Feeling tired is horrible. You walk around all day with no energy, you’re yawning every five minutes, and your eyes feel sore. At the very least, you can mask your tiredness by making yourself look more awake and alert. You pop some concealer on, you do your makeup and voila; you’re not a walking zombie anymore.
Well, that’s the plan, anyway.
The unfortunate reality is that your makeup routine could be the thing that’s making you look even more tired than you feel. You assume that you’re making yourself look more alert and awake, but that’s not always the case.
Essentially, there are some frighteningly common makeup mistakes that make you look super tired all the time. What are they? Okay, okay, be patient! If you keep on reading, you’ll find all of these mistakes down below:
Your concealer is the wrong colour
Under-eye concealer is the magic potion that can make you look like you’ve slept for 10 hours rather than 5. The secret is in its name; it conceals things on your face. Obviously, the idea is to conceal your under-eye bags, getting rid of the main thing that makes you look tired. However, if your concealer is the wrong colour, this can actually make you look more tired.
Mainly, the problem is that you’re applying your makeup in a room that’s poorly lit. As a result, your concealer is either too light or too dark. Ensure the room is well lit when applying your makeup, and spend some extra time looking for a concealer that matches your skin tone.
You’re not putting moisturiser on
Oh my lord, never underestimate the importance of moisturiser! One of the bad things about makeup is that it traps the skin and can make it get really dry and dehydrated. As a result, your skin will start looking dry and tired. There are two ways to combat this, and one of them is to apply moisturising products before you start putting your makeup on. This helps your skin stay hydrated and look more alive.
Honestly, just try this in the mirror. Look at your face when you wake up, then wash it and apply moisturiser. Immediately, you will look more alert and alive. Oh, there’s a bonus mistake for you: not washing your face. Always give your face a quick rinse under the tap, or a wipe with a cleansing product before you apply your moisturiser. This really helps to zap your skin and make you look less tired. If you’re constantly applying makeup without washing your face or moisturising, your skin will look dry and tired within an hour or so.
You’re applying too much makeup
Say it with me, less is more.
Applying too much makeup is arguably the biggest and most common makeup mistake you can make. Drifting away from the tiredness angle for a second, too much makeup is bad for your skin. It stops it from breathing and can clog up your pores, leading to breakouts.
But, it will also make you look more tired. It just makes your skin look unhealthy and really blotchy, which gives the appearance of someone that’s super tired. Ultimately, it’s very easy to spot when someone is tired and trying to hide it with a face full of makeup. Remember the mantra: less is more!! Applying lighter layers of makeup will help you hide the signs of tiredness more subtly. As a result, you won’t look tired and nobody will think you’ve barely slept.
Your eyeliner game is all wrong
Sometimes, adding eyeliner to your face can be a wonderful look that works perfectly. However, there are a couple of common mistakes that could mean your eyeliner is making you look tired. Firstly, it’s our old friend, too much makeup! If you’re laying on thick eyeliner, you’re going to make your eyes look tired. It’s more likely to smudge and make you look unkempt, and it also just enhances the tiredness in and around your eyes.
Secondly, the main problem is the colours you’re choosing. If your eyes are bloodshot because you’re tired, don’t wear black eyeliner. It brings out the redness and will make you look even more shattered than you feel. Similarly, the tones in your skin determine what eyeliner is good or bad for you. People with cool undertones need to avoid gold or bronze eyeliner as it will enhance your tiredness. For those of you with warmer undertones, silver is the one you need to avoid.
You’re not using any blush
Not wearing any blush can be a big problem when you feel tired. You see, one of the main benefits of blush is that it brings colour to your skin. It lights up your face and makes you seem more, well, alive! When you’re tired, you tend to look really pale and your skin can be quite dull. If you leave things as they are, you’re going to look tired to everyone you see.
On the other hand, if you apply a bit of blush, it warms your cheeks and can make you look more alive and alert. It’s such a simple tip, and most people can achieve an alert look with just a bit of foundation and a dab or two of blush on the cheeks. That’s basically all you need to look awake!
Your eye shadow is too dark
Does it make sense to apply dark eye shadow to your face when you already look tired? Let’s be honest, it’s a bad idea. If you’re a lover of the smokey-eyed look, it can be hard to put the eye shadow down.
The good news is that you don’t have to go without any eye shadow at all. Instead, opt for slightly lighter colours, and apply sparingly. All you want to do is breathe a bit of colour to the eye area without it being too over-the-top.
You keep forgetting to freshen up
Finally, the worst mistake you can make is to forget to freshen up. Let’s say you’ve read through this guide and know all of the mistakes to avoid. As a result, you’ve got an excellent routine down that ensures you apply makeup that makes you look awake. You’ve hidden your tiredness perfectly…for now!
Naturally, makeup can smudge and smear throughout the day. When this happens, it will make you look tired. You look unkempt and like you’ve had such little sleep that you’ve forgotten how to do your makeup. So, don’t forget to have a look at yourself now and then. Pop to the bathroom, look in the mirror and freshen things up if they’ve started to smudge. This ensures that you can make it through the day without anyone knowing how tired you truly are.
On that note, you’ve reached the end of today’s post. Avoid these common makeup mistakes as they are going to make you look really tired all the time. Obviously, there’s a substantially sized elephant in the room. If you’re sick of looking tired, you shouldn’t depend on your makeup routine to keep saving you! Instead, you need to focus on getting more sleep and feeling refreshed. As a result, this makes it even easier to avoid some of these makeup mistakes. Get into the habit of sleeping at the same time every night so you get at least 8 hours before you wake up. Sleep is the best way to fight tiredness, but a good makeup routine can be your best friend on days where sleep alludes you.
