness.
Recommended: Tarte Cosmetics Inner Rim Brightener infused with vitamin A, E and aloe leaf extract.
5 Topknot or Braid It
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Pulling your hair away from your face and into a topknot or braid can make you look more radiant and awake. Leaving your hair down can add to your tired look, while tying it back can actually give you the illusion of a mini face-lift (not the scary kind). Just roll out of bed, grab a hair elastic and tie up your stands. Now, time for coffee.
4 Seemingly-Washed Tresses
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If it isn’t already, dry shampoo is about to become your best friend. Oily, flat hair will undoubtedly make your skin look more tired and will highlight the fact that you probably didn’t get much sleep last night and wanted to sleep in for as long as you could this morning. So since showering was totally out of the question, a quick douse of dry shampoo to the roots of your hair can make your hair look fresh and just-washed! Hint: You can also use baby powder if you’re out of dry shampoo for similar effects.
Recommended: Big Sexy Hair Dry Shampoo.
3 Go Easy on The Makeup
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While you may want to hide your face, layering on makeup when you’re hung-over is never a good idea. Sure there are key cosmetics you should use such as a good under eye concealer and a pretty bronzer and blush, but less is more, guys, less is more! Putting on heavy makeup will accentuate your dull, dry skin, drawing focus to problem areas.
2 Nighttime Elevation
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Most of these tips are corrective, but there are some essential preventative things you can do to ensure a brighter complexion for your hung-over mornings. If you’re used to sleeping with one pillow, try elevating your head with two after a night out with the girls. When you sleep with your head flat, fluid can accumulate in your under eye area, causing puffy, tired eyes. However, if you elevate your head this puffiness decreases making you look more awake and refreshed for the day ahead.
1 Aspirin
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After all these tips and tricks, you may look great, but feeling great is another story. There’s really nothing better than some aspirin for killing that won’t-go-away headache. Plus, aspirin will also reduce inflammation for when you can feel your face mildly swelling in the morning. Pop a couple with lots of water and you just might start feeling like a normal person again. Just maybe.
Sources: cosmopolitan.co.uk, beautyandtips.com, elitedaily.com
