Tired & Hungover Beauty Essentials

When you're feeling tired and/or hungover, your face can easily give the game away. Maybe you have plans today, but your fun-side led you astray last night and now you have to look half decent, when you feel like utter #$*!. Let's face it, if you're hungover then all that will cure it is wallowing on the sofa in self-pity, a fat, greasy fry up, lots of water/coffee and probably some fresh air. But, who says you can't fake a glowing, fresh complexion and camouflage any sallow shadows and dark circles? You need some skincare superheroes and magical makeup to come to your rescue and transform you from drab to fab. Never fear, I have a trusty line-up that I turn to whenever I'm feeling a bit worse for wear.

Chances are, if you've had one tipple too many and stumbled in during the early hours of the morning, then you may have forgotten, or just refused, to take your makeup off. Come on, we've all done it, right? The first thing that makes me feel a zillion times better the morning after the night before, is a shower. Throw in your favourite cleanser and you have a winning combo that will make you feel a lot more human, rather than a groggy, nauseous monster. To refresh the skin and give a thorough, but speedy cleanse, I turn to the Zelens Radiance Luminous Cleanser. Effortlessly, the creamy formula dissolves makeup and impurities, without stripping the skin. The complexion is left feeling clean, hydrated and bright and, although it's pricey, it's hard to imagine not having it in my stash! If you'd like a full review on this product, just let me know in the comments!

We don't all have the time or cash to splash for regular, spa facials, so having an at-home treatment in your cupboard for emergencies is always a good idea. To rid you skin of any dry, flakey patches and deliver a radiance boost, the REN Flash Rinse 1-Minute Facial is ideal. As the name suggests, it's a quick-fix treatment that has some seriously impressive results. In the time it takes to brush your teeth, the slush-like formula blasts the skin with a burst of vitamin C that brightens. Straight away, skin feels like polished marble and anything you apply after it absorbs into the skin like a dream! I've written up a whole ode to this facial exfoliant, if you want more deets on it.

If you've been drinking, then it's a pretty safe bet that you'll be dehydrated, so the body needs to be topped up with fluids from the inside and out. Sarah Chapman's Morning Facial is made for days like these. Amping up the moisture levels, this product is an oil-serum hybrid, but it absorbs quickly and doesn't leave behind a greasy residue. Just what you need when you're skin needs some TLC, it gives the skin a surge of hydration, balances out sebum production, plumps and adds a glow. Your tired, thirsty skin will drink it up and be left feeling so soothed and happy. Don't worry about using an oil before makeup, it doesn't disrupt any products you apply over the top and, if anything, it makes foundation look even smoother.

Even if you didn't get your recommended, full, forty winks, you can use Refreshing Eye Drops to soothe and lubricate the eyes. Instantly refreshing, they wake you up and tone down any redness when your eyes are looking blood-shot from a lack of zzz's. If eyes are dry, they can feel irritated and will often start to water, but these drops will prevent that.

Moving onto makeup, you need it to be as radiance-boosting and brightening as possible. Pick a glowing foundation that won't suffocate the skin with too much heavy coverage, but will simply even out the skin-tone. There's nothing worse than plastering yourself with a cement-like base, as it'll only make your face look dull and lack-lustre. To give skin a break and let it breathe a little, I prefer to use a tinted moisturiser or beauty balm product, such as the Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream. This is a totally, fool-proof base, as the liquid texture is so light and it just blends seamlessly into the skin to look natural. Despite feeling so weightless when you wear it, it gives a generous amount of coverage for this type of base and has a semi-matte finish, that never looks cakey. Whether the three, colour-correcting pigments actually work or not, any discoloration seems to be neutralised when I wear it.

If you're in need of some serious eye-bag camouflaging, now's the time to pull out the big guns. The most heavy-duty concealer is what you need to mask any dark shadows, redness or blemishes. But, you only want to apply it where you need it, otherwise you'll undo all of your hard-work of getting that glow! An old-favourite of mine, the Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer gives oodles of coverage that is super long-lasting, but still has a moisturising, light texture that feels comfortable and non-drying. Even though it dries down to quite a matte finish, it refuses to look heavy. 

Skin looking a bit washed-out? Bronzer is the answer. If you have one with a little added shimmer in it, even better. You don't want to sculpt or carve out any strong contours with it, you'll only make yourself look a bit gaunt if you're already feeling rough, so use it to add some much-needed colour to the face, across the nose, cheeks, forehead and chin. Don't forget the neck, either. My bronzer of choice in this situation is the Bourjois Maxi Delight Bronzer. Can you tell I've been loving the drugstore brand, recently? Similar to the famed, 'chocolate' bronzer from Bourjois, the formula of this one is a lot smoother and softer, making it so easy to blend to avoid a patchy finish. Subtle flecks of golden shimmer add an extra glow, without looking overly glittery.

Before slicking on some of your favourite mascara, giving your lashes a quick curl with some eyelash curlers is a must to, really open the eyes up. The ultimate pair for me, are the Kevyn Aucoin Eyelash Curlers, which I've mentioned a lot. If you want to go all out, then using a cream-coloured pencil (not white, it's too stark and doesn't look natural) along the waterline will counteract any redness and make eyes look brighter. The best, cheap option is the Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in '005 Nude'. To really seal that liner in place and maximize the longevity, apply one coat, wait a minute and then go over it again. Having a creamy consistency, it glides on with minimal effort and, being waterproof, it lasts all day.


Do you have any products you can rely on when you're not feeling in tip top condition?

AGB X