Beautiful You by Suzanne Edmonds

Each week, beauty enthusiast Suzanne Edmonds explores the best ways to take care of ourselves so that we love the skin we’re in.

A curious beauty trend has been taking Instagram by storm this week – ‘hangover’ makeup.

At first glance it sounds like a way of covering up the spoils of a night on the turps, but it is in fact the exact opposite. ‘Hangover’ makeup is a way of applying makeup so that you look like you have a hangover.

The niche Japanese beauty trend uses dark shading and red under-eye blush to create the appearance of puffy, red-rimmed eyes.

While I like to keep up-to-date with the latest beauty trends, I doubt this is one that will take off in Tauranga!

When we are applying makeup in the salon, one of the main areas women want help with is reducing the appearance of dark circles and bags under their eyes.

These common complaints can be the result of late nights, genetics or even allergies, but help is at hand!

With a bit of clever makeup trickery, by following these three simple steps, you can look bright-eyed even on the days when you might not feel it:

Prepare the under-eye area by soothing and moisturising. Applying cold tea bags, a tried and true home remedy, is an effective and inexpensive way to treat puffiness. The caffeine in tea can help shrink blood vessels around the eye, while tannins stimulate healthy blood circulation and help tighten the skin. Steep the tea bags in hot water for a couple of minutes, pop them in the fridge until they are cold, then rest them on your eyes for 15 to 30 minutes. Next, moisturise with an eye cream so that your concealer glides on smoothly, without caking in fine lines. Make sure you use a mosituriser that has been formulated specifically for the delicate under-eye area, as they tend to be thicker and contain more oil than regular face creams.

Correct the colour under your eyes with a light layer of corrector. Under-eye circles vary in colour, ranging from blue to brown to red. A corrector will neutralise the colour before applying concealer and is the key to a lighter, more natural look. The colour of your corrector depends on the colour of your circles: lavender for sallow skin, green for redness, pink for blue tones, yellow for deep purple tones and orange/salmon to neutralise blue to deep purple or gray on deeper skin tones. Apply only to the areas that are discoloured, including the inner eye area.

Conceal with a quality under-eye concealer, one to two shades lighter than your foundation or skin tone. Choose a liquid or cream concealer specifically designed for under eyes as heavy concealers will form creases and accentuate wrinkles. Gently dab on with your ring finger, or use a concealer brush for more even coverage. Finally, set the area with a little powder for a longer-lasting fix. Adding impact to the eyes with eyeliner, eye shadow and mascara can also help to draw attention away from problem areas by drawing attention upwards to the eyes.

Use makeup to give yourself a makeover, not a hangover.

Suzanne Edmonds is the owner of De Lux Beauty of Cherrywood, Tauranga.

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