The Beauty Diary by Rebekah Scanlan: How to fake a good night’s sleep

We’re a nation of tired people. But while you can’t always find time to get your full eight hours sleep, you can totally fake it with this $9 trick.

Hands up if you’re planning on spending your Sunday morning curled up in bed, desperately trying to stock up on an extra few hours for the week ahead? We could all use some extra Zzz’s at some point in our lives, with 1.5 million Australians every year feeling so tired they turn to their doctors for help.

While the idea of getting the recommended 8 hours of sleep a day is a lovely thought, the reality is SO. MUCH. HARDER. Things like kids (so I’m told) and work get in the way of those treasured early nights and arvo naps that we spend our whole childhood avoiding yet pine for as a grown up.

While I can’t help you feel like you’ve slept for a week, I have just the ticket to help you look fresher and more awake. Banishing that tired look we’ll all be hit with at some point in our busy lives is actually one of my favourite things about beauty.

Here’s the products I use to give my tired face a refreshing reboot.

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INNISFREE GREEN TEA SEED EYE & FACE BALL

I’m obsessed with this green tea roller ball. It soothes and massages my shopping bags and leaves me fresh as. Picture: Supplied

Available at Innisfree stores and Innisfree.com

Price: $30

When my bags need a little TLC, this is the product I turn to. The Green Tea formula is super refreshing and the roller ball basically massages the area, helping to relief puffiness and soothe the skin.

It’s perfect for the skin around the eyes — which is thinner than on other parts of your face so needs the softly, softly approach — and is super moisturising. It’s also great for travelling, I’ve been busted using it during a few long-haul flights and got some very funny looks, but it works so whatever.

GO-TO TRANSFORMAZING SHEET MASK

This $9 mask will totally make you look like you’ve had a full night’s sleep, even when you haven’t. Picture: Supplied

Available at Mecca and gotoskincare.com

Price: $9

Who doesn’t love a face mask? This one comes with a promise on the packet that says, “This mask is gonna make my skin look far better than it has any right to” and boy does it deliver on its word. Maybe it’s down to the blend of native Australian ingredients, including Kakadu plum and finger lime Tasmanian pepper leaf — but in just 10 minutes, my skin was brighter and felt heaps bouncier. It’s like a magic wand for your face.

BIOEFFECT EGF EYE MASK TREATMENT

Nothing gets rid of puffy eyes and dark circles as quick as this. Picture: Supplied

Available at adorebeauty.com.au, lookfantastic.com.au, David Jones and bioeffect.com.au

Price: $125

If you need an eye bag fix, fast — this is the product for you as the turnaround on these eye patches is pretty remarkable. I’ve woken up to my alarm going at 5.30am feeling like death, whacked these on, and by 6am I look like a new woman. It’s all down to the Icelandic brand’s EGF eye serum that is included with these masks. EGF is a scary sounding protein (anyone else think BFG when you see it?) that boosts collagen, giving an instant hit of firmness, which takes away the dreaded eye puff. You slather on the serum, pop the see-through jelly patches on top and wait for the magic to happen.

INDIE LEE I-WAKEN EYE SERUM

Do you really need an eye cream or serum? Yes you do. Picture: Supplied

Available at Sephora

Price: $68

If you don’t already have an eye serum or an eye cream in your skincare routine, it’s time to look at adding one now. “Do I really need an eye cream?” Well yes, actually you do. Dark circles and those dreaded shopping bags come from the movement that part of our face is constantly in. Whether you realise it, laughing, squinting, talking all affects the delicate tissue around our eyes, causing it to become stressed. It also is a spot often missed when applying suncream so there’s usually sun damage there too, which is why I’m firmly on team #useeyecream — or a serum if like my skin, the thicker formulas are a little too much for you.

Indie Lee’s I-Waken is honestly fabulous. It’s made with witch hazel and camomile that act like a soothing eraser on puffiness and darkness, undoing all the damage — and it can sit under make-up without affecting it. While it’s a tad pricey, I literally use only the size of half a pea so the cost per use is pretty low.

GIVENCHY TEINT COUTURE EVERWEAR CONCEALER

When all else fails, cover it up. This concealer not only hides brutal bags, but also brightens — making it a hero for us tired folk. Picture: Supplied

Available at Sephora

Price: $53

When all else fails, cover it up. While I know you’re probably screaming “why the luxury” concealer at your screens right now, I have a very good reason.

I’ve got a lot of time for budget products, but when I’m knackered and in need of a boost — I want something that not only looks great, but is a joy to put on too.

Givenchy’s Teint Couture Eyewear Concealer has a super pigmented formula, that doesn’t just paint over dark skin, it brightens it. It’s also super flexible and doesn’t crease or settle into your lines. I’m yet to find anything that conceals the signs of tiredness as well as this does. LOVE.

This column is not advertorial content. Every review is independent, honest and ad free.

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