The No-Knife Eye Lift

How to Fake Looking Awake

When morning news anchors pull off the bright-eyed look at 5 a.m., they often have their makeup artists to thank. Here, New York City makeup pro Deborah Bell, who has worked with everyone from Katie Couric and Ann Curry to Soledad O'Brien and Campbell Brown, shares the eye-enhancement tricks she deploys daily before the sun rises.

Use brightening eye drops. It's the easiest, quickest way to make eyes look more awake. "The drops remove any redness and make the whites seem whiter," says Bell.

Avoid dark eye shadows. They cast the entire lid in darkness. Use a flesh-toned hue instead to even out skin tone, then top it with a sheer gold shadow, applied from lashline to crease. "Gold's luster makes eyes really shine," says Bell. Try Sonia Kashuk Eye Shadow Duo in Razzle Dazzle ($8, Target).

Dust bronzer over blush. After applying blush, Bell sweeps bronzer along the cheekbones. "Shimmer high on the cheeks brightens the whole face, including the eyes," says Bell. Her pick: Lancôme Star Bronzer Magic Bronzing Brush ($33, department stores), a bronzing powder with a built-in brush.

Dark-Circle Camouflage

Choose Your Disguise. Pick a creamy concealer (like the kind in a compact). "Creams have a stronger hold than liquids and won't creep into fine lines," says New York City makeup artist Shaun Thomas Gibson. Your concealer should be a shade lighter than your skin tone to counterbalance darkness. We like Physicians Formula Concealer Palette ($8, drugstores), a compact with three shades of concealer, finishing powder, and a tiny applicator brush.

Perfect Your Technique. Dab on eye cream, and let it soak in for a minute. Then apply foundation (if you wear it), including under your eyes — this will erase some of the darkness so you can use less concealer. A concealer brush will give you the most expert-looking coverage, though a well-placed finger works, too. Paint the cover-up from the inner corner of the eye to the midpoint beneath the eyeball, then feather it out, blending away any obvious demarcation lines.

Save Your Work. Dust a tiny bit of nude face powder over concealer to hold it in place.

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