How to tackle a tired complexion

Sometimes, getting a solid eight hours of sleep just isn’t possible, but a lack of sleep doesn’t only make you feel tired, but look it as well. The joys!

Thank the beauty gods for skin care and make-up! If you want to come across perkier than you actually are, take advantage of brightening and illuminating products and try these five tricks for tackling a tired complexion…

STEP 1: DITCH DEAD SKIN CELLS

When your skin looks tired and sallow, your face is probably harbouring loads of dead skin cells. You can’t really see them, but these cells are major culprits for hiding fresh, healthy, and bright new skin. The trick to getting rid of dead skin cells is to exfoliate. Once or twice a week, massage an exfoliator over the skin using circular motions. Rinse it off to reveal healthy, fresh and glowing skin.

bh loves: AEOS Skincare Gentle Exfoliant, Clarins White Plus HP Gentle Brightening Exfoliator

STEP 2: GET YOUR GLOW ON

If you’ve been relying on your facial moisturiser to give you a glorious glow, it’s time to up your skin care game with some radiance-inducing must-haves. After cleansing and exfoliating, apply a few drops of facial oil (like rosehip) to your fingertips and press it into your skin. It’ll give your skin a hit of long-lasting hydration and leave it with a bit of a glow. Follow with your moisturiser to lock in the oil and all that hydration. Dry skin is dull skin, so once a week, apply a face mask packed with skin-brightening ingredients.

bh loves: Palmer’s Skin Therapy Oil – Face, Innoxa Restore Brightening & Even Complexion Crème SPF 15, WONDERSTRIPES Booster Mask

STEP 3: ADD A LITTLE RADIANCE

Now your skin is brighter than before, it’s time to arm yourself with a few illuminating make-up weapons to capture the light in all the right places. An illuminating pen is your new BFF – swipe it down the bridge of your nose, above your eyebrows, and underneath your eyes and dab it in using your ring finger. This will help to conceal dark under-eye bags and subtly reflect light off the ‘high’ points of your face, instantly giving your face more structure.

bh loves: Natio Pure Mineral Concealer, Elizabeth Arden Flawless Finish Correcting and Highlighting Perfector

STEP 4: BRIGHTEN UP WITH EYE MAKE-UP

It may sound a little odd, but using a combination of black-as-black eye make-up and light reflecting hues can actually help to widen and enhance your eye area. Start by dabbing a shimmering taupe cream eyeshadow over your eyelid and up into your socket, then open up your eyes with lashings of a lengthening and volumising mascara. Finish by lining the inner corner and lower waterline of your eyes with a white eyeliner. Hello, bright eyes!

bh loves: Jane Iredale Mineral Makeup PurePressed Eyeshadow Single in Taupe, Eye of Horus Goddess Mascara, Lancome Le Crayon Miracle

STEP 5: SLEEP IT OFF

This final step might sound pretty obvious, but nothing is more effective than gettingg a solid night’s sleep. Not only will a good six to eight hours of shut-eye boost your energy for the day ahead, but it’ll also allow your skin to regenerate new, fresh cells and repair skin tissue. All this means less dark circles and bags, brighter eyes, and a healthy complexion.

Do you have a tired-looking complexion? What are your brightness-boosting tricks?