

The 5 beauty products that transform dull winter skin

As tested by a (very) tired person
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As I write this, I'm already on my fourth cup of tea of the day. Don't judge me - I'm tired (and, hey, as least it's not coffee).

Blame in on a perfect storm of late nights, deadlines, eating too late, reading emails on my iPhone before bed (I know, gah!) plus mega early starts (5.15 AM. It's bleak. Not even the birds are awake at that time) but I've been looking (and feeling) a bit knackered recently. My skin's feeling hot and papery, it looks kinda dull and my eyes have bags so big, they need their own entourage. 

Step forward these beauties, which all promise to make you look well rested and refreshed, even if you're really not. I've put them to the test (a lot) this week and here are the results...

1. REN Wake Wonderful Night-Time Facial, £32

Anything that promises to make me 'wake wonderful' has got to be a good thing, so I slathered on this new night time mask one (very) late night after a friend's birthday drinks. Its serum-like texture sunk in really quickly and didn't feel too sticky - not that I would have cared, as I was practically unconscious before I hit the pillow. 

Anyway, it's packed with glycolic and lactic acids, to sweep away dead skin cells (boosting the renewal process your skin naturally undergoes when you're asleep) as well as barrier-repairing fatty acids, to stop that crepey look caused by excess water loss. 

The packaging warns you might feel a tingle as the acids get to work but my skin's fairly oily and resilient, so I didn't feel a thing. What I did notice was that my skin did look fresh and smooth the next morning and absorbed my day cream really well. 



2. Eyeko Hydrogel Eye Patches, £15

Kept in the fridge, these are simply the most delicious thing you can put on your face when you're tired (and that includes George Clooney).

First off, the cooling, squishy gel takes the heat out of tired eyes and helps (temporarily) to constrict blood vessels and shrink bags. Then it has brightening niacinamide and antioxidants, plus glycerin to plump out those fine dehydration lines you get when you're tired.

The result? Calmer, clearer eyes in ten minutes. Wear them at your desk, in bed, in the bath, on a plane - wherever you need. Who cares what they look like when they feel this good? 

(FYI, Elemis also make similar under eye patches and I think they are equally as good).



3. Eve Lom TLC Radiance Cream, £45

Think of this as a flash balm-type brightening cream, with a touch more moisture. It's probably not going to be enough if your skin is super dry, but for my knackered combination skin it definitely delivers enough juiciness, plus a helpful dash of shimmery, line-blurring mica, to get me glowing again. 

4. Benefit Puff Off Eye Gel, £22.50

Oh man, I can't tell you how nice the ice-cold metal applicator feels on my tired, too-hot face. You'll just have to trust me on this.

A smidge of this palest pink cooling gel, smoothed under eyes and worked back and forth with the applicator is so, so nice when you've had a late night. And it helps to minimise shadows, so you can get away with wearing less concealer on top. 

Equally awesome is the new brightening eye gel from one of my favourite brands, This Works, which comes out in October. Do look out for it. 


5. Caudalie Beauty Elixir, £9.78

I've harped on about this brilliant minty face mist (apparently, one of Victoria Beckham's favourite things) before, but it's a lifesaver when you're tired so worth mentioning again.

It's as refreshing as a big splash of ice-cold water on your face (minus, you know, all the wet clothes), and packed with zingy, uplifting balm mint and rosemary essential oils, which get your skin - and the air around you - tingling in a good kind of way. Spritz it on whenever you need a pick-me-up. 

(NB. Also worth trying is Decleor's new awakening face mist, due out in September. I've been testing it out all week and can safely say it's excellent). 

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