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Whether you’re travelling, burning the candle at both ends, or juggling young children and working life, your eyes are first to give away the signs of fatigue. Here, top makeup artist Lisa Potter-Dixon shares how to hide tired eyes as well as her secrets to looking bright-eyed and bushy-tailed fast.
Mask it
Lisa loves an eye mask for keeping the skin around the eyes hydrated, ‘In fact,’ she says, “If I’m travelling I tend to do a whole skincare routine on a plane. Your eyes can become super puffy under flying conditions so applying hydrating eye masks every 5 hours will prevent this.” Her all-time favourites are 111 Skin Celestial Black Diamond Eye Masks and the Elemis Pro Collagen Hydra Gel Eye Masks. “Both are super hydrating and cooling, and will keep your eye area looking refreshed and smooth,” she says.
The red eye antidote
Lisa always carries eyedrops with her to help with red eyes. One of her favourites is Optrex Blood Shot Eye Drops. “If the rim of your eye tends to get red, use a nude coloured liner in the waterline,” she says, “ Benefit’s Eye Bright Liner is perfect for this,” she says “It will cover the red and your eyes will look brighter instantly.”
For wide awake eyes
Tired eyes will always look smaller than usual if you have broken or not enough sleep. Lisa has a few handy hints for helping them look bigger. “Using a liner on the top lid will help make eyes look brighter, as will a really good mascara. Go for one in jet black and really layer it on, then turn the wand vertically to flick the corner lashes out.” She also suggests a touch of highlighter in the inner corner of the eye which, she says, will not only make them look bigger but brighter too. Try Tom Ford’s Sheer Highlighting Duo.
Handbag essentials
As well as the eye masks above, Lisa will also always have a hydrating eye cream stashed in her handbag. One of her favourites is Vichy's Mineral 89 Eye Serum, a soothing gel that contains caffeine and hyaluronic acid. She will also carry a quad eyeshadow palette for simple definition such as Charlotte Tilbury’s Exagger-eyes.
There will also always be a mascara and the eye brightening pencil mentioned above, and of course, some eyeshadow brushes for application.
From darkness into light
Many people suffer with dark rings under their eyes which can look pronounced after a flight or after a broken night’s sleep. Lisa suggests the following to counteract their appearance. “Start with an eye cream to hydrate the area, but don’t apply too much as this can cause your mascara to transfer. Then it’s onto your concealer – Nars Radiant creamy concealer and Bourjois’ Healthy Mix Anti-Fatigue Concealer are two of my faves – both have a colour correcting undertone that works for your skin colour and both brighten and conceal brilliantly.” Lisa suggests applying from the inner corner of the eye, down to the upper cheek bone and back up to the outer corner of the eye, patting it in with either your fingers, a brush or a beauty blender. “Blend up towards the lower lash line and also over the eye lid,” she says “The skin around the eye is 40% thinner than anywhere else on the face, so it’s important to conceal the area surrounding the eyes too if you want an even finish.”
Brow know-how
We all know how eyebrows frame our faces, but when we are tired they become even more important because, according to Lisa, they can create an instant eyelift. “Using just a fibre gel can make a huge difference,” she says. A favourite is Benefit’s Gimme Brow which really fill and define the brows. Follow her trick for maximum effect: “Brush the product through the brow the wrong way at first,” she says, “Before brushing them back the way the hair falls. This will add real volume and colour to the brows”
Follow Lisa @lisapotterdixon and lisapotterdixon.com
