Early morning Zoom call? Here's how to look awake in 5 steps

Make-up artist Tamryn Jefferies has helped patch up many a puffy-eyed model for early morning photoshoots. Here are her five simple steps to help you go from bleary to wide-awake in a flash. 

Step 1: De-puff 

Jefferies’ favourite trick to soothe and deflate puffy eyelids? “Pop two teaspoons in the freezer, wait until they’re cold and then hold them over your eyes,” she says. Next, apply a soothing eye cream, preferably one that contains caffeine as it’s a diuretic, and use your fingertips to massage your under-eye area. “You want to work from the inner corners and move outwards to help drain out any lymphatic fluids”. 

Step 2: De-vein 

“It doesn’t matter what you do with your skin or how cleverly you apply your make-up, you’ll always look exhausted if you’ve got bloodshot eyes,” says Jefferies. She suggests you apply decongestant eye drops that can temporarily shrink the blood vessels in your eyes. “Brands like Eye Gene or Safyr Bleu will do the trick”, she says.  

Step 3: Prep and conceal  

“If you’ve got very dark circles under your eyes, you’ll want to use a colour corrector before applying your concealer,” says Jefferies. “Blue tones can be zapped with a peachy colour and anything purple can be cancelled out with yellow”. Once you’ve neutralised the circle, apply your concealer as per usual. 

Step 4: Brighten 

Applying a little highlighter in the inner corner of each eye can help you look more alert. “I like to pick a colour that compliments the skin tone. If you’re fair, pick something on the cooler side, like an icy silver or pearly baby pink. Those with a warmer or darker skin will look best with something that leans more towards the gold or bronze side of the colour spectrum,” says Jefferies.

Step 5: Curl  

Finally, to finish, give your lashes a little curl. “This creates a real wide-awake look, regardless of how much sleep you got the night before”, says Jefferies. “If you don’t have an eyelash curler on hand, reach for a curling mascara with a curved brush. The formula contracts as it dries, so it pulls your lashes upwards”. 

IMAGE CREDIT: 123rf.com