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How To Depuff the Face

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Facial puffiness and swelling is very common and most people will deal with it at some point.  It can make your skin look swollen, tired, and less defined, especially in the morning. Thankfully there are plenty of ways to reduce puffiness quickly and prevent it from coming back. Today’s post is all about practical techniques on how to depuff your face right away.

How to Depuff Your Face

Puffiness can not only feel uncomfortable but can affect your overall appearance and confidence. Combining quick fixes with daily habits that reduce fluid retention and inflammation over time can be an effective approach. It’s important to understand the causes of puffiness especially in the face so you can know how to treat it. Targeted methods like cold therapy, hydration, and facial massage can help reduce puffiness and maintain a more refreshed appearance.

What Does a Puffy Face Look Like?

Puffiness may look different on everyone but typically presents as your facial features appearing swollen or bloated. It can also present as under-eye bags, rounded or swollen cheeks, less defined jawline, etc.

What Causes a Puffy Face?

High Sodium Intake

Limiting salt especially in the hours before bedtime can definitely help to reduce any puffiness in the morning.

Lack of Sleep

Getting deep, quality sleep each night is one of the best way to combat any swelling or puffiness when you wake up.

Dehydration

Not drinking enough water will definitely cause swelling or puffiness.

Alcohol Consumption

Even just a small amount of alcohol can contribute to dehydration and puffiness in the morning.

Allergies or Sinus Issues

Allergies are one of the biggest culprits for any facial swelling or inflammation especially around the eyes.

Hormonal Changes

This is one of the causes that may be the most difficult to treat but hormonal fluctuations and changes can cause swelling all over but especially in the face.

Does Your Face Depuff Throughout the Day?

The face will often naturally depuff throughout the day as your body becomes upright and fluid redistributes. But noticeable swelling may take several hours or up to a full day to reduce so it’s definitely worth trying additional steps to help speed up the process.

How Do You Depuff Your Face?

Try facial massage or lymphatic drainage

There are a ton of tutorials on YouTube that can help with this. Using certain tools like gua sha stones can help to promote lymphatic drainage around the face which will improve fluid flow by stimulating the lymph nodes and blood vessels under the skin.

Drink more water

This is a daily struggle for me but one that I have to actively remember to do. I do notice a huge difference in my skin on the days that I get enough water versus the days that I don’t.

Reduce salt intake

In the final few hours before sleep, it’s best to try and reduce your sodium and salt intake as much as possible. If this isn’t possible, drinking extra water before bed could help.

Get enough sleep

Famous last words, right? As I am now in perimenopause, I fully understand the struggle to get quality sleep each night. I have to actively work at it because it really will help my overall health. But for the sake of this post, it definitely will reduce puffiness and swelling in the morning. If you need some suggestions on products that can help you get better sleep, I did an entire blog post on all my sleep essentials. While it’s not perfect, all of these things have made a drastic difference in my sleep quality over the past two years.

Elevate your head while sleeping

Elevating your head at night is a great way to help reduce puffiness. You can do this by simply adding an extra pillow under your head or buying a designated pillow that helps to create elevation when you sleep.

Avoid alcohol before bed

Alcohol is one of the worst dehydrators for the skin so try to avoid before bed. Or if you do have some, try to drink as much water after to rehydrate your body and skin.

Use chilled skincare tools

Spoons put in cold water, an ice roller or a chilled eye mask can all help to soothe and depuff in the morning. I currently swear by this facial roller each morning for helping to reduce puffiness all over my face. I also love that it has two different sides to it – one to help depuff and the other to help sculpt.

7 Products To Help Depuff Your Face

Clarins Cryo-Flash Mask

This mask is a combination of great results and a product that is enjoyable to use. It’s designed to tighten, firm and give the skin a glow which it definitely does. It’s also super cold and has a menthol/cooling sensation to it that I absolutely love. I use this as needed when my skin needs to look its best for a night out or special occasion.

Clarins V-Facial Instant Depuffing Face Mask

I call this mask the depuffing miracle. LOL It’s a huge cult classic and for good reason. I will typically use this mask when I feel very puffy or want a quick firming treatment before going somewhere.

Skinny Confidential Mint Roller

I own manyyyy facial rollers and gua sha tools but rarely reach for them as much as I do this dual-ended roller. First off, the fact that it comes in a container to store after using is genius. It’s compact which makes it perfect for keeping on my counter without worrying it will take up too much space. Having two different types of rollers on one product is why I use it EVERY single morning. The smooth roller side soothes and reduces puffiness, while the other wavy side is great for sculpting the jawline and contouring the cheekbone.

Dr. Idriss The Depuffer

I wouldn’t use this as your only depuffing product because it’s not as strong as some of the others in this list, but I ADORE this primer for helping reduce redness and take down a bit of swelling. It contains ingredients that do help with puffiness and the applicator is a roll-on so you can get a bit of manual depuffing as your apply it.

Chin Lifting Masks

These may seem a bit kitschy but I have repurchased them so many times! They are a mask you wear that helps to firm and lift the chin and jaw area. There are loops that go around your ears to keep the mask in place. It does really help temporarily with puffiness especially if you use it in the morning before getting ready.

ZIIP Halo (discount code: MAREE)

I absolutely love this little thing! LOL The Ziip Halo is a microcurrent toning device designed to sculpt, lift and tone the face, smooth out fine lines and give you smoother glowing skin that lasts. The device uses both microcurrent waveforms and nanocurrent waveforms to boost skin health leading to long lasting results as well as immediate lifting after only one use.

Therabody TheraFace Depuffing Wand

This is the only item out of this entire list that I don’t own. However, a close friend does and she has praised this depuffing wand so many times! It’s a bit of an investment but truly delivers amazing results.

The Best Complexion Products For Mature Skin

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I test so many complexion products day in and day out that I thought it was time for a true “best of” post for those that I think work well for mature skin. My skin has drastically changed in the past 3-4 years. Now at 46, the products I used to love on my skin no longer work and often look terrible. I love a full face of makeup for every day but still want me look to be natural and soft. Never too heavy or cakey which is definitely doable with the right products. Typically the issues for mature skin are dryness, texture (fine lines, etc) and dullness so I am always in search of products that help to counteract these concerns. I prefer a natural skin-like finish to my skin – nothing too dewy or too matte. Blurring products and soft focus finishes are EVERYTHING especially for mature skin so I actively seek out formulas that are designed to provide that. I have compiled a list of my favorite complexion products that work for mature skin. This covers concealers, traditional foundations, skin tints/tinted SPFs and setting products/powders. I plan to update this list over time so be sure to bookmark it for easy reference!

Best Complexion Products For Mature Skin

Concealer

Sarah Creal Beauty Face Flex Concealer & Complexion Enhancer

The Face Flex Concealer and Complexion Enhancer is designed to be a multi-purpose complexion product that moves with your face throughout the day without creasing or fading for up to 12 hours. It conceals, corrects and adds just enough coverage. I personally use it only as a concealer but it can easily be dabbed all over the face and blended out as a light foundation or complexion enhancer. It’s moisturizing and slightly blurring.

Natasha Denona Hy-Glam Brightening & Hydrating Concealer

This is formulated to be a serum-like concealer with medium to buildable full coverage. You can instantly feel the serum texture as soon as you swipe it on the skin. It’s incredibly creamy, hydrating and smoothing yet still covers anything and everything I need. It contains biomimetic pigments and texture-perfecting microspheres which gives it a flawless and slightly blurring aspect.

MAKE Beauty Skin Mimetic Concealer

Another serum concealer that instantly impressed me and would be perfect for dry, textured or mature skin. It provides light coverage in a serum-like consistency with a radiant dewy finish. While it’s somewhat buildable, it’s not meant to be full coverage. The formula has skin mimicking pigments so it does blend in effortlessly and lasts nearly all day.

RMS Beauty Revitalize Hydra Concealer (discount code: Maree-15)

For a medium coverage hydrating concealer with skincare ingredients, this is the one to try! It blends like an absolute dream, doesn’t emphasize fine lines and LASTS ALL DAY! This is  one of the longest wearing concealers I have ever tried. Especially for those with dry eyes and mature skin, this is a must try.

Ilia Skin Blur Serum Concealer

An absolute dream for mature skin! This concealer truly blurs in the most amazing way. It has a satin finish that gives a soft focus luminosity to the skin. In addition to the incredible blurring properties, it stays put all day long.

Setting Products

Kosas Cloud Set Brightening Powder

I don’t know what magic they put in this powder or how it was formulated but this pressed powder is one of the best powders I have ever tried! Talk about blurring and smoothing – holy cow! It’s absolutely amazing how well this powder sits on the skin and manages to mattify without making the skin look too flat or dull. I bought the pink shade and it is perfect for brightening.

Danessa Myricks Liquid Blurring Balm Spray

This is like a filter for your face. It blurs, gives a soft velvet finish and makes your makeup last ALL DAY LONG! And as someone who has never found use in a setting spray, this has become a non-negotiable for my everyday makeup. It is GORGEOUS!!

Saie Slip Tint Baked Setting Powder

This finely milled setting powder gives a soft radiant finish that takes away excess shine.

Givenchy Prisme Libre Pressed Powder

This pressed powder feels like combination of the Kosas and Saie together. It’s blurring and helps to mattify slightly but still leaves a soft luminous finish to the skin.

Tinted Sunscreens/Skin Tints

Colorescience Sunforgettable Total Protection Face Shield Flex SPF 50

This is a tinted SPF that goes on white and then transforms into a skin tone shade when you blend it in. It provides medium coverage that can be built up if needed. For me, it has a dewy and radiant finish that lasts ALL day long.

Merit Beauty The Uniform Tinted Mineral Sunscreen SPF 45

This formula has a natural skin-like finish so it would be great for almost all skin types. It gives much more coverage than I anticipated which I love. I can wear it as my foundation for the day while also getting great sun protection.

L’Oreal True Match Nude Hyaluronic Tinted Serum

For a great drugstore option, this Hyaluronic Tinted Serum is a lightweight skin tint with skincare benefits. It’s weightless, provides light to light-medium coverage and blends effortlessly into the skin.

Versed Skin Multi-Serum Skin Tint SPF 40

Lightweight and skin-like, this tint evens out the complexion perfectly while also providing SPF 40 sun protection.

Missha M Perfect BB Cream

Even though this BB cream gives medium to medium-full coverage, it manages to feel like I’m wearing nothing on my skin. Additionally, it is one of my longest wearing foundations! It gives my skin the creamiest and smoothest finish while also providing sun protection.

Naked Sundays BeautyScreen SPF 50 Peptide Foundation Tint

This is an Australian brand and honestly if there is one country that understands sun protection – it is Australia! This is a thin and lightweight tint that gives sheer coverage with a radiant satin finish.  It’s formulated with peptides and squalane so it delivers skincare benefits while also providing a light tint for everyday.

Trinny London BFF De-Stress

A long time favorite for me because it makes my skin instantly look healthy and fresh. It contains various skincare ingredients which help to plump and hydrate the skin. The finish always looks like my skin but better – never too dewy or too flat.

Foundation

Natasha Denona Hy-Glam Foundation

If you want a true foundation for special occasions, this is fantastic. The key for me is using the tiniest amount of product and applying it with a damp makeup sponge. It’s one of the longest lasting formulas I’ve tried while still keeping a hydrated and blurred finish throughout the day.

Merit Beauty The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick

The Merit Minimalist Complexion Stick gives a creamy satin finish to the skin, sheer to light coverage and easy application with the stick format.

Westman Atelier Vital Skin Foundation Stick

Hands down my favorite foundation stick is this one by Westman Atelier. It gives light coverage that can be built up, blends in seamlessly and makes your skin look like it’s just had a facial. It’s fresh and dewy without ever being too glowy. It is truly the perfect embodiment of a skin-like complexion product that manages to look better as the day goes on!

Dior Forever Skin Perfect Stick Foundation

When I want a slightly more satin finish to the skin, I love to use this Dior stick foundation. It’s natural looking while still giving medium coverage, all day wear and a smoothing filter like finish to the skin.

Past Posts

Trending For Summer: Bandana Print

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Bandana print is everywhere and will be a huge trend for summer. It took me a while to get into it, but as more brands put out there version of this classic print I find myself loving it more and more. I rounded up some of my favorite bandana pieces to wear this summer.

A Body Care Brand Worth the Hype: Best Cyklar Products

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There are so many beauty brands that go viral on social media and garner tons of attention and hype. Sometimes the hype is warranted and sometimes it’s not. This is one of those times that the praise and buzz surrounding a brand is 100% on point. Cyklar is a relatively new body care brand that has really stood out amongst the competition. From the textures of their products, to their performance and intoxicating scents, Cyklar has become one of my favorite body care brands.

Friday Finds

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I like to have more fun with my bags in spring/summer. More prints, more textures and this woven raffia bag is absolutely gorgeous!! So unique!

Sephora Savings Event!

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The Sephora Savings Event begins today so I thought I would do a blog post with all of my recommendations. Usually I just do videos on IG or Tiktok, but I know not everyone has those apps so I am going to include all my picks in today’s post.

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