Your eyes and the skin around them quickly show up tiredness. Not enough sleep, stress and alcohol can make the circulation and lymphatic drainage sluggish around the yes leaving them puffy, red and itchy.
• A couple of slices of cucumber placed on closed eyes for 5 minutes –
• Or cold used tea bags – can help to reduce puffiness and redness
• But your best bets are soothing eye gels, masks or compresses.
MAKE UP TIPS
Your skin is the first thing to suffer when you are feeling tired and under the weather, or have had a heavy night out. If your complexion is looking sallow and dehydrated, exfoliation is the best thing to restore tone fast.
• Use a scrub with tiny, gentle scruffing grains to boost circulation and leave the skin with a healthy glow. You apply it, let it sit on the skin for a few minutes, then rub gently. Finally rinse off with cold water.
• If you have time after exfoliating, apply a mask that will moisturise, brighten and firm your skin
Moisturising is essential for middle aged skin to retain its suppleness and healthy glow and to replace the nautural oils that dry up as part of the ageing process. But from recent reseach it appears that we are increasingly relying on cheap moisturising lotions and creams because they appear to be just as effective as expensive big-name brands.
TAKE CARE
Regular use of make-up is thought to accelerate facial ageing and the best complexions on middle aged women are those who have used little make-up.
Studies in America have shown that thousands of women in their 50s and 60s aged their skin prematurely by using “cold cream” to remove their make up. The high concentration of mineral oil in the creams clogged the pores and contributed to wrinkling.
Like it or loathe it make-up is a godsend when it comes to hiding signs of fatigue. Beauty scientists have been able to design cosmetics specifically for weary skin
by putting light reflecting pigments into foundations, blushers and eye shadows, a trick which brightens the face and puts lines and blemishes into soft focus.
TRICKS OF THE TRADE
• A natural blusher worn high on the cheekbones will give a much needed glow.
• The right colour eye shadow and lipstick also does wonders for a worn out face. Silvery-grey and pink eye shadows work well on your eyelids.
• If you find lipsticks change colour apply a special barrier lipstick before applying colour to form a layer of protection from both the allergy to the colour and the drying effects of sun and wind.
• A white eyeliner pencil is indispensable. Run it along the lower rims of your eyelids.
• Apply mascara to the top of lashes first and then brush up from underneath to give extra umph!
• Always protect your skin with creams and gels containing SPF.