a companion blog to the SHU box, featuring official BlogHer review program posts.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

awake + fresh

This is a sponsored review from BlogHer and OLAY.


young and proud
ever since i've turned 30 years young, i have been THRILLED every time i get carded. i get a little giddy whipping out my ID, hoping that the card-er will make some comment about how they never would have guessed i was 30. usually they don't, but the other day the clerk at the liquor store [i was buying cognac for shrimp en flambé!] looked me in the eyes and said, "sarah - you're going to get carded until you are 40."

that was pretty much the best day ever.

however, i had several factors on my side. one, my hair was up (instant facelift!). two, i was well rested. i hadn't taken call for weeks! i definitely notice a difference in how i look when i am sleeping lovely continuous hours vs. a choppy and inadequate amount.

and i think that the most important difference between young + fresh vs old + tired comes from what the area around my eyes looks like.

so: when i was asked to review olay's new total effects 7-in-1 anti-aging eye cream [with line + dark circle minimizing brush!], i thought it might be fun to see if i would be able to do a little facial subterfuge -- ie: ie, trick the skin around my eyes into looking bright and rested when really, i got paged at midnight, 3 am, and 4:30.

so? what do you think?
personally, i think it worked!


all right, all right . . . in for a close-up:


i liked how well the cream blended in with my skin tone [read: uber-winter-whiter-shade-of-pale] and i did think it gave me a more 'awake' look on a post-call day. the brush-style applicator is fun to use [click and the product is dispensed onto the brush] and it felt nice on my skin.

perhaps it's not quite as ideal as a solid 8 hours in bed, but i'll take what i can get. may the carding continue for AT LEAST another decade!

to WIN a $100 spa finder gift card from blogher (details below), leave a comment on this post with your best strategy for looking wide-awake in the morning (even when that's really not the case)!

-------------------------------------------------------

[please note this is a compensated review, and i received this product free of charge. my true thoughts on the product are reflected in this post]

giveaway details
for additional chances to win: Visit the Prizes & Promotions section
Giveaway Dates: 4/14 - 5/14
Prize: $100 Spa Finder gift card

Sponsor URL: Visit the Official site

Rules:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older.

Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.

You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here: Visit the Official Rules.

135 comments:

  1. I left a comment, but it disappeared!

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  2. Your eyes look great! Best advice...get plenty of rest the night before, put on a little light colored lipstick, and grab some coffee!

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  3. you really do look great!

    honestly, i'm a beast when i don't get enough sleep, so people can probably tell by my crabby attitude, BUT if they're lucky enough not to meet my wrath, they probably have no idea i didn't sleep much. when i need to pull myself together and mask the sleepiness, i turn the water to cold in the shower for the last minute to put a little pep in my step, and then i wear a bright colored shirt that day!

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  4. you look awesome!!

    I always use a citrus scented body lotion after my shower in the morning..the bright citrus scent wakes me right up!

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  5. I love Olay products, but haven't tried this one yet... I may need to now!

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  6. sleep is definitely the best-but when I'm working night shift after night shift, I use a little undereye powder and some eyeliner-not sure if it works, but it certainly makes me feel better!

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  7. Sleep is definitely the best product for the eyes but it's not always possible to have that.

    I heard a lot of good things about olay total effect anti aging one. I'd love to try this.

    Your eyes look great. i'm positive this product is working.

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  8. Looks great! I've been using concealer on my eyelids to even out my skin, but this product looks like it's worth a try!

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  9. Sleep...lots and lots of sleep, but since that seems impossible now days I depend on cold water and a decent concealer!

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  10. An early morning run with our dogs! Well...at least I'm awake by the first few minutes :) That and adequate sleep!!!!

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  11. Always get enough sleep! In the all too common event that you don't get enough sleep, cold water works wonders!

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  12. concealer helps alot!

    debbiebellows(at)gmail(dot)com

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  13. i tweeted here:

    http://twitter.com/bellows22/status/59816539674771456

    debbiebellows(at)gmail(dot)com

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  14. mascara does wonders

    karinaroselee at gmail dot com

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  15. drink water and wash my face lol nothing beats getting enough sleep though.
    songyueyu at gmail

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  16. tweet http://twitter.com/#!/syytta/status/60588164775026688

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  17. To look wide awake in the morning, I go to bed super early! Nothing helps more than a good night's sleep :)

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  18. Looks like some great results. I'd love to try it!

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  19. I think it definitely helps you look refreshed, and I could use something, anything that helps with that :)

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  20. My best strategy for looking wide awake in the morning when I'm feeling tired is to put on a cute outfit and add a little blush to my cheeks. Then I fake it until I actually feel awake.

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  21. Go to the gym. That wakes me up.

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  22. Tinted moisturizer w/ SPF 20 is my go to product each morning. Makes me look more awake then I actually am at the time!

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  23. I may be only 31, but I practice the art of old lady-ness by falling asleep on the couch by 8:30. That way, when I wake up at 5:00, I've had PLENTY of sleep! That is the only way I feel refreshed enough to face another day of teaching my FANTASTIC (yet challenging) high school juniors.

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  24. the best way to look awake is to feel awake. do a little dance first thing in the morning and boggie out of bed.

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  25. Cold water and an eyelash curler. Most days that's all I do anyway.

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  26. on call, i always try to wash my face around "bedtime", even if no sleeping is in the cards, and again in the morning. helps me feel more awake and less icky on post-call rounds!

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  27. cold water on the face! make me feel more awake too!

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  28. I use the tea bag from morning Green Tea - brush it over my face, concentrating on the eye area - then immediately applying moisturizer. Feels Great!

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  29. shower with cold water, cold wet washcloth under my eyes ... and concealer and eyeshadow!! - Lindsay

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  30. A quick run gets my blood moving and helps me feel more alert and look awake. Coffee helps tremendously too :)

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  31. splash face with cold water, a few downward dogs, a good breakfast..

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  32. Smile, smile, smile!


    thanks!
    kmassmanATgmailDOTcom

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  33. Lookin' good!
    To look wide awake I wear eye liner -- it totally opens up my eyes.
    Thanks for the chance to win!
    newlywedsnextdoor@gmail.com

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  34. i work out first thing--that forces me to wake up! :)

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  35. Having oily skin works wonders. Bad as a teen, but the reason my mom has no wrinkles at 50 and hopefully I won't either:-)

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  36. Washing my face with really cold waters always make look fresh and ready for the day :-)

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  37. A bit of concealer and a newly-found shade of eyeshadow, used as eyeliner, really helps!

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  38. My best strategy for looking wide eyed in the morning is a cup of strong coffee!

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  39. A cup of coffee and a few coats of good mascara!
    djd.daisyjd@gmail DOT com

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  40. I am terrible at hiding when I look exhausted. No concealer really does the hide-the-dark-circles trick. I try to distract from it by dressing up a little. It usually works pretty well.

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  41. I've simplified my makeup routine by switching to mineral makeup & mascara. It literally takes me 5 minutes in the morning to get ready, and with a 4 month old in tow, that's perfect! Plus, I love how light it feels on my face. I also shower at night & dry my hair then (the longest thing for me in my beauty routine), so I can just brush, straighten, or pull back & go in the morning, depending on how I'm feeling. I'm a lot less picky about what I look like these days, which is an awesome feeling. :)

    katieharrison13 at gmail dot com

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  42. I try to get enough sleep, take a shower in the morning and use mascara to look wide awake in the morning

    s2s2 at comcast dot net

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  43. https://twitter.com/#!/susan1215/status/61909890557427712

    s2s2 at comcast dot net

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  44. i wash my face with proactiv. it really makes you glow in a nice way.

    lauren51990 at aol dot com

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  45. I could try this on my eyes if I can get rid of some of the wrinkles.

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  46. I simplify my routine sometimes by not putting foundation on, and only putting eye-shadow, mascara, and blush on. I can usually get by with these three things.

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  47. Splashing cold water on my face and applying lip gloss and concealer at a minimum helps along with a HUGE cup of coffee! :)

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  48. i definitely get the under eye circles too! i don't usually wear any makeup or use anythign on my face, but i'd love to get rid of the raccoon eyes.

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  49. I splash cold water on my face after I wash it. It seems to help perk me up a bit!

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  50. My best advice for looking wide awake is strong coffee, a 2-3 mile walk outdoors, and enough sleep!

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  51. Under eye circles run in my family, and I have them no matter how much sleep I get - so I'd love to try this product to see if I could hide them! As for appearing more awake in the morning, I'd have to say a cup of strong coffee. :)

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  52. Concealer and make up does the trick.

    rhoneygtn at yahoo dot com

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  53. colorful eye shadow.

    slb3334@gmail.com

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  54. A cup of tea and a spash of cold water on the face always perks me up.

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  55. Concealer is my best friend, especially on days when I want to look awake and bright eyed. However, I also think a revitalizing facial would do the trick too :)

    mc5eb@virginia.edu

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  56. get in the shower and spray your feet with ice cold water,....its a buzz that travels up your body and really gets you moving!

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  57. water and sleep are important for younger looking skin. Also a moisturizer w/spf15 is essential

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  58. hmmm, to look wide awake in the morning, go to bed earlier and get a full night's rest

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  59. My best stategy is a strong cup of coffee

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  60. coffee, tea and cold water on the face!
    tvollowitz at aol dot com

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  61. tweet

    http://twitter.com/#!/mrcheapo/status/65387860248903680

    hellrzr(at)juno(dot)com

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  62. To look wide awake in the am I take a shower. calvad at aol dot com

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  63. A GREAT FOUNDATION DOES THE TRICK! kytah00@yahoo.com

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  64. 2ND ENTRY TWEET @ http://twitter.com/#!/kytah00/status/65486538133348352 kytah00@yahoo.com

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  65. My secret is plenty of rest. That is it.

    gmissycat at yahoo dot com

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  66. Tweeted here too

    http://twitter.com/#!/gmissycat/status/65492137168470016

    gmissycat at yahoo dot com

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  67. When I stumble out of bed, two makeup basics help me look almost "normal": concealer and blush.

    Thanks for a great giveaway!

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  68. Tweeted you!
    http://twitter.com/#!/Ida_Sessions/status/65525293498122240

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  69. Emphasize something (like lips) other than the eyes!

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  70. I start each morning with a shower and a cup of coffee. Usually works for me! Then I simply apply moisturizer - no make up.

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  71. My best way of looking awake when I'm not is to slap myself in the face a few times and eat something with sugar.
    lazybones344 at gmail dot com

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  72. i will do my eyes with liner and shadow when needing to look awake but not feeling it
    nannypanpan at gmail.com

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  73. My best strategy is to put on some loud music, sing to myself and out on some bright eye colors. The combo of all that does the trick

    rugerpuppies at hotmail dot com

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  74. My beauty routine is to wake up before everyone else and just spend a few minutes relaxing in a hot shower. The day goes by so much better after that. God Bless.
    THANKS for the AWESOME GIVEAWAY!!!

    Scott Martin
    spmartin122@gmail.com

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  75. I really want to try this!

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  76. Wow, that's great!

    I have no secret right now (I just look tired) but this product might change that!

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  77. My best strategy for looking wide-awake in the morning is to use lots of Concealer and drink Lots of Coffee!

    Thank You!! :)
    aliaskys (at) yahoo . com

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  78. I try to stick to the basics when I am strapped for time. Go for a fresh,
    clean face with a little blush, some mascara, and lip gloss
    gina.m.maddox (at) gmail (dot) com

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  79. http://twitter.com/#!/CrazyItalian0/status/66307735100203008

    gina.m.maddox (at) gmail (dot) com

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  80. Sleep and coffee and coffee.

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  81. The best thing to wake-up in the morning is to kneel down by your bed and say thanks to The Powers That Be for keeping you safe through the night and to give you strength to get through the day. A glass of orange juice doesn't hurt either.

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  82. I use a foundation with moisturizer in it, kill 2 birds with one stone! And mascara is my key to looking more awake :)

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  83. I'm for anything that will help!!!
    ravzie@yahoo.com

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  84. http://twitter.com/#!/DiverSheila/status/66994434830643201

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  85. Oh dear. I work nights, and never FEEL awake in the mornings, though I'm told often people can't tell I'm tired. I feel your post-call pain, darlin' (and admire your work- if you ever need a nurse to lean on, let me know. I loved my Fellows when I worked at Oakland Children's.)

    But. So that I do look and feel awake when I get up to go to work, I wash with Noxzema, to wake up my face, and moisturize with Clinique. A bit of lip-gloss, put my hair up, and I'm good to go.

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  86. Coffee! And products with caffine in them, it really works!

    shannoncarman at yahoo dot com

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  87. The first thing you need to do in the morning is wash your face to wake you up and look wide-eyed.

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  88. I splash my face with cold water and put on a good, refreshing moisturizer and hope for the best!

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  89. cold spoons over my eyelids.. it reduces puffiness
    addictedtorodeo at gmail dot com

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  90. Hemorrhoid cream under my eyes helps a lot!
    nuthouse(at)centurytel(dot)net

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  91. tweeted: http://twitter.com/#!/KerryBishop/status/68510061986717697
    nuthouse(at)centurytel(dot)net

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  92. My secret is drink lots of water and get plenty of sleep.
    Thanks for the contest.

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  93. My secret is to get in a workout right away. Even if I have to get up really early, it makes a difference mentally and in turn that makes for a better physical appearance.
    Crystal

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  94. I think the best way to look awake in the morning is to have a goodnights sleep followed by a healthy breakfast and some coffee. A shower and some makeup never hurt either.

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  95. My secret for looking awake in the morning is getting a workout in first thing. Even if I haven't had a full nights sleep, it still helps me look and feel awake!

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  96. best to go to bed early.

    hlee99 (at) gmail (dot) com

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  97. get lots of sleep and plan your morning or day the night before so you can relax in the morning (a little bit).

    eugeniewu-at-gmail-dot-com

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  98. If I can't get enough sleep an have to fake it. I place a cold cloth over my eyes to reduce puffiness and drink lots of coffee.

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  99. Tweet:
    http://twitter.com/heatherzilla8/status/69124413899030529

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  100. Hope you get id'd for many years to come. The last time I got it, I was 36. Hope you beat my record!
    I look wide awake by taking a shower & drinking a cup of coffee. foxjr at carolina dot rr dot com

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  101. Concealer and a cream shimmer eyeshadow. honeypie411 at yahoo dot com

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  102. A serious splash with some cold water followed by witch hazel and serious moisturizer.

    ky2here at msn dot com

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  103. http://twitter.com/#!/ky2here1/status/69172459621974016

    ky2here at msn dot com

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  104. Think pleasant thoughts and open eyes wide!
    emmaspeel(at)gmail.com

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  105. Washing my face and the dabbing a bit of very light eye shadow on the inside corner of my eye...sometimes masks the puffiness!

    wolverina401 at gmail dot com

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  106. Always curling my eyelashes and using mascara...it's a must for an awake look, oh and blush:)

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  107. Best thing to do if you look tired --get a bowel of ice water and hold your face in it for as long as you can.
    kakihararocks@gmail.com

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  108. Cold water works wonders, with a cup of coffee...

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  109. I use a really hot shower and splashing really cold water on my face. OK, I may not totally look like I'm awake but at least I'll be a little alert!
    pauline15_01 at hotmail dot com

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  110. I use a washcloth with cold water on my face/eyes and before I leave the house I'll put on my moisturizer w/spf and some lip gloss which always make me feel and look better. Thanks!
    pjgirl74 at aol dot com

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  111. TWEETED:

    http://shuboxreviews.blogspot.com/2011/03/awake-fresh.html

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  112. Get as much sleep as possible and use a great moisturizer

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  113. a cold washcloth compress helps a good bit, but not miraculously!

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  114. I dab some Fast Response Eye Cream by MAC on my puffy eyes when I first get up. By the time I put make up on, the puff is almost all gone.

    3oink63moo484@gmail.com

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  115. Coffee-lots of it---in my eyes...just kidding!
    A cold wash cloth and under eye concealer
    Diane Baum
    esldiane@gmail.com

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  116. https://twitter.com/#!/hbbs55/status/69496312416043008

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  117. My best stradegy is to always have coffee! :)

    hebert024 at aoldot com

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  118. Concealed will do the trick!

    runningmatey at hotmail dot com

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  119. Oops, I meant to say concealer!

    Tweet:

    http://twitter.com/LuckyDuckyToo/status/69524181049548801

    runningmatey at hotmail dot com

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  120. my strategy is a quick refreshing shower

    ardy22 at earthlink dot net

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  121. tweet
    https://twitter.com/#!/Ardy22/status/69542917164904448
    ardy22 at earthlink dot net

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  122. My best strategy for looking wide awake, I hate to say is first a cup of coffee and a quick shower. I little face moisturizer and a dab of foundation. mjjaegly@yahoo.com

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  123. Tweet:http://twitter.com/#!/marilynjaegly/status/69546481715126272 mjjaegly@yahoo.com

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  124. Put wet tea bags under your eyes while you brush your teeth! (If they are wet then they will stick)
    The caffeine makes your eyes perk right up! Thanks for the giveaway!
    dana10879@yahoo.com

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  125. Tweeted
    dana10879@yahoo.com

    http://twitter.com/#!/SETexasMama/status/69554353412911104

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  126. wash your face with menthol soap
    Thanks for the entry!
    Janna Johnson
    jannajanna@hotmail.com

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