We're not very keen on going on about how much we've slept the night before. (Or the activities that keep us up until the wee hours). But why should we be when we can feign a full night's rest in a shorter amount of time then we spend in line for Starbucks? Here, find out out exactly how we're faking it and why you should be doing the same.
Moisture, moisture, moisture
When you don't get enough sleep, your body—namely your skin—loses out on its all-important repair mode. By not allowing it to rejuvenate, you'll be more prone to breakouts, redness, and dehydration. Thankfully, the latter can be solved by doing what you should be doing anyway: moisturizing. It'll not only help you achieve an instant glow, but it'll help fight the long term symptoms of not getting enough sleep: Enlarged pores, visible wrinkles, permanent under-eye circles, and redness.
Try it: Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer, $18.50; kiehls.com.
Massage the life back into your skin
If you're going to get yourself prepped in under five minutes, you're going to need a good multi-tasker—and this one's a cinch. While using your fingers to apply moisturizer, give yourself a face massage, which will help boost circulation and brighten the complexion. Not to mention, it feels amazing. Learn how to give yourself one with our step-by-step GIF tutorial here—and for time's sake, practice until you've got it down in a minute flat.
Highlight that complexion
In the morning we like to refer to our highlighter as, simply, a lifesaver. Once you've found the right one to warm up your complexion, an illuminator, like L'Oréal's True Match Lumi Liquid Glow, will be your go-to for brightening and defining your features on the fly. We like to apply ours to the inner corner of the eye, under the brow bone, and on the top of our cheekbones to fake a proper REM cycle.
Keep things cooler than cool
When it comes to puffy morning face, we rely on one pearl of beauty wisdom: cold temperatures shrink capillaries and stimulate drainage (AKA de-puffs). Whether it's pressing our face with a frozen bag of peas or storing our moisturizer/eye cream/concealer in the freezer, we take every opportunity we can to give our face a quick zap of coolness. And the best part is that it will not only make you look more awake, but you'll feel more awake, too.
Amp up those lashes
If makeup artists have taught us anything over the years, it's that you're forever doing yourself a disservice if you don't know your way around a classic eyelash curler. Once you've got the motions down pat, you can boost your lashes and give yourself an eye lift in under 30 seconds. Plus, if you're lash freak, it'll make your mascara that much more effective.
Try it: Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler, $20; amazon.com.
Line those waterlines
Calling all black-eyeliner addicts: We get that reaching for a go-to pencil is second nature—particularly when in a rush. But especially after a sleepless night, it can make your eyes look smaller instead of brighter. To accentuate your eyes while looking more bushy-tailed, go for two quick swipes of nude liner on your waterlines.