What I do to look rested when I’m not

Let’s be clear: it’s always a crazy time of year. But I’ve found that many of us are feeling the same cram-everything-in-before-everyone-leaves-for-summer crunch right now, and sleep can be the first thing to suffer on the busiest evenings…frequently just before an occasion where you really want to look good.

Less-than-optimal sleep can show up in many unwanted ways on the face (puffiness, dryness, dark circles, pallor). So, I thought I’d share my tricks to looking like I had a restful night when my number of sleep hours actually fell somewhere in the danger zone that J. Lo described when she revealed that she always aims for either under 4 hours or over 7, nothing in between.

Is J. Lo on to something, by the way? Maybe, but as with most things, the keys to better sleep seem maddeningly individual. If you’ve recently looked up whether it’s a good idea to hit the snooze button, for instance, you’ll also find that the ultimate answer is along the lines of “It depends! It might work for you, and it might not!” Ugh, maddening.

But whenever I want to look bright-eyed and bushy-tailed after a night or two of poor sleep, I’ve found that these little tricks always deliver.

(After more nights of terrible sleep than that, though…you might be on your own.)