Feel Less Fatigued With Easy Beauty

When you wake up in darkness and finish work in darkness, it can seem at times like Spring is still just that little bit too far away. If you’re struggling to get a little bit of pep into your beauty routine, here are just the hacks you need to mix things up a bit and feel refreshed in no time at all. Not only on the outside, but on the inside too - because there’s nothing as smile-inducing as taking a bit of time for yourself to celebrate you for the beauty that you are.

Switch Up Your Skincare

Winter temperatures, lack of exposure to natural light and recovery from festivities can all lead to skin that looks a bit flat - or in some cases, congested. Think about switching up your moisturizer to something heavier to ensure that your skin is getting the hydration it needs. For example, switch out gel cleansers for cream cleansers, which are definitely more gentle on drier skin. If you don’t use a serum in the summer months, adding in a supercharged serum is a way to add an extra boost before applying your moisturizer. 

If you’re spending the night indoors (let’s face it, It’s the perfect time of year to crack out the face masks) and spend 5-10 minutes of your evening giving your skin some TLC. Kick it up a notch with beauty tools such as Gua Sha.  Allbeauty’s favourite is the Rose Quartz Gua Sha tool from ESPA. Rose Quartz is a crystal which is said to bring peace and compassionate love. It’s the perfect accompaniment to a moment of mindful skin pampering. 

The art of Gua Sha itself is an ancient Chinese massage practice which helps to ease facial tension and reduce the appearance of puffiness. 

If you’re on a budget, you can easily fake the cooling sensation of Gua Sha on the face with chilled cucumber slices - cucumber’s high water content actually means that it can help to moisturise the under eye area. 

If you’ve had a late night,  Guerlain’s Midnight Secret Late Night Recovery Treatment is a good portable product which helps to correct skin imperfections caused by fatigue in a pinch, by reducing puffiness around the eyes. Want to splash out on a product which delivers a luxurious treatment to the eye area but is still in an affordable price range? At1 might be the product range that you should consider adding to your bathroom shelfie…

The Restorative Eye Serum from At1 helps to freshen up the appearance of dark circles, thanks to its formulation of Persian Silk Tree, Hyaluronic Acid and Horse Chestnut extract. To use, apply 2-3 drops to your ring finger, gently tap the product into cleansed skin around your eye socket and let it slowly absorb into your skin. The natural blend of lemon, mandarin, orange, bergamot, rosemary, thyme and cedarwood will also leave you feeling invigorated.

Hydration is Key

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Whilst reaching for the caffeine can seem like a quick win to feel more alert during Winter months, coffee is a mild diuretic. You will experience less sweating typically in Winter (lovely, we know), however, bodies can lose more moisture due to more time spent indoors, where air is dryer. It’s therefore key to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated - and adapting your beauty routine to incorporate products that include hyaluronic acid can be a good way of ensuring that moisture levels in your skin are at their tip top. Need a quick boost of hydration? At1’s Hydrating Toning Mist uses rose water, lentil seed extract and salicylic acid to brighten skin tone and refresh the skin - at any time of day. 

Trust in the Power of Lipstick

Have you got a meeting or an occasion where you can’t fake it with a filter? If you’re looking for a quick fix, the answer might lie in a strong flash of colour to brighten up your smile and banish the blues.Coco Chanel allegedly once said, “If you’re sad, apply more lipstick and attack”. You have to admit, there’s something almost mystical about the simple act of taking a minute out to apply your lipstick. 

Red lipstick is the ultimate for making eyes look brighter - and you can cover up dark circles in some cases by applying a tiny bit in circles under your concealer. Of course, the world is your oyster when it comes to lipstick shades. Red lipstick can be a bold one to pull off, if in doubt just wear your favourite colour! From natural to coral, satin to sheer, you can find a shade for every occasion over on the allbeauty site. 

For more info on how to get the perfect red lip, be sure to check out allbeauty’s post on the Marilyn Monroe lip trick. 

There you have it - a few quick switches and hacks that you can use to take your routine from boring to beautiful in just a few minutes.