How to Fake 8 Hours of Sleep With Makeup

6 Makeup Hacks to Make Your Eyes Look More Awake

1. Chill Your Eye Cream to Help Depuff

The Hack: Your eye cream can be a pick-me-up, for you and your skin.

Why It Works: A moisturizing eye cream is an easy and reliable first step for your eye routine. “I would definitely invest in a good eye cream. I love the one from KIEHL’S. This will help to prep and hydrate before using any concealer,” says makeup artist Leanna Hardison. Placing your eye cream or under-eye patches in the refrigerator overnight can allow the product to cool down for a soothing application. When applied, the cold sensation feels refreshing, and has a temporary depuffing effect on the under eye. For a double-cooling sensation, try ESTÉE LAUDER COSMETICS DayWear Eye Cooling Anti-Oxidant Moisture Eye Cream for brightening and depuffing. The best part? The brand recommends keeping this in your fridge.

2. Focus Mascara on Your Upper Lashes

The Hack: Concentrate your mascara on the upper lashes for a lifting effect.

Why It Works: Rather than applying mascara to both your upper and lower lashes, using product on just your upper lashes will draw attention upward, leading to a lifted effect. Look for mascaras labeled ‘volumizing’ or ‘lifting.’ BENEFIT COSMETICS BADgal Bounce Volumizing Mascara can get you a weightless, water-resistant lash look that can transform your lash look in just a couple of swipes.

3. Apply Concealer Strategically

The Hack: Concealer placement is an art; concentrate it in the inner corner, tear trough, or deepest under-eye shadow for maximum potential.

Why It Works: Often, our instinct is to layer up on concealer when shadows appear. This can cause the area to look heavy. “Using too much concealer and powder can honestly have an adverse effect by in turn making you look older and more textured underneath your eyes”, says Hardison. Instead, try placing a small amount of concealer on the inner corner of the eye where your upper and lower lids connect. Gently blend outward and upward, keeping the coverage concentrated where you need it. You can also experiment with concealer placement along the deepest part of your under-eye shadow. This can truly brighten up the under eye without causing a product buildup. Hardison also notes that, “Less is more! Leave your concealer on for a minute or two to get the most coverage out of your concealer without adding too much product. And make sure to always blend immediately before you set with a loose powder.”

4. Choose the Right Concealer and Color Corrector

The Hack: Correctly choosing a color corrector and concealer can change the game entirely. 

Why It Works: Knowing what color has a brightening effect on your eyes can be tricky, but the trick is to opt for any concealer one to two shades lighter than your natural skin tone for an ultimate pop of brightness, and our tried-and-true fave remains the NARS COSMETICS Radiant Creamy Concealer. It’s velvety soft, and truly elevates your eyes with just a small amount of product.

And of course, any purple or blue shadows under your eyes can be neutralized with a good color corrector, prior to applying concealer. Try E.L.F. COSMETICS Putty Color-Correcting Under Eye Brightener to refresh and illuminate your under eye. 

5. Apply Blush High on Your Cheeks

The Hack: The best way to brighten up the eyes might not be to add to the eyes themselves, but to throw in a pop of color elsewhere!

Why It Works: If your skin appears dull or washed out, this might be the hack for you. “Blush can also act as a color corrector,” says Hardison. “So adding a little under the eyes along with a bit of concealer in your inner corners is going to give the appearance of a more opened eye.” You’re going to want to apply a light to medium amount of blush high on the cheeks just below the pupils, then blend upward following the shape of your cheekbones, towards your temples. You can even lightly tap a bit of blush into the upper eyelid above your eye crease. For this step, you can use virtually any shade of blush, but what’s important is the placement, and how much product you decide to apply. 

Blush can easily awaken the appearance of your eyes by bringing color back into the cheeks. Overall, your face should appear fresher and more alert. Plus, it’s an easy touch-up to implement throughout the day. TOO FACED COSMETICS Cloud Crush Blurring Blush could be the ideal solution for a compact, on-the-go powder formula for a quick but effective wash of color. The shade Muted Peach can give you a second-skin-like finish to keep you looking refreshed 24/7.

6. Add Highlighter to Open Up Your Eyes

The Hack: Placing your highlight in a prominent spot such as above your eye crease can attract more light and give that “wide-awake” refresh your eyes need.

Why It Works: Highlighting the inner corner of the eye can only attract so much light. A way to brighten your eyes can be by simply folding in a touch of highlight above the eye crease, redirecting where light catches the eye to create the appearance of more open, awake eyes. You can even place highlighter beneath the arch of the brow, drawing attention upward and distracting from the under-eye area. When choosing a highlight, keep in mind that a slightly reflective or shimmery satin finish can help complement your eyes in the daytime, giving a naturally awakened effect. For the ultimate satin-finish highlight with brightening factor, use TARTE COSMETICS Fake Awake™ Eye Highlight. 

The Bottom Line on Making Tired Eyes Look More Awake

Everyone can use a little R&R from time to time. But sometimes, life gets in the way of our spa days. Implementing doable hacks throughout the day is a simple and fun way to brighten the eyes. If you only have time for one quick makeup trick before heading out the door, Hardison recommends, “Concealer and a good lip liner! I can’t choose just one. You instantly look more put together with just those two products! As long as I have them both, I can honestly feel more confident walking into any situation.” You can feel (and look) more awake in no time with a few small steps, and the best part is you don’t have to buy all new products; the trick is about using what you have to create a well-rested look you can feel confident in.