With work, family life and a couple of hours of Instagram scrolling, there really is no way for us to get 8 hours of the coveted beauty sleep. While people are going on a “social media vacation to get some much needed shut eye, we prefer going the fake it till you make it route – might be a little Instagram obsessed, maybe…

Here are eight steps to fake 8 hours of beauty sleep:

Step 1

Before you slather on makeup to look awake, how about a little TLC for the skin?

The first major giveaway of a long night and ummm Instagram stalking is puffy, swollen eyes. Use a massage tool under the eyes to reduce swelling and brighten tired looking eyes.

Jack Black – Eye Balm De-Puffing and Cooling Gel is an amazing option for this step – it’s an eye balm with a blend of nourishing ingredients including vitamins and soothing botanical extracts and comes with a stainless-steel rollerball applicator to massage and cool on contact. If you put it in the refrigerator overnight, it will further help reduce puffiness and soften the appearance of fine lines.

Step 2

Since eyes show most of the key signs of tiredness and lack of sleep, focus your next step on them too.

While you make your breakfast and get yourself a coffee fix, apply some hydrating eye patches like PETER THOMAS ROTH – Cucumber De-Tox Hydra-Gel Eye Patches to tone and improve the appearance of under eyes. These detox hydra-gel patches contain ingredients like Cucumber Extract, Aloe, Chamomile, Allantoin, Arnica, Hyaluronic Acid & Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Collagen and most importantly, Caffeine to calm and hydrate the appearance of skin.

Step 3

Once your under eyes have had some extra nourishment, you can now focus on giving your entire facial skin a lift and some plumpness with an anti-aging serum that specifically contains Hyaluronic acid.

Hyaluronic acid has the ability to hold “1000 times its weight in water”, making it perfect for keeping up collagen synthesis and retaining moisture to keep your skin looking plump and youthful. Use a serum like BABOR – Doctor Babor Hydro Rx Hyaluron Serum which in addition to the said ingredient also features peptides and moisturizing complexes to further help fight premature signs of aging.

Step 4

Now that your skin is armed with all the nourishing goodness, it’s time to start faking that glow.

Start off with an illuminating base – PETER THOMAS ROTH – 24K Gold Pure Luxury Lift and Firm Prism Cream makes for a perfect on its own illuminator or mixed in with your foundation/BB Cream/Tinted Moisturizer. The Colloidal Gold helps lift, firm, and restore lost elasticity and Optical diffusers diminish the appearance of imperfections to create a flawless glow. Result? Fresh, dewy looking skin with a beautiful lit-from-within glow.

Step 5

If you don’t wear full glam on makeup and are not into the whole multiple step foundation routine, opt for a concealer to hide those not-so-designer eye bags.

Looking for something Crease-proof, waterproof, smudge-proof, sweat-resistant, humidity-resistant, and transfer-resistant? barePRO 16-HR Full Coverage Concealer is your one step answer to all of those and more mineral, vegan goodness.

Step 6

Next up is to fake some rosiness back in those cheeks – the ultimate sign of a healthy complexion and even healthier inside.

Nothing too OTT to look like you have intentionally done makeup – but just a little flush on the cheeks and lips to look as if you not only had 8 hours of beauty sleep but you did a little morning jog too (pffft.)

Pat a little weightless water-based product like stila – Aqua Glow Watercolor Blush Water Lily over your cheeks and lips to them some color and a healthy-looking, fresh glow to the skin.

Step 7

Back to the eyes. While the skincare and concealer might have helped your under eyes look brighter and tighter, a little makeup can help your eyes themselves look wider and more awake.

Use a couple of coats of a smashbox – Full Exposure Mascara Jet Black to open up your eyes and a swipe of Pixi – Eye Bright Liner in your waterline for an instantly awake look.

Step 8

If you haven’t had 8 hours of beauty sleep, you definitely didn’t wake up for that morning jog we just mentioned and you most definitely didn’t had time for that much needed shower. I mean who doesn’t want those extra 5 minutes in bed?

So before your flat, limp hair give away your late night routine, give your hair a little extra volume, the much needed oomph with a dry shampoo like Fekkai – Blowout Hair Freshener Dry Shampoo. The shampoo absorbs dirt and oil and gives the hair an overall clean smell and appearance, extending your previous day hairstyle, without leaving that awful white cast.

Apart from all of these expert faking wide awake look tips – thank you very much – remember water is key. Wash your face with a splash of cold water to give your skin an awakening jolt and follow it up by drinking a lot of water throughout the day to keep yourself hydrated and counter some of the dehydrating effects of the coffee we all know you are taking by the shot.