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HOW TO

How to look amazing when you feel far from it

It is now well into winter and with temperatures plummeting (and hot tods a very necessary evil), you are doubtless suffering from a) a cold, b) a hangover or c) all of the above (shudder) - none of which are conducive to skin and make up looking one's 'best'. Which is why we've put together this quick list of hacks, to ensure you look stunning when you feel like s___.

{Clean up} - whether you've wended your merry way home from a too-tipsy dinner party, or simply sat snivelling through four, torturous stops on the District Line, don't succumb to the lure of your duvet until you've made a vague attempt to wash your face. You will feel better, and your skin will show thanks by remaining spot-free.

Eve Lom's brilliant {Gel Balm Cleanser} tranforms into a milky-oily-balm when massaged over dry skin, dissolving everything (even mascara) with next-to-no effort. Or believe the hype and jump on the {Votary} bandwagon. Loved by countless die-hard devotees, the cult {Cleansing Oil - Rose Geranium & Apricot} smells "divine and makes skin soft and silky but not over-oily" according to one discerning customer (but don't just take her word for it).

{Hydrate} - if the cleansing stage doesn't exhaust you, then whack on an overnight treatment. Pixi's {Beauty Sleep Cream} smells like lavender (ie: heaven) and conditions parched skin while you're passed-out face down in your pit (it absorbs really quickly, so won't stain your pillowcase). You'll wake up looking dewy-skinned and luminous - even if your head is banging. Or try January Labs' {Retexturising Night Cream} - a potent fusion of lactic and hyaluronic acids which works to 'plump up' and dispel tell-tale signs of dehydration.

{De-puff} - whether alcohol- or flu-induced, toxins have a nasty habit of accumulating, and few things scream 'hungover' like a puffed-up visage. White Lotus' {A Grade Jade Roller Double} has magical 'anti-hangover' properties - especially when fresh from the fridge. Roll along your under-eyes to boost kidney function (really!), banish bags and bel-eye tell-tale signs of your late night adventures.

{Get glowing} - a radiance-boosting elixir is a must. Supercharge your day cream with a few drops of Odacite's {Youthful Glow Booster}, or fake it 'til you make it with BECCA's {Shimmering Skin Perfector} in 'Opal' - a peachy-toned pearlescent potion that is the perfect perker-upper (technical term), granting even grey complexions an enviable, 'you look well' lustre.

{Brighten up} - with a hint of blush. It's face-awakening properties will mask a multitude of sins. Hourglass' {Ambient Lighting Blush} in 'Radiant Magenta' is the perfect, flush-toned pink, or try Rituel de Filles {Inner Glow Cream Blush} in 'Delirium' to lend a peaky pallor instant, honey-toned warmth

{Open up} - sleep-deprived or teary eyes with Kevyn Aucoin's {The Eye Lash Curler}. It's award-winning for a reason, and will make you look alive (even if you feel like death). Follow with a water-resistant, lash-lengthening mascara - BUXOM's {Lash Waterproof Mascara} separates and elongates, and will stay-put come hell or eye-water.

...aaaaaaand {Spritz} - Josh Rosebrook's {Hydrating Accelerator} is quite possibly, paradise distilled into a chic white bottle. Keep on your desk - or in easy reach of your sick bed - to refresh skin and help dispel day-after despair (it's miraculously spirit-lifting).

Et voila! Cinderella shall go to the office (and nobody need ever know).

Verity Douglas
Verity Douglas Writer and expert

Cult Beauty’s Content Editor and a Cult Beauty OG, Verity loves nothing more than the marriage of language and lip balm. A quintessential Libran, she’s a self-professed magpie for luxury ‘must-haves' and always pursuing the new and the niche — from the boujee-est skin care to cutting-edge tech. Balancing an urge to stop the clock with her desire to embrace the ageing process (and set a positive example for her daughter), Verity's a retinol obsessive and will gladly share her thoughts about the time-defying gadgets, masks and treatments worth the splurge...

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