Simple Tricks to Wake Up a Tired-Looking Face

Make your first step soothing and clarifying the “whites” with fast-acting drugstore drops like Bausch & Lomb Biotrue Hydration Boost Dry Eyes Drops ($16, target.com) or Refresh Plus Lubricant Eye Drops, Preservative Free ($14, walgreens.com). Next, apply an eye cream, preferably containing caffeine, like the Inkey List Caffeine De-Puffing + Dark Circle Eye Cream ($11, kohls.com) or L’Oréal Paris Eye Defense Eye Cream ($14, cvs.com). Both add moisture to pamper the vulnerable under-eye area, and constrict blood vessels to improve swelling and discolorations. Keep eye creams chilling and on call in the fridge, since caffeine and cold work well as a team to reduce puffy lids and under-eye circles. 

No eye drops or eye cream handy? Try cooled green or caffeinated tea bags (the first for anti-inflammatory benefits, the second for reducing discolorations), or take an icy bag of frozen peas or blueberries out of your freezer and apply it right over closed eyes for five minutes, which also soothes and deflates. And if you’re not already doing so, sleep on two pillows, since elevating your head can help drain excess baggage before dawn.

(From left) Make Up For Ever Super Boost Lightweight Moisturizing Skin Tint; L’Oreal Paris Lumi Skin Glow Tint in Medium W200; Almay Color & Care Tint Stick in Berry Flush; Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30.

AARP (Kohl’s, CVS, Target, Ulta)

4. Fake a fresh face with makeup

When mature skin is under physical or emotional overload, it often gets temperamental. It may feel ultrasensitive and look more lined, pale, pasty, grayish or sallow. Rather than using full-coverage makeup, choose products that give a healthy, just-back-from-a-brisk-walk glow that blurs discolorations. 

Two formulas — a serum-like “tint” like Make Up For Ever Super Boost Lightweight Moisturizing Skin Tint ($36, kohls.com) or L’Oréal Paris Lumi Skin Glow Tint ($17, cvs.com) — and tinted moisturizers like Laura Mercier Long-Wear Tinted Moisturizer Natural Dewy SPF30 ($50, sephora.com) or Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30 ($49, ulta.com) revive complexions fast with color that looks authentic. Is neither one in your makeup bag? Sheer out your regular foundation with a dab of moisturizer for a similar effect.

When you look tired, your instinct may be to go sunny and beachy with bronzer. However, nothing beats blush for a complexion that’s gray, pasty or pale. Choose a creamy formula that blends easily, like Almay Color & Care Tint Stick in Rose Flush, Natural Flush, Berry Flush ($12, target.com), to energize your face in seconds. Simply dab and blend along the tops of apples/cheekbones to counteract the blahs.

(From left) Tarte Quick Stick Waterproof Shadow & Liner in Rose Gold Brown; NYX Professional Makeup Vivid Rich Mechanical Eye Pencil in 02 Quartz Queen; L’Oreal Paris Brilliant Eyes Shimmer Liquid Eyeshadow Makeup in Amber Sparkle; Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Eyeshadow + Primer in Soft Pearl.

AARP (Kohl’s; Target, CVS, 2)

5. Soften your eye makeup — or wear bold glasses.

You have two solutions: glasses that frame and define eyes as a makeup substitute, or wearing eye makeup but choosing softer shades. Here’s how each works. The sharp, crisp lines of black or tortoise frames have become a first choice, and the speediest one, for many women over 50. Easy to pop on in Rx or reader formats, they work like blazers do for your body, providing instant structure and shape for the face.

Some women prefer a makeup fix. Now is not the time for black liner, dark brown shadows or a sexy, smoky eye. Go lighter in look, warmer in color, and more subtle in application. Opt for soft browns and low-key shimmery neutrals like CoverGirl Ink Gel Eye Pencil in Shimmering Brown ($10, walgreens.com), Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Eyeshadow + Primer in Soft Pearl ($12, cvs.com) or Tarte Quick Stick Waterproof Shadow & Liner in Rose Gold Brown ($26, kohls.com). Do your eyes a favor and keep makeup on top of them instead of beneath, which emphasizes bags and crepey skin. There’s one exception, and that’s a nude beige eye pencil like NYX Professional Makeup Vivid Rich Mechanical Eye Pencil in 02 Quartz Queen ($8, target.com), which erases redness when applied as a liner along the lower eye’s inner rim, also known as the waterline.

(From left) J. Crew Women Cabana Top in Linen in Red Arroyo; A New Day 14k Gold Plated Stud and Hoop Earring Set, 3pc in Gold; Gap Women 100% Linen Oversized Shirt in Shirting Blue; Banana Republic Factory Women Oversized Cotton Shirt in White.

AARP (J. Crew, Target, GAP, Banana Republic Factory)

6. Wear a white, blue or red V-neck

Black makes us feel trim and chic, but when we’re tired, it can drain every ounce of warmth from our face. A crisp white shirt like the Banana Republic Factory Women Oversized Cotton Shirt in White ($30, bananarepublicfactory.gapfactory.com) never fails. It works like a giant light bulb to brighten skin, minimize discolorations and soften lines. A button-down or V-neck adds even more benefits, since the open neckline exposes more skin at the neck and upper chest, removing the emphasis from the eyes and face. 

Prefer more color? Try light blue, like the Gap Women 100% Linen Oversized Shirt in Shirting Blue ($63, gap.com), for a similar skin-reviving effect that’s also soothing on the psyche (excellent when stressed!). On days when you want to fake an energized, upbeat attitude, a bright red shirt like the J.Crew Women Cabana Top in Linen in Red Arroyo ($70, jcrew.com) is a diversion, yes, but does the job beautifully. And here’s another tried-and-true move: Pop on sparkly earrings like A New Day 14k Gold Plated Stud and Hoop Earring Set, 3pc in Gold ($25, target.com) for extra twinkle.

(From left) Maybelline New York SuperStay Teddy Tint Lip Color in July Forever; CoverGirl Clean Lip Color in Iconic Ruby; Milani Color Fetish Shine Lipstick in Roleplay.

AARP (CVS, 2; Target)

7. Deploy red lipstick, and fake it till you make it

Let’s say you’re at work, a party, dinner at a restaurant, or traveling, when a frenemy delivers the “you look tired” news. No time to go home, wash your face, redo your makeup or change your clothes. No worries, either. Grab your bag and an ice cube and head for the restroom. 

First, rev up your circulation by rubbing the ice cube over your face. (For the no-ice version, pat your hands splashed with cold tap water right over your face or makeup.) Yawn a few times to relax your jaw and to de-tense facial muscles and frown lines. Brush your teeth, if possible, or rinse your mouth with fresh water. 

Then reach into your bag and add a moisturizing red or rosy lipstick. This can be anything from a lip balm like Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmer in Rhubarb ($4, walgreens.com) to a tint like Maybelline New York SuperStay Teddy Tint Lip Color in July Forever or Coquettish ($10, cvs.com), or a complete-coverage formula like CoverGirl Clean Lip Color in Iconic Ruby ($8, target.com). These shades not only pull attention away from sleepy eyes,  they also make a smile (even a forced one) a hundred times more powerful — a good reason to have that lipstick handy at all times.