Seven things to do when your eyes NEED to be bright and awake

Your eyes communicate how you feel. They sparkle when you’re happy, tear up when you’re despaired, narrow when you’re angry, and widen when you’re scared. But if there’s one thing I don’t want my eyes to show, it’s how exhausted I really feel. Droopy, bloodshot and dark-ringed peepers just add to the stress so even when I’m running on a just few hours of sleep, I still want my eyes to look as bright as my future. Thanks to makeup, it’s possible! You CAN pull an all-nighter yet look fresh and bright-eyed the next morning with these easy techniques.

I applied the Catrice Camouflage Cream Concealer after putting on my favorite eye cream to make it easier to blend

Banish your dark circles

Pandas may be cute but I’d reserve the panda look for my retouch powder. Dark circles can make eyes look more tired so make sure to edit out the discoloration with a light concealer. Blending it out in an inverted triangle under your eyes also highlights your face and makes it more fresh and open. Don't forget to put some on your lids, too!

I love Pink Sugar's Creamy Matte Lipstick in Royals but Maybelline's Creamy Matte in Clay Crush makes my face look fresh and bright

Opt for a more neutral, complexion brightening lip color

When a dark lip is stealing the show, the eyes fade out in the background. Wearing an MLBB shade keeps the focus centered on your eyes! Choose a color that will make your skin look more brilliant and fresh, versus one that makes it look greyish and drawn. Our advice is a warm shade with peach, sienna, and red undertones like Maybelline's Creamy Matte Lipstick in Clay Crush or the Pink Sugar x Project Vanity lip crayon in Woke Up Like This.

My brow tattoo keeps my arches on point 24/7 (it's the best thing EVAR) but I like to brush them up with Heavy Rotation Brow Mascara in 04 to fix the hairs into place and make them look fuller and higher

Frame it with your brows

We’re all kilay-obsessed here in PV, and for good reason! Properly-shaped eyebrows don’t just frame your face, they make a difference to how your eyes look as well. Adding a touch of highlighter right under your arches can also give instant lift to your face, so make sure to check out our fave picks for affordable highlighters as well as our top brow pencil finds under P200. If you want something fast and easy, use a brow mascara instead.

In this look, I'm wearing a warm champagne eyeshadow on my lids and a sienna brown shadow on my crease

Keep your lids light and bright

Blending your eyeshadow gradient to appear light on the inner corners and gradually darkening at and darker to outer corners opens up the eye and gives an impression of depth. Prep your lids by applying a warm champagne eyeshadow (I used MAC All That Glitters) all over the lid then buff in a sienna brown (MAC Texture) right at the crease. Add a bit of shadow on the outer v of the eyes to get some soft definition. Prefer to keep things simple? Coppery brown shades are great for single eyeshadow looks that also work well to brighten up the eye.  

Maybelline Hypersharp Liner in Power Black is easy to use and easy on the pocket!

Give yourself wings

Need more motivation to work on your eyeliner game? If you want your eyes to look wider and rounder, flicking your eyeliner out as in a cat eye certainly helps. The upward tail makes the rest of your face look more lifted. And if you're having trouble getting the flick just right, you can easily fix it with concealer.

Ever Bilena Eyeliner in White makes my eyes pop!

Highlight your inner corner and line your lower lash line

An inner tear duct highlight does wonders for widening and brightening the eyes since it cancels out any darkness in the area and serves to extend your eye shape. You can also line your waterline with a white or nude liner, or bring that same highlight shade down to line your lower lash line.

Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara gives a natural-looking curl with zero clumping

Curl and coat your lashes

It should go without saying but fanning out your lashes will open up your eyes! Make sure to follow the proper curling technique for maximum effect, using a good quality eyelash curler of course. Afterwards, coat generously with mascara!

When it comes to creating a fresh-looking FOTD, it's really best to focus more on playing up the eyes rather than simply swiping on a bright lip in the hope that it will distract people from your fatigued peepers. Also, make sure to invest in and start using a good eye cream so can keep fine lines away and your circles from getting any darker.

What are your go-to makeup techniques for faking eight hours of sleep? What products do you rely on to hide the evidence of sleepless nights?