After last night's celebrations, the face staring back at you in the mirror might seem years old. The culmination of the festive season's excessive alcohol, cigarette smoke, stodgy food and late nights can add up to pasty skin and puffy dark circles under bleary eyes. The look's hardly a boost to the ego, but there are ways to hide the telltale signs of a hangover until your stressed system's had time to recover.
First things first, it helps if you've observed the golden rule of skincare - never go to bed wearing your makeup. No matter how tired you are, don't fall into bed without cleaning your face to unclog your pores and give your skin a chance to breathe overnight. 'What's harmful to your skin is not the cosmetic products but the unwashed dirt and dust that remains on your face if you don't follow a good cleansing regime,' says makeup artist Karen Chu Ka-lam.
'You first have to remove the makeup and then clean your face,' she says. 'For eye makeup use a remover that's specifically designed for eyes so there won't be any residue or panda eyes the next morning. If you're using [an oil-based remover] be patient and make sure the oil turns a milky white before you clean it off with water.'
Makeup artist Wendy Wong Shui-ha of Lola Cosmetics suggests removing stubborn eye makeup by covering your eyes for two minutes with cotton soaked with remover that contains camomile to help tired eyes and provide a firming effect.
The skin is your canvas so it needs to be in good condition before you can begin to cover up with makeup. Television host Maria Chen Chai-ping says the state of the skin is more important than the makeup you use. She recommends using a mask before and after sleep.
'Your skin gets very dry after a party and you'll look very old and tired,' says Swiss Line business development manager Elaine Yung Yee-ling. 'To rescue your skin, you need masks that can provide moisture and nutrients. Masks that maintain and revitalise the lost collagen are essential to combat
