4 beauty secrets for looking less stressed

beauty tricks when stressed

How to trick people into thinking you’re cool, calm and collected

Beauty Crew Editor / May 26 2017

When we’re stressed, it tends to show. Sadly, stress can lead to a dull and fatigued complexion and dark circles may start to make an appearance. And who hasn’t ditched a hair washing session (or two) just to get 10 more precious minutes of sleep? 

So if you feel like you’re burning the candle at all ends, here are a few quick beauty tricks to master that will help you appear cool, calm, and collected. Pair with some mindfulness and meditation, and you’re guaranteed to be restored to your former non-stressed glory.

1

Beat those dark circles

When we’re stressed or tired, any discolouration under our eyes tends to darken (in what almost seems like seconds), so start and end your day with an uplifting and revitalising eye cream. Dermalogica Stress Positive Eye Lift works quickly to re-energise the eye area and reduce those tell-tale signs of stress. Added bonus: it features an incredibly cooling metal applicator so if puffiness has made an appearance this eye cream can tackle both issues in one hit.

Dermalogica stress positive eye lift
TOP TIP: For an extra dose of eye love, layer the formula on thick and let it sit on your under-eye area for three to five minutes to allow as much of the product’s nutrients to sink in as possible.

While the brightening eye cream works to reduce those dark circles and puffiness, further neutralise the tone and illuminate your under-eye area with the help of makeup. Gently dab a peach concealer, like Napoleon Perdis The One Concealer, and finish with a radiance-boosting concealing pen like Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat.

2

Fake a good hair day

Who has the time or patience to style hair when you’re worrying about emails filling your inbox, looming deadlines, and a life admin list that keeps growing? But fear not, there are plenty of low-maintenance hairstyles you can try that’ll leave you looking polished and together without occupying too much of your precious time. Our favourite is a sleek low ponytail with an accessory accent. Use a tailcomb to create a part straight down the middle, then apply a tiny drop of L’Oréal Paris Elvive Extraordinary Hair Oil over your lengths to smooth down any flyaways. Comb your hair down and to the nape of your neck, then secure into a ponytail. Finish off the look with a ponytail cuff, like Chloe + Isabel Metal Pony Piece.

3

Give your complexion extra radiance

Including a vitamin C serum into your daily skin care routine will increase skin luminosity and evenness in the long-run, but on a day-to-day basis, look to use a primer that can leave your skin looking a little more radiant and alive. We like MAC Strobe Cream.

4

Finish with a pop of colour

The quickest and easiest way to fool people into thinking you’ve got your life together is a pop of colour on your lips – the trick is to ensure that your application is precise and the colour is strong and consistent. Start with a lip liner that matches your bold lip colour of choice, then fill in the rest of your pout with your lippie.

Looking for more beauty tricks to make it seem like you've got it together? Here are 3 easy makeup tricks every woman needs to know.

Image: @heidiklum

Carli was BEAUTYcrew’s Editor from launch in 2016 until May 2020. You can find her words right here on BEAUTYcrew, and previously on beautyheaven.