I enjoy taking the time to make sure I look good. But more than looking beautiful, I just want to look alive! You know those days when you wake up, and you look and feel like you've been asleep for a thousand years? Or maybe you haven't slept for the same amount of time. Everyone has those days, but some of us have the more than others. If you're fed up of looking and feeling super tired all the time, I have some great tips to perk you up. Check out some of these things you can do to look more healthy and vibrant every day.


Image by Jonathan Kos-Read

Healthy Lifestyle Changes

Some of your lifestyle choices could be making you look strung out and tired, even if you feel fine on the inside. For example, smoking regularly is notoriously bad for your skin and hair. It can make you look gray and washed out because it restricts your circulation. If you want a rosy glow in your cheeks, you're better off not smoking. What you eat can make a difference to how alert and healthy you look too. Citrus fruits can help to perk you up, and they're full of healthy vitamin C to keep your immune system strong. If your diet is making you feel sluggish, you're likely to look it too. Make sure you get plenty of fruit and vegetables to keep you healthy.

Take Care of Your Skin

If your skin isn't looking its best, you can end up looking washed out. You don't want it to look dry, discolored or oily. And you want it to be firm and plump too, and not sagging. There's a lot you can do to take care of your skin. A healthy lifestyle will help to keep it in good condition. Your diet plays a part, and so does avoiding bad habits like smoking. It's a good idea to have a skincare routine to keep your skin hydrated and encourage the production of collagen. Use a good moisturizer, and make sure you take off your makeup at the end of the day.


Image by planetchopstick

Sleep More

If you look and feel tired, the obvious answer is to get more sleep. While it won't magically fix everything, it will help you feel more refreshed. You'll be able to concentrate more easily during the day, and you'll be more awake too. Everyone feels that they need different amounts of sleep, but you might not be getting as much as you should. If you look and feel tired a lot, try sleeping for an hour more each night to see if it helps. Of course, you could sleep forever and still struggle to get out of bed in the morning. Sometimes you need to find out which method works best to get you up.

Take Care of Tired Eyes

Tired eyes can make you look more exhausted than you are. You might feel awake but still look sleepy. In fact, bags under your eyes aren't created by not sleeping enough. Being tired might make them more prominent, but rest won't make them go away entirely. Some people decide to have cosmetic treatment for eyebag removal so they can get rid of them forever. If you don't want something that permanent, pressing cold spoons to your eyes can help to wake you up. It will reduce swelling and help you to open your eyes a little wider.

Break Out the Makeup

Makeup can hide all manner of sins, including looking tired. However, it can also have the opposite effect. If you wear lots of makeup all the time, you run the risk of looking washed out when you don't have it on. Be careful of seeing your made up face as the vibrant and glowing one, and your natural face as dull and tired. Try to wear minimal or no makeup sometimes too. When you do put makeup on, try some blush to put a healthy glow into your cheeks. Concentrate on your eyes too and make them wide and bright so that you look wide awake.

Exercise in the Morning

Getting out of bed in the morning can be difficult, and it's harder for some than others. But jumping straight into your day could help you to look and feel more awake. Doing some exercise in the morning will wake up your body, getting your organs and muscles working. Your brain will get the message that it's time to wake up and start the day. Whether you run, go to the gym or work out in your bedroom, you can get your body going. If you find it hard to get up, try laying out everything you need the night before. You could even go to bed in your workout clothes - clean ones, of course!


Image by Michael Coghlan

Wear Brighter Colors

A bit of color in your wardrobe can do wonders for looking more awake. You just need to find the best shade for you to wear. Some people will look vibrant in red, but others will look washed out. You need to pick something that will complement your skin and help you to look healthy. You probably already know which colors look good on you. So reach for something bright when you're feeling tired. It could be a sunny yellow, cornflower blue or emerald green.

Give Yourself a Shock

If you're feeling particularly sluggish and out of it, a splash of cold water could fix things. Wash your face with cold water to wake yourself up. You'll open your eyes more, and your skin will tighten too. If you're feeling up to it, take a cold shower to get your whole body waking up.

Wear Jewelry

Some sparkling jewelry can bring some light into your outfit. Whether you choose some crystal earrings or a gold necklace, it will help to lift up your look. A pair of bright statement earrings will reflect light onto your face to help you look more vibrant. Wearing jewelry will also just show that you've made an effort to put your outfit together. You're more likely to look tired if you're just wearing plain clothes than if you've added some accessories. Just make sure you pick the right pieces. If you choose something too casual it might not get you the look you're going for.

Stay Hydrated

Drinking lots of water will help to keep your looking and feeling wide awake all day. If you're not staying hydrated, you can start to feel a little groggy. It's important that you get plenty of liquids to stay healthy, especially when it's warm. And remember that just because it's cold outside, it doesn't mean the heating inside isn't drying you out. Drinking lots will keep your skin hydrated too so that you look brighter. You'll give your brain and the rest of your body all the water it needs to survive.

Check for Allergies

If you have puffy eyes a lot, there could be an underlying cause. One of them could be allergies, and especially hay fever. If you find yourself rubbing your eyes, and they feel itchy or heavy, it could be caused by pollen. It's a good idea to go for an allergy test to see if anything is causing your tired eyes. If you do have an allergy, you can find the right antihistamine to treat it or find ways to avoid the irritant. It should help to keep your eyes from getting sore and tired.

You have lots of choices if you want to look and feel more awake every day. Spend some time looking after yourself to say goodbye to being tired.