I find I need a bit of extra help from my makeup on Monday mornings. I don’t tend to sleep well on Sunday nights, after the boyfriend-goodbyes, the travelling, the unpacking, my mind simply won’t relax. So when my alarm goes off it definitely shows. My skin looks dull, under-eye cirles more grey, and I just look tired. Even a relaxing weekend makes me look as though I’ve been burning the candle at both ends!
I’ve manage to get into a good makeup routine that is super-quick and super easy, that polishes me up to a work-appropriate look. Yet whilst it makes me look awake, look an awful lot better, it doesn’t look too “done.” I don’t look like I’ve made a huge effort, like I’m trying to hide the weekend damage. It all looks pretty natural, which is perfect for work. And I don’t need to worry about it sliding off my face mid-morning; all of these products will stick around for the entire day.
First up, the eyes. This is where tiredness shows on me the most. I take down puffy eyes immediately with this roll-on eye ‘cream’ from Botanics. It’s amazingly refreshing and awakening, but I wouldn’t use it as my only eye-cream as it isn’t hugely moisturising. Every night (and immediately after I wake up) my under-eye area is moisturised with a teeny dot of Boots Vit E eyecream, which is the best I’ve found so far. A pat of 17’s Stay Time Concealer (the only liquid one I’ve found pale enough for me), finished with a swipe of MUA’s Pro-base Concealer Pencil hides my under-eye circles without showing up any dryness or wrinkles (at 21 I already have wrinkles thanks to last year’s operation!). I find that applies carefully in light layers this combination never looks cakey, but is pretty much full-coverage. Blending in a small amount of Rimmel foundation (again, the only shade pale enough – even Nars is too dark!) out from the center of my face evens out my skin tone, without piling too much on. On top of an illuminating moisturising (Garnier is my top choice, and has been for nearly two years) this will keep my skin looking glowing and awake, but again not piled in product.
Onto more “makeup-y” bits now, and I recently discovered a shade of matte eyeshadow from Max Factor that is a perfect match to my skin tone. A wash of this over the lid evens out any unevenness, and adds a teeny bit of definitely. The formulation is pretty good too, I’ll be checking more of the range out soon before bringing a full review! Decent mascara is a must for me, and I’ve loved Bourjois’s One Seconde offering since it was realised. I previously just relied on Natural Collection (cheap and very cheerful!) but the brush and flake-free formula means this is a winner. A final sweep of a nude eyeliner neutralises any redness on my waterline, and I look as awake as is possible for pre-7am!
Adding a bit of color back to my face is crucial, but on Monday’s I tend to avoid adding too much. I don’t want to appear like I am trying to hard to look awake, so go with slightly more neutral colours than I do for the rest of the week. A well-blended sweep of Nars Douceur (love the colour, not overly convinced the formula is anything special) adds definitely to my cheekbones, whilst MAC Plumful offers some subtle color to my lips. Whilst not the longest lasting lipstick, this will definitely hang around until a lunch-time top up. A splash of fragrance and I’m ready to head out of the door and face the day.
At least I look more awake, even if I’m not exactly feeling it! How do you make yourself seem more awake on a Monday morning? What are your everyday staples?