You Look Tired

Worst thing to hear EVOR!

Seriously, I hear this quite a bit and I’m tired of it. I know people like to call out the obvious (“wow, you’re sunburned”) but it’s not the thing people like to be pointed out. When you say I look tired, what you’re really saying is that I look like a steaming pile of crap. Well, isn’t it?

Woe is me, anyway because I always often look tired. It’s not in my head (you hear that, Mom?!) people often find the need to comment on it.

OK and I often AM tired too, which makes sense. I guess I’m coming down with something…or it may have something to do with the fact I stopped exercising this month (till next week) or maybe that I am going to bed late (thanks a lot, boyfriend) and waking up early (thanks a lot, job).

Anyway I am on a full-on beauty attack to try and make myself look awake in the mornings.

First object is to obliterate my under eye circles. Short of getting Juvederm injections (which I might do since these circles are ruining my life), there isn’t much you can do….especially if they are hereditary which I suspect mine are (thanks a lot, grandma). But I did shell out big bucks (OK, a got a deal) for Peter Thomas Roth’s Power K eye cream which has arnica (fights bruises, though all you holistic types know that already) and Vitamin K (which can thicken the skin, making the blood vessels which shine through my thin skin WAY too easily less apparent).

So far there has been no change but I’m giving it till the end of the jar….or at least till two months have gone by, which is how long most products take to work. I don’t expect miracles though

In the meantime, I am on the search for other ways to make my eyes look bright.

I use a heavy duty Dermablend concealer which lasts forever, but lately it just doesn’t do its job. The circles come through.

At the recommendation of another blogger, I tried out Lancome waterproof cream concealer at the drugstore last night and that did do the trick. I’m tempted to shell out money for it but worried that it doesn’t have what it takes to handle my morning circles (my night ones are less pronounced).

I also used to use Benefit’s Eyebright stick which is great for lining the inside of your eyes, highlighting the brow and even putting over your circles and the layering concealer on top. I’m also thinking of picking up another stick.

Using a yellow or peach based concealer as base before your regular concealer will also help…remember the color wheel! Yellows and oranges block out blues/purples.

As for the puffiness, I’m hearing good things about Biore’s depuffing eye gel and Patrica Wexler’s depuffing eye gel (which I just bought on Ebay – I’ll let you know!).

My tried and true favourite, which I can’t afford at the moment, is Clarin’s Flash Beauty Balm. They have one for the eyes now, but I would stick with the original. I first bought it in the Frankfurt airport and the smell takes me back. You leave the gel-ish formula on your face as a mask and tissue off or rub it vigorously into your skin. It really does perk you up.

Another great product (and again, expensive) is Bliss’s triple oxygen mask. I have also ordered a sample via Ebay, so I will keep you informed.

And then there is good ol’ Visine which I need to invest in! Today though I lined my eyes with Navy Blue liner as this makes your whites look whiter….eh, maybe. Maybe I would look more tired without it. It’s hard to say on days like these but here is hoping that after I cover myself with all these products, I might just start to look awake!

I have solved ONE problem though: I have been having extremely dry, flaking and bleeding lips and NO lipbalm was helping. Not Chapstick, not Blistex, not Nivea. Then I found Roc’s lip balm (around $7) and I’ve been happy ever since.

On the fashion side of things, thanks to everyone who is bidding on my Ebay items – you won’t be disappointed! And while I am a big fan of street fashion photo blogs such as The Sartorialist, Garance Dore, Hel-looks and Facehunter (way more inspirational to look at how real people dress vs celebs), I lack the nerve to copy them (I’m shy about shoving my camera in strangers faces). But I did see the most awesome girl on my street the other night so I thought I would draw it.

She was asian with dark TEAL hair, a tight neon yellow pencil skirt, black moto jacket, tights and booties with gold studs all over them. She was standing with an equally fashionable crowd (I believe one man had suspenders and a bowler on and NO it wasn’t for Halloween), but I was most taken by her hair! It was so bright and played off the brightness of the skirt.

My crappy rendition done with work’s sharpie collection…


PS any tips on under eye concealers (for mega circles) or tips on looking fresh and awake would be much appreciated too!!!