This week has been terrible. I have had either a paper due or a midterm in almost all of my classes and I have barely gotten any sleep – the bags under my eyes will tell you that.
So when you wake up after three hours of sleep and have 10 minutes to get dressed and rush out of the door to class, makeup might be the last thing on your mind.
In case you don’t want to look like a character from “The Walking Dead,” here are some makeup tips to help trick the world into thinking you’re actually alive:
It’s actually not necessary to wash your face with a cleanser every morning, especially if your cleanser contains salicylic acid, because it dries out your skin a lot faster. To save time, give your face a quick wipe with a cleansing towel (I like the Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Oil-Free Cleansing Wipes) and splash some cold water on your face to help wake you up and get your blood flowing.
After applying moisturizer, dab on some concealer in areas where you need it and blend. A full face of foundation isn’t necessary or time efficient. Underneath my concealer, I’ve also been using That Gal brightening face primer by Benefit.
This product is a pretty pink color right out of the tube, but blends seamlessly onto your skin filling in pores and brightening as you go. According to the package, That Gal contains light-reflecting pigments to help brighten the skin, and contains raspberry and chamomile to help soothe irritation. This primer has been a wonder-product for me lately because it’s so lightweight, and easy to pat on during the day to re-brighten my skin.
Now it’s time for the most important part: concealing those dark under-eye circles. When picking out a under eye concealer, it’s best to use a concealer that is a shade lighter than your foundation, and yellow-toned shades are better at cancelling out the purple-y tone of the circles.
Lately I have really been loving the Wake Me Up concealer by Rimmel London, which promises to visibly re-awaken your skin and illuminate under the eyes with its anti-fatigue effect and radiant glow. While that sounds like a lot for a $5 bottle of concealer, I can honestly say that it works wonderfully and it has been a necessity this week.
After a sweep of powder foundation all over to set the concealer, and maybe a coat or two of mascara, you’re good to go! Unless, of course, you’re like me and have to go the extra mile…
One last product that I have been loving this week is the Benefit Watt’s Up face highlighter. It’s a gorgeous, glow-y champagne color that you can glide on your cheekbones, brow bones and the inner corners of your eyes for and instant brightening effect. It’s a bit pricey at $30, but after blending (which is easy since the product comes with an attached blending sponge), you will look noticeably more awake.
Being a sleep-deprived college student, these products have definitely been my lifesavers – especially during midterms.
Taylor LaPuma is a junior studying journalism and a columnist for The Post. What concealer do you recommend? Email Taylor at tl674710@ohiou.edu.
