Fixing up your Monday Face!

So people generally think it's okay to be a little grimy on the weekends: unbrushed hair, raccoon eyes from the previous night, skin disasters on display. And hey, if that's how you roll I think it's okay because chances are you work so hard during the week you need a little down time to be unkempt. But once Monday morning rolls around, you don't want to hear your boss say "Man, you look like shit". Let's face it, Mondays are not that kind to us. We have the whole weekend hanging onto us like excess baggage, and maybe your nerves are a wreck over an AM meeting's presentation. Whatever it is, you might find this little article useful.

It only takes ten minutes of your time to fix yourself up, and these ten minutes do NOT include the long shower you should have to get yourself together (but while you're at it, why don't you use a citrusy shower gel? The smell will give you some energy).
Here we go...

Read on for some pretty simple tips after the jump.

How to Fix:

Flaky lips: Maybe your airconditioner mummifies you at night and is on so high that your lips end up looking like filo pastry. Whatever the reason is, you should be able to fix this with a little simple trick. Take your toothbrush, wet it a little bit, and slough off all the dead skin from your lips slowly (too vigorously and there will be another fix-it to write). Once you've accomplished that, you can slick on some special treatment like the one from Shu Uemura Principe - or to be simple, Carmex.

Cried-out eyes: It's none of our business if you fought with your boyfriend, but we can help fix that red-rimmed problem! Simple solution: a matte flesh (not metallic white!!!) toned eye pencil to conceal the redness! Line the inside of your lower lashline and you'll see a huge difference. Also, dab a modest amount of concealer on the inner and outermost corners of your eyes to conceal any lingering blotchy parts.

Blood-shot eyes: Normally everyone says Visine, but sometimes make-up can help out a little bit. They say that blue mascara balances out the redness in your eyes, so maybe one time you could check it out. It makes the whites of your eyes whiter, so you look more refreshed. But you only need a little swipe of it, the color goes a long way.

Tired skin: If you're tired, most likely your skin will mimic your state of mind. Dull skin can be fixed by washing up with an invigorating face wash, like the Neutrogena Deep Clean, Aveeno's Positively Radiant cleanser or even a nice simple scrub like the St. Ives apricot scrubs. Follow up with a luminous moisturizer like the Juice Beauty Spf 15 day moisturizer (or just mix your daily spf moisturizer with a drop of Smashbox's Artificial Light fluid or Benefit's High Beam). If your skin is truly parched from maybe too much alcohol/long nights you can add a serum on top of your moisturizer. The Olay Regenerist serum is nice and lightweight to wear during the day.

Bruise-like undereye circles: If it looks like you've got mini shiners under your eyes, reduce the purple by using some yellow-based concealer. Try the Bobbi Brown creamy concealer kit, Laura Mercier's secret camouflage concealer, or Cinema Secrets concealer (which is so nice and creamy).

PS: Don't forget to take some vitamins. Vitamin C will help boost your immunity after a weekend of late nights and partying. Smart C juice drink also boasts 500mg of Vitamin C per bottle and it doesn't taste too artificial because it has real fruit juice.