
Your skin works really hard in the day, protecting itself against the elements, so at night it needs plenty of rest.
"When you sleep, your skin can focus on healing, repair and regeneration," says Sally Penford of The International Dermal Institute.
If you don't get enough kip, your skin can't regenerate and produce new cells as quickly, causing a build up of dead, skin-dulling cells at the surface. Which means? Premature ageing, wrinkles, uneven skin tone and a dry, dull complexion. Eek!
Fake it! If, like over 60 per cent of women, you don't get your eight hours, then you need the new wave of regenerative night creams.
"To get the most out of the sleep you do get, look for products that are oriented towards healing, and ones that target specific areas of concern such as lines, pigmentation and breakouts," says Sally.

Prescriptives Good In Bed Skin Restoring Night Moisturiser, £38.17, has light-reflecting particles and subtle tanners, so your sleep-starved skin will wake with a glow. Add Yes To Carrots C Through The Night, £8.80, or Dermalogica's Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque, £26.25, to make up for missing nutrients.
ADD SPARKLE TO¿ DULL HAIR
Troubled sleep means troublesome hair because, like skin, hair needs to regenerate overnight. More worrying is how a lack of sleep can affect your circulation too.
"Poor blood flow means your scalp won't receive the vital nutrients it needs, which can lead to dandruff and dull, lifeless, unhealthy hair," says trichologist Philip Kingsley.

So if you're tossing and turning all night, you'll pay for it with a bird's nest the following morning.
Fake it! Firstly, invest in a hair mask treatment once a week, like Philip Kingsley Scalp Mask, £3.95, which exfoliates the scalp to keep hair healthy. Secondly, make sure you massage your scalp in the shower each morning to boost growth.
Because prevention is better than cure, you should also spritz Pantene Pro-V Restoratives Time Renewal Nourishing Mist, £3.99, into your sleep-starved tresses every night. This conditioning mist coats your hair in protective amino acids to smooth each strand, maximise moisture and protect hair from further damage. There's no need to rinse out, and you can rewind sleep damage by up to two years. Genius!
MAKE-UP TO... WAKE YOU UP
Cassie Lomas, make-up artist to Lady GaGa and Girls Aloud, has some beauty tips to pep you up¿
DON'T: THINK PINK Steer clear of pink and purple eyeshadow, which can accentuate redness in the eye. "Stick to light, pastel shades which will reflect the light," says Cassie. We love Maybelline Dream Mousse Eyecolour in Eden Green, £5.99.
DO: KEEP IT LIGHT

When you're trowelling on the slap, think again. According to Cassie, this will only make a tired complexion worse by clogging fine lines and accentuating dark circles. "Keep it light and fresh and add on extra coverage only where you need it," she says. Bourjois 10 Hour Sleep Effect Foundation, £8.80, has a light but vitamin rich formula to re-nourish tired skin, without suffocating it.
DON'T GO ON THE LASH
Flirty fake lashes can wake up your eyes, but don't go overboard. "Full strips of lashes can create shadows under the eye, so just apply them to the outside corner," says Cassie. Eylure The Collection Individual Lashes, £8, are easy to apply.
DO: CHOOSE GLOSS
When you've missed out on enough shut-eye, always go for glossy lips. "The more moisturised you can look, the better," says Cassie. "It will give the illusion of a good night's rest." Gloss up with Mac Clear Lipglass, £9.30.
DON'T: USE YOUR FINGERS
"Tired skin looks bloated and dull," says Cassie, "so use brushes wherever possible. The heat of your fingers will only aggravate puffy skin."

DO: JOIN THE NAVY
Who would have thought that navy mascara could be so flattering? The blue pigment brings out the whites of the eyes, so you look as if you've had your full 40 winks. For sparkling eyes, try Benefit BADgal in Blue, £14.50.
PHOTOGRAPHY: LANCTON, STUDIO21PHOTO.COM HAIR & MAKE-UP: CAROLINE PIASECKI MODEL: TAISIA MELNYK AT PREMIER CLOTHES FROM A SELECTION AT COCO RIBBON STOCKISTS: BENEFIT (BENEFITCOSMETICS.CO.UK), BOURJOIS (NATIONWIDE), DERMALOGICA (0800 591818), EYLURE (020 8573 9907), MAC (MACCOSMETICS.CO.UK), MAYBELLINE (NATIONWIDE), PANTENE (NATIONWIDE), PHILIP KINGSLEY (PHILIPKINGSLEY.COM), PRESCRIPTIVES (0870 034 2566) , YES TO CARROTS (BOOTS AND DEBENHAMS) *ACCORDING TO A STUDY COMMISSIONED BY CRAMPEX
This article has 1 comment
wow this happens a lot to me thanks fabulous!
By Lola. Posted August 27 2009 at 8:43 PM.