Mom Must-Haves

21 Little Beauty Tips That Make a Big Difference

Fast, easy, cheap ways to get (more) gorgeous

By Abbie Kozolchyk
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A guide to glam from a beauty pro (and busy mom)

If beauty rest seems but a quaint idea from some distant, pre-kid past -- as does rest of pretty much any variety -- it may feel easier to duck the mirror altogether than to take a peek and see a pooped and puffy face looking back. Not to worry -- we're here to help. Culled from pros who know how to make you feel pretty, these hair, skin, and makeup tips seriously do the job. Multiple jobs, in fact: You'll look like you've slept when you haven't, showered when you haven't, and splurged when you haven't. In short (because, really, short's all you've got), you'll seem totally pulled together, even when your only fashion accessory is that oh-so-attractive Go-Gurt tube sticking out of your back pocket. (Yeah, you should probably toss that.)

No Sleep? How to Fake It

Whether your slumber deficit is thanks to a 2 a.m. feeding or an all-night rager, as it is for the celebrities Roncal works with, the result is the same: pale, poofed-out skin with dark blotches. Below, Roncal's tried-and-true tricks:

Look Bright-Eyed Using a soft, white liner, gently trace the inner corner of your eye. Then, using a pale shimmer shadow, soften that "V" and extend it a bit toward the inner part of the bridge of your nose. You'll lighten up the eye area and draw attention away from dark circles. Try: Cargo EyeLighter in white (a pointed tip on one end provides the matte liner, a rounded tip on the other delivers the shimmery shadow) ($20).

Hide The Evidence There are four spots (aside from under your eyes) where concealer can do a sleepy face a world of good, according to Roncal: the sides of your nose (next to your eyes, where concealer can lend extra brightening) and the outer corners of your eyes, nostrils, and mouth (three prime locations for sleep deprivation–induced darkness). "At the outer corners of your eyes in particular, even a little extra pigmentation can make your lids appear to sag," she says. Dab away in good light with your ring finger, and blend well.

Brush Up "Nothing darkens and closes your eyes like droopy brows with hairs pointing downward," says Roncal. Brush in a brow gel—upward, of course -- and lighten and lift the brow bone with a subtle, pale shimmer shadow. Avoid a high-shine frost. It not only screams "I love the eighties" but highlights every flaw and follicle. Try: e.l.f. Eyebrow Treat & Tame ($3) and e.l.f. Eyebrow Lifter & Filler ($3).


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