So… it’s the day after Halloween. It’s possible you partied a little too hearty last night. Particularly if you are reading this from the UC Boulder campus (no judgment, just reality).

We’ve all been there in one way or another. Whether it’s too many cocktails, being on-call for 30 hours straight, or having an all night crying jag, sometimes your face is not looking so hot. And unfortunately, life happens. Often precisely when your face is not looking so hot.

You might have to go to work or to class or to any public space where vindictive enemies lurk. Like Starbucks. (Yeah, I said EXTRA WHIP on my nonfat PSL. I’m aware of the hypocrisy, thanks, so you can nix that smug barista eye roll. Oh. Don’t make me order a frappuccino. I’ll do it.)

With that in mind, here are four tips that can help remedy that “morning after” look and get you through your day.

1) De-puff your eyes.
The name of the game here is reducing inflammation. Put something cold across your eyes. The temperature drop constricts the blood vessels around your eyes which will decrease the amount of fluid/puffiness accumulating.

The type of cold item can be whatever you have on hand: cucumber slices, frozen peas, damp tea bags. My go-to is cold spoons. I always have spoons. Stick two of those metal bad boys in the freezer for 5 minutes and then apply to your eyes. I put the part of the spoon that scoops food up against my eyeball so the spoon’s edges are directly on my orbit. In an out-of-town or hotel situation you can also just use a straight up cold washcloth. Leave the cold on for as long as you can stand it or 10 minutes. Whichever comes first.

2) Minimize your effort.

Or maybe I should say, it’s okay to minimize your effort. In fact, you should. The last thing I want to do when I feel like death warmed over is spend a lot of time standing up let alone standing up to apply nuanced layers of make-up. Not happening.

This is where multi-tasking products come in. BB Cream, CC Cream, tinted moisturizer, anything that does more than one thing for your skin with one application is WELCOME. Save the contouring and concealing for those times when you are capable of walking from your bed to your bathroom without wanting to vomit. Our goal here is to unify your skin color, rejuvenate the pale and camouflage the ruddy, so your exploits from last night remain in the annals of last night.

3) Apply matte color.

This is probably the one time in my life where I will advocate against all things that glitter. The light reflection from sparkly eye shadow or glimmering blush might seem like a good idea (I mean, shiny things are distracting, yes?), but in actuality they emphasize how dewy your skin ISN’T.  It’s too much contrast. It’d be like putting a flashing Broadway sign around a heap of garbage. You don’t need to invite that kind of attention. It’s disturbing.
Choose a matte blush in a shade or two darker than your natural flush (you’re likely a little paler than typical if you’re dehydrated/sleep deprived/full of woe; the extra pigment will help combat that). Apply the blush sparingly to the apples of your cheeks and lightly sweep the color out towards your temples. Give 2 or 3 gentle swipes of the same color across your forehead and a few pats under each eyebrow. This will help you appear more rested and less peaked. You can do the same with matte bronzer if you’re still feeling paler than a mime.

If you feel naked without eyeshadow, opt for a matte taupe/brown and apply only along your socket line. Spreading the color all over or trying to contour your eye make-up will end up accentuating any dark circles and make you appear confusingly gaunt.

4) Apply a nude liner to your lower lash line.

I almost never apply eyeliner to my lower lids. I don’t trust myself not to smear it across my face even when I haven’t been up all night. For our purposes today however, it is probably the single greatest make-up trick to help turn your day old face around.
Finding a nude eyeliner can be a bit tricky, but most drug stores/big box stores that have a decent array of make-up offerings will have at least one by some manufacturer. You might have to shelve your allegiance for a particular company. It’s okay. Once you buy one, it will last you forever.

Apply the color along your lower water line (the part of your eyelid past your eyelashes, closest to the white part of your eye) from outside corner to inner corner. Take a clean eyeshadow brush and lightly smudge the line to soften the harsh “line-y” edges. And voila! A nude hue for a new you! It will make you appear better rested and counteracts any bloodshot-ness you may be sporting.

So there you go. Share this with your friends who might benefit from these tricks throughout the holiday season (New Year’s anyone?) and I’ll see you next week!

Nancy Novak, MD