How to cover signs of festive fatigue

No season is harder on skin than December.

Between late nights, central heating, cold winds, prosecco, travel and the general chaos of “one more quick drink”, your complexion can start to look dull, grey and strangely deflated – particularly when you need it to look its best.

But covering signs of festive fatigue isn’t about piling on make-up. It’s about restoring hydration, correcting darkness and using textures that revive winter skin rather than suffocate it.

So, celebrity make-up artist Ariane Young – who does the faces of the Strictly Come Dancing stars week after week – and viral make-up artist Emily Wood break down the techniques that actually work.

How to prep before make-up

Most fatigue shows itself before you’ve even reached for make-up: tightness, uneven texture and the kind of greyness that no foundation seems to fix.

For Young, the solution is always to start with the surface.

“The fastest way to revive tired, lacklustre skin is a two-step prep – gentle exfoliation followed by deep hydration,” she explains.

A mild glycolic toner “clears away dead skin cells and excess oil – the very things make-up tends to cling to.”

Once you’ve smoothed the canvas, “a hydrating moisturiser immediately plumps the complexion, creating the perfect base for makeup to glide on seamlessly.”

Wood has a similar approach, especially on clients who’ve had late nights.

“The fastest way to revive tired skin is a combination of deep hydration and surface smoothing,” she says. Her instinct is always to start with something that “gives the skin a plumped, fresh finish within minutes”, followed by brightening eye patches to “de-puff and bring that refreshed look back before I even touch concealer.”

The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner, £8.85 (was £11.50)

Revolution Pro Miracle Cream, £7.50, Boots

UKlash Hydra-Gel Eye Patches, £28 (was £40)

Revive your under-eyes

Even the best base won’t hide tiredness if the under-eyes are grey, dry or over-corrected.

Young stresses that “hydration is everything,” and warns that “anything dry or overly matte will settle straight into fine lines”.

Her method is precise and simple: “I always reach for a concealer with a radiant finish and a peach-leaning undertone to counteract the natural purples in dark circles.

“Avoid shades that are too light – they won’t brighten, they’ll simply highlight the very area you-re trying to disguise.”

She then blends with “a fluffy eyeshadow brush” for a seamless diffused finish, then presses in a “touch of finely milled setting powder for that soft-focus, airbrushed look”.

Wood is equally strict about avoiding heavy formulas. “Heavy concealers actually make festive fatigue look worse,” she says.

Instead she uses “tiny amounts of peach corrector just where darkness sits,” followed by a lightweight concealer “pressed in with my ring finger so it doesn’t crease or cake”.

Huda Beauty #FAUXFILTER Color Corrector Mini, £14, Boots

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer,  £29.50

By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra-Powder 8HA Travel-Size, £20, Look Fantastic

How to get radiance without the texture

Winter skin rarely has the smoothness needed for powders and glittery highlighters – both emphasise dryness instantly.

Young’s solution is to stick to the creamy, balmy end of the spectrum. “In winter, I always steer clients toward creamy, light-reflective formulas that nourish as they brighten,” she says.

She loves textures that “melt into the skin, creating a hydrated, healthy glow with no risk of catching on dryness”.

Wood agrees, noting that “winter skin can feel flat and textured, so the wrong glow products can cling to dry patches”.

Her trick is mixing “a touch of creamy highlighter into the complexion product you’re using” for a soft-focus sheen. Afterwards, she mists with a glow spray to “bring back dewiness, melt powders together and instantly make skin look fresher without spotlighting texture”.

Adored By Buttery Buttery Bronze – Goddess, £16

Revolution Superfix Glow Fixing Mist, £7.69, Amazon

If you only have five minutes…

Time is often tight around the holiday period, and luckily Young has a strict routine honed from years on live TV.

She begins with hydration, then sculpts with a cream bronzer along the perimeter of the face to bring instant warmth.

A pop of cream blush adds life, “the blush doubles as a lipstick too”, she says, and only then does she apply concealer to avoid build-up.

A quick gel liner, mascara and brow gel “and you’re out the door looking instantly refreshed”.

Wood’s own five-minute method is just as streamlined: hydrate, correct where needed, mascara and a mist to make everything look like skin again.

Her four-step routine is the secret to looking “like I’ve slept eight hours and drank three litres of water,” she says.

Ilia Multi-Stick, £36

e.l.f. Lash ‘N Roll Mascara, £7, Boots

Charlotte Tilbury Brow Fix Sculpting Gel, £26

Small tweaks that make a big difference

Young returns again and again to texture.

“My biggest winter-skin hack is choosing balmy, moisturising textures that enhance radiance rather than sit on top of dryness,” she says.

Her favourite seasonal trick is using a rosy cream blush – “the red undertones mimic a natural winter flush […] an effortless way to revive dull skin.”

Wood is a fan of mixing skincare with base during winter. “It brings back the skin’s natural sheen and makes everything look more healthy,” she says.

And when it comes to concealer, less really is more. “Targeted colour correction […] means you need far less concealer, so the under-eye stays fresh and natural rather than heavy.”

She also has one very practical tip for long nights and long wear, noting that “a spritz of fixing mist before and after make-up [acts] like a hydration sandwich and makes make-up sit beautifully all day.”

Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base, £43.20 (was £54), Look Fantastic