It should go without saying that you should get at least 8 hours sleep, eat healthily, take time to relax and wash daily during the exam period… however, we all know that’s all going to go out the window come the first week of our exams. Although we may not feel so great at this time, it doesn’t mean we can’t look good while we suffer on. Maybe it’s just me but popping a bit of make up on and running a brush through my hair always helps me to feel a little more human when I’m looking like something out of The Walking Dead!
If you’ve had a few sleepless, stress-ridden nights spent crying over your upcoming exam, meet your new best friend: flesh-toned eyeliner. Running a pencil over your waterline with a shade that’s just slightly darker than your natural skin tone will beautifully cover up the red that’s currently rimming your eyes. If you want to go for a subtler look I’d advise using a matte shade but shimmery ones will really brighten up those eyes too. The Wonder Pencil by NYX is perfect for this, and as an added bonus, you can also use it to conceal flaws and blemishes as well as lining your lips against lipstick bleeding and fading. What more could you want?
Do you get the feeling that your under-eyes are slightly more of a purple-red colour than normal? The best way to correct this is to try a peach- or yellow-toned concealer or corrector. Peach helps to make the skin looks more natural, but yellow is much more brightening. I would highly recommend the Makeup Revolution Conceal and Define Concealer as it is super affordable and comes in a great range of shades!
If you’re tired, there is no doubt that your skin is showing it too. Hopefully by helping your skin to look more refreshed and awake, you’ll start to feel more alert too! Try to create a dewy glow with a refresher spray like the Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe Herbs and Rosewater. Between you and me, keeping it in the fridge overnight will really help give you that extra boost as it should help to cool and de-puff the face too.
A quick application of mascara will really help to open those eyes up and make it look like you had a great sleep, studied well and are totally ready to ace this exam… even if that may not be the case at all. My favourite budget mascara at the moment is Essence’s Lashes of the Day Super Volume Mascara. This is very inexpensive and curls my lashes perfectly, giving them way more volume and length.
Last but not least, and although not makeup related, it is really important to stay hydrated as you study. Knocking back a few litres of water can really help rejuvenate your skin when it is dry and tired from the air con in the library.
By Tarryn McGuire