Whether it is party season, lockdown, the school run or work life can leave us looking exhausted. Rest is the best solution to physical exhaustion and going out is best for mental. Sometimes neither of these options is feasible and you have to soldier on. The last thing you need when you’re being pushed and pulled in different directions is someone asking if you’re feeling okay and then dumping unsolicited advice on you. Disguising how you feel under makeup is too obvious. It can even make you look sickly. Luckily Lumen Beaute is on hand to get your appearance back on track until you can rest and prepare for round two.
Start With the Nails
Not having time for a professional manicure isn’t an excuse to skip nail care. It is difficult and outright painful to wash your hair with broken nails.
Remove old, chipped nail polish from fingers and toes. Gel polish and false nails need to be removed by a professional, but this doesn’t take too long. Once the polish is gone, file fingernails into shape. Toenails can be cut and filed at this point for hygiene purposes.
Don’t skip the cuticles. These need oil and might require cutting. If your nails are in really bad shape nail strengtheners can help. Leave reapplying nail polish until last, especially if the overall goal is to impress someone. Even quick drying polishes require some drying time and will chip until they’ve been given a bit longer to strengthen.
Shower Time
Unless you have the time in your busy schedule and can afford the expense, wash and condition hair in the shower. Dirty hair can make you look more tired than the bags under your eyes.
If you have long hair you will need to condition, shampoo and then condition again. Don’t rinse out the last application of conditioner. Leave that for last. Conditioner can make very short hair look greasy. If your hair is cropped close to the scalp, skip the conditioner altogether. If you are using conditioner, during the second application, comb it through your hair. Detangle starting at the tips and then run the comb through. Leave it in while you wash.
Exfoliate your skin. It removes dead skin cells for a cleaner, smoother finish. Once soaps and shower gels are rinsed, rinse the conditioner out of your hair.
Face
You don’t have to do anything fancy. Using a basic cleanser, toner and moisturiser twice each day will leave your face looking smooth and fresh.
Eyebrows need to be considered as part of the face routine. Some people clean them up after cleansing, others after toning. There isn’t any right or wrong time to do it except it is easier and less painful after a shower. To pluck eyebrows pull the hair by the root by placing the tweezers as close as possible to the skin, press tightly on the tweezers and pull. Any bald patches can be dealt with during the makeup routine.
Really tired and dry skin will require a deep moisturiser or a moisturising mask. Use this after cleansing and toning but skip the regular moisturiser.
Body
Select a moisturiser based on your skin type, much like you do with facial cleansers. Bio Oil, when used as part of a daily moisturising routine can help reduce the appearance of dark patches and stretchmarks. Pale skin will benefit from a tinted body lotion. Dry skin requires a much deeper moisturiser than oily skin.
Hair
Once moisturisers are soaking into your skin, dry your hair. Using a hairdryer instead of leaving it to dry naturally adds volume and can make it appear neater. If using rollers once it is dry or semi dry, roller type dependent, get dressed before putting them in your hair. If just drying your hair, dress after it is dry.
Makeup
If you are wearing something that is going to be pulled over your head you need to be dressed before putting on makeup. Unless your hair is in rollers and already away from your face push it back with a headband. If using a liquid foundation or concealer give it time to dry before applying the rest of your makeup. Contouring isn’t as scary as it sounds. It is applying highlights and lowlights in the same way blusher and bronzer is applied but in a more natural looking way. Make sure everything is blended.
Style Hair
If you still aren’t dressed, do it before you style your hair. If using sprays be sure not to spray your face. Remove rollers and brush out curls unless you want tight ringlets. Styling can add more volume making you look less tired.
Nails Again
Finally you can apply that quick drying nail polish. If really pressed for time you can skip the base and top coats. You are ready to face the world.
