The Morning-After Eye Routine for a 9 a.m. Meeting in New York
In this city, a late dinner downtown can easily turn into a 1 a.m. cab ride home, and the 9 a.m. meeting doesn’t move. If you’ve ever caught your reflection in the subway window and wished your eyes looked a little more awake, this routine is for you. It starts the night before, takes about fifteen minutes in total and doesn’t need anything you can’t fit in a medicine cabinet.
Set yourself up before bed
No matter how late it is, take your makeup off. Mascara and liner left on overnight can leave the eye area looking tired and irritated by morning. Drink a full glass of water, and add an extra pillow so your head is slightly raised, which can help keep fluid from settling under your eyes.
This is also the best time for a tightening eye patch. Peter Thomas Roth’s Instant FIRMx Collagen Tightening Eye Patches can be worn overnight. In a consumer study, 94% agree their under-eyes immediately appeared tight, firm, smooth and less puffy.* Put them on, turn off the lights and let them do their work while you sleep.
When the alarm goes off
Cool water first. Splash your face a few times with cool water to help you wake up.
Remove the patches if you wore them overnight, and pat any remaining serum into the skin.
Hydrate. Use your usual moisturizer. If you plan to use a tightener before you head out, keep moisturizer and eye cream off the under-eye area, since they reduce the tightening effect.
Have breakfast and coffee, plus a glass of water. Late nights usually mean you’re a little dehydrated.
Before you head out
If you still want the eye area to look a little smoother, a temporary eye tightener can help for the day. Instant FIRMx Eye is a temporary tightener. Apply a tiny amount to clean, dry skin and stay expressionless for 3 to 7 minutes while it sets. Both the patches and the tightener are part of the Peter Thomas Roth FIRMx collection.
Finish with a light concealer only where you need it. Less is more after a late night, since heavy concealer tends to settle into fine lines.
On the way to the office
Sunglasses are a New Yorker’s best friend for a reason. They protect the eye area from the sun and save you from squinting. On gray days, a brimmed hat or simply walking on the shady side of the avenue helps too.
Keep it in your bag
A small hydrating eye cream, a concealer and a lip balm will carry you through the day and on to whatever is next on the calendar.
What to skip
Skip thick concealer and shimmery eyeshadow on mornings like this, since both draw attention to texture. Skip rubbing your eyes on the train, too, which can leave the area red and puffy. And if you can, swap the third coffee for water. It helps more than you’d think after a late night.
Plan ahead next time
If you know a late night falls before an early meeting, lay out your clothes and pack your bag before you go out. You’ll thank yourself in the morning, and you’ll have extra minutes for your routine.
*Based on a 1.5-hour clinical and consumer perception study on 33 women ages 47 to 70.
