Girl Talk: Rescue Your Hungover Skin

Have you ever had one of those mornings where you wake up and realize that happy hour has left your skin less than happy? It's ok. You don't need confess right here and now. I have a sneaking suspicion that many of you out there know exactly what I'm talking about. There's nothing quite like the look of hungover skin in the morning. So, what do you do when you have to fake being wide awake, alert, and totally sober when... well... you're just not?

After five years of undergrad, three years of law school, and fairly stressful legal career, I have a few tricks up my sleeve. But, the older I get, the more rabbits I have to pull out of a hat to repair what that fourth martini hath wrought. In search of new tricks before Labor Day festivities kick in, I called upon the Stiletto Jungle Girl Talk panel to confess how they rescue their hungover skin. So, ladies, how do you fake the happy, healthy, wide awake look the morning after a long night out?

"I can fake an orgasm, but when I am hung over it shows and there is nooooo way around it," confesses Jennifer, a 31-year-old nurse from Long Beach, California. "At that point, all you can do is take a hot then cold shower. Evian Water Spray can help and not too much makeup 'cause you are just going to sweat it all off anyway and let's not forget, makeup + sweat = blemishes. Plenty of water and facial moisturizer!!! A spoon from the freezer to the bags under the eyes works good [for reducing puffiness] and Preperation H works too, but don't let it bleed into the eye itself whatever you do. And, when all else fails, I will add a Bloody Mary will work."

I agree, there's nothing like a little rebound alcohol to wake you up! What about you, Kim? How do you cope with the post-party look?

"Being hungover is never a sweet thing," laments Kim, a 23-year-old recent college graduate. "As I wake up and realize what I did the night before, I know my only choice is to grab a cup of water and green tea. I usually use Visine twice, right when I wake up and right before I put my make-up on. I try to moisturize with sunscreen and make sure I highlight my eyes. I make sure there is no redness visible and then I overload on the mascara with eyeliner on the inside of my top eyelid. This is a good trick to make eyes appear larger.

I usually do not have time to use other tricks because of the time restraint before I go to work. ... But, if I have the next day off, I usually wake up and drink two bottles of water and drink green tea. This is followed with a mini mint facial and stretches of the body to get my blood circulating. I usually take a long walk for an hour or two. This usually helps me sweat everything out, while I constantly drink water."

I'm sensing a trend with the whole water and moisturizer thing. Maybe the most obvious remedy is really the best bet. What do you think, Po?

"I don't do anything totally creative but I do apply loads of moisturizer and drink lots of water," says Po, a 28-year-old attorney based in Ceres, California. "I also make sure to use liquid foundation instead of mineral foundation since it seems to help with the dryness."

"I'm not sure I have any quick fixes that really work. I tend to drink tons of water before I go to bed to help keep my skin from looking too swollen. I wash my face with cool/cold water in the morning to help with puffy eyes and use TONS of moisturizer to calm the 'hangover' look," offers Tina, a 34-year-old from San Diego, California. "I do not wear eye make up if I can help it if I am a little puffy... it tends to draw more attention to the eyes and focus on how puffy they might be. I do less on those days - just moisturize, concealer and powder."

Well, it seems that water, tons of moisturizer, and anything to draw attention away from the eyes is the way to go. Thanks for the tips ladies!