Just because you’re not stepping out of the house doesn’t mean you should forgo your skincare routine. Give your skin a good rinse with a gentle cleanser like the Allies of Skin Molecular Silk Amino Hydrating Cleanser, $62, from Sephora, and follow up with your regular daily moisturiser. Hydrated skin perks you up because it naturally makes skin look more glowing and vibrant.

A build-up of dead skin cells can diffuse light and cause your skin to appear dull. Make it a point to exfoliate with a gentle exfoliator once or twice a week to reveal a clearer complexion over time.

To remove all the gunk and stubborn makeup from the day, consider exfoliating at night instead of the morning. You can also use peels that consist of ingredients like alpha and beta hydroxy acid to dissolve dead skin cells. Keep a lookout for ingredients like aloe and green tea when searching for an exfoliator to minimise irritation. We like the First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads, $52, from Sephora.

When your lashes are upturned, your eyes look more open and awake. To achieve this, squeeze a lash curler once at your lash line, once in the middle of your lashes and once at the ends. Finish with a layer of lengthening mascara to enhance the effect and seal the curl. We like Gucci Beauty’s Mascara L’Obsur, $56, from Takashimaya, for its lengthening and defining benefits that don’t clump or smudge by mid-day.

No, we’re not talking about the overdone Instagram brow here. Instead, go for a full, softly arched brows that can make your eyelids look lifted and draw attention away from undereye puffiness and dark circles. Using short, feathery strokes, fill in your brows with a pencil and then brush them up and out with a spoolie brush. Try Hourglass Arch Brow Micro Sculpting Pencil, $47, from Sephora – it delivers ultra-precise, hair-like lines and has a spoolie on one end.

It may be tempting to reach for a foundation with industrial-strength coverage to cover up washed out skin but in actual fact, the formula will only cling onto every imperfection brought about from a sleepless night, leaving your skin looking cakey.

Instead, opt for a tinted moisturiser or a sheer, dewy foundation like Giorgio Armani Beauty’s Luminous Silk Fluid Foundation, $90, from Tangs. The formula blends like a dream, gives a dewy yet matte finish and can do more than concealer alone to make you look beautifully awake. In short, it can even out redness and discolouration even though it’s light, making you look instantly refreshed.

You might notice that your foundation tends to get duller as the day progresses due to a process called oxidisation. Just like how fruits like apples darken when exposed to air, pigments inside your foundation can change shade when it comes into contact with the oil on the surface of your skin and humidity.

This can cause your complexion to appear even more dull and sallow. That is why you should use a hydrating liquid foundation – try Benefit Cosmetics Hello Happy Flawless Brightening Liquid Foundation, $52, from Sephora – that is half a shade paler than your skin tone for days when you are feeling burnt out.

Using a salmon coloured concealer, cancel out any discolouration under the eyes that veers towards the blue or green end of the spectrum. Less is more with a colour corrector. You might realise that you need less foundation and concealer after, which will look less cakey. Try the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Vanish! Colour Corrector, $55, from Sephora.

A pop of coral or rosy pink colour on the cheekbones brightens your entire face and distracts from shadows underneath the eyes. Avoid shades that are too orange as these can make eyes look tired. We like the Fenty Beauty Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush, $33, from Sephora, which makes us look vibrant instantly.

Now’s not the time for smokey dark eyes – black liner and dark brown shadows can look sexy at night in dim light, but they’ll drag your complexion down during the day. Instead, choose a nude eyeshadow palette with mauve, peach and shimmery taupe like the Dior Backstage Eye Palette in 004 Rosewood Neutrals, $83, from Sephora. The combination of muted brown liner, mascara and pale shimmer on your upper lids restores shape and keeps the emphasis there. Skip makeup on the lower section of the eyes, where liner and mascara can emphasise eyebags and crepey skin.

If you feel that your face needs a quick perk-me-up in the middle of your Zoom call, excuse yourself and refresh your complexion by misting generously. We like Payot’s My Payot Brume Eclat Anti-Pollution Revivifying Mist, $49, from Tangs.

Pulling hair back or wearing it up can exacerbate a fatigued complexion, especially if the hair is pulled too sleek and tight. If ponytails are your thing, let a few pieces float here and there. Otherwise, your best bet is to keep your hair loose, tousled and free.

Want to play up texture? Then, try Kristin Ess Dry Finish Working Texture Spray, $27, from Sephora. Yes, it’s a distraction but one that works and makes you look lively and animated.

Messy, dishevelled hair isn’t going to help your case, so make sure you don’t forget to give your mane a good brush before your meeting starts. If you’re washing your hair the night before, reach for the IGK Antisocial Overnight Bond-Building Dry Hair Mask, $50, from Sephora. Simply spray the time-release formula generously on clean, dried hair and then brush thoroughly from scalp to ends to make sure your hair gets coated evenly. You’ll wake up with smooth and shiny locks the next morning – no brushing or styling tools necessary.

Speaking of giving your hair a good brush, opt for the GHD Glide Hot Brush, $275, from Sephora if you’re often struggling to tame frizzy hair. Its ceramic technology, ioniser and optimum 185 degrees Celsius setting can smoothen hair effortlessly, giving you extra time to snooze for another 15 minutes. Just make sure you keep the brush bristles pointing outwards and away from your scalp to avoid burning yourself.

Text: Letty Seah and Lynett Yip/Her World

Additional reporting: Cheryl LYS, Ho Guo Xiong

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