6 Ways to Wake Up Tired Eyes, According to a Pro Makeup Artist
Shadows. Puffiness. Redness. A lack of sleep takes no prisoners—and tired eyes are often the inevitable consequence. Yet Hollywood’s biggest stars, despite early call times, long days on set, and regularly flying across time zones, always seem to look fresh and bright-eyed. While there are many factors that contribute to their glow, there’s no denying that pro makeup artists have much to offer by way of camouflaging signs of exhaustion. Here, celebrity makeup artist Gita Bass, who counts Julianne Moore and Laura Dern as clients, reveals six ways to wake up tired eyes.
Bust Out the Eye Patches
“Applying firming and hydrating eye patches 15 minutes before makeup can be a huge help,” says Bass, who looks to Skyn Iceland’s Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels to “give the illusion of a few extra hours of sleep.” If time is of the essence, she suggests gently tapping on a supercharged eye serum, such as True Botanicals Deep Repair Eye Serum, to de-puff and reduce the appearance of dark circles.
Refresh With Eye Drops
As far as Bass is concerned, eye drops are “sleep in a bottle.” Soothing, lubricating, and counteracting redness for whiter, brighter eyes, she’s a fan of Lumify’s Redness Reliever Eye Drops. If you want to double down on making the whites of the eyes pop, swipe a flesh-toned eyeliner on the waterlines to further neutralize redness.
Counteract Under-Eye Darkness
While color correcting can be useful for dialing down darkness in some instances, Bass prefers to keep makeup “super light” under the eyes, using a light-reflecting highlighter or a concealer with yellow or orange undertones to offset blue tones. She does, however, make an exception for clients with deep blue-toned eye circles. “I find a sheer layer of a peach corrector is often the best way to disguise them, but sometimes a peach-hued lipstick is all you need under foundation,” she explains.
Apply a Creamy Concealer
“I usually prefer a light, creamy concealer that dries to a light powdery finish—like a sheer cream or liquid,” explains Bass. “You want it to be creamy enough to glide over fine lines and blend well, but it needs to set so that it doesn’t move. If it’s too thick or dry, it will settle into lines and exaggerate them.” She considers Clé de Peau Beauté Concealer the “holy grail,” ticking all of the aforementioned boxes, but gives special mention to NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer for its full coverage and having “a shade for absolutely everyone,” as well as Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat High Cover Radiant Concealer, which can be worn alone or under concealer for a “touch of brightness.”
Blend, Blend, and Blend
When blending, Bass uses her ring finger to “warm up the product,” then gently taps it into the delicate under-eye area. Afterward, she blends again using a soft fluffy brush or a miniature Beautyblender to “blur any lines and give a seamless finish.”
Finish With an Illuminating Powder
After checking to make sure nothing has settled into fine lines (and using a damp Beautyblender to blend once more if so), she adds a sheer layer of powder with light-reflecting properties, her go-to being Laura Mercier’s Brightening Powder. “It sets the concealer and prevents it from moving or settling into lines, as well as reflects light, which helps brighten the entire eye.”
