MAYBE you were racing to make a deadline, or maybe you just wanted that second glass of wine. Whatever your reason for missing out on sleep, don’t sweat it: You can still look like you got a full eight hours. All you need to fake looking awake are a few makeup tricks and the right products to pull them off.

Apply foundation to forehead first.

Dull, sallow skin basically announces to the world that you’re exhausted. That’s where foundation comes in. Start by applying it on your forehead and around your brows, says makeup artist Kimara Ahnert. Laying this base allows your brow product — more on that in a moment — to blend more easily for a realistic look. A flat foundation brush will help you get around your eyes, nose and brows with a precision that your fingers may not have pre-daylight. One that’s full-coverage hides any telltale redness and discoloration. Apply foundation to the remainder of your face only after your concealer, since you’ll be able to get away with using less and prevent a cake-y finish.

Bring out your brows.

Deal with dark or puffy under-eye circles by creating a diversion in the form of really great brows. “A defined brow gives shape and lift to your eyes,” says Ahnert. Using a brow crayon — they’re easier to apply than gel or thin pencils — in a color one shade lighter than your hair, make small strokes that follow through your natural brow shape.

Conceal around the eyes.

Your eyes always give you away, so hide the evidence. Apply concealer to the inner corner of each eye and blend it all the way up to where the eyebrow begins. Then, blend it beneath the eye, along your lash line and past the outer corner of your eye. “It seems like a lot, but it makes a huge difference,” says Ahnert. Look for a creamy, easy-to-blend formula.

Line the eyes with white or nude liner.

This trick takes just a few seconds, which is sometimes all you have during a busy a morning. “Use a nude-colored eyeliner pencil to the waterline rim of the eye,” says Ahnert. “It’ll give you clearer, brighter-looking eyes.”

Fluff up lashes.

Lashes should be last. This way, “you can avoid the clinging of concealer to mascara-covered lashes,” says Ahnert. Keep your morning routine simple with a mascara that does everything in a single swipe.

Give your cheeks a rosy flush.

Nothing wakes up your face like a pop of color. Blush adds a healthy glow to your skin that you’re missing when you don’t get enough Zzz’s. Dot a cream blush into the apples of your cheeks for a lit-from-within flush, or dab a bright powder blush on with a soft brush in swirling circular motions. Whichever method you prefer, blend.

(SD-Agencies)