By Jenny Jin
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Published Dec 5, 2017
Ever wake up, look in the mirror and barely recognize the swollen blob that’s staring back at you? Blame it on the Christmas cookies. Or the third flute of Champagne you didn’t mean to drink. Alas, what’s done is done (and we never regret a cookie). Here’s how to quickly deflate the situation.
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Splash Your Face with Cold Water
As cold as you can stand it. Repeatedly. Not only will it wake you up immediately, but it also constricts the capillaries in your faceto reduce swelling fast andadd anice rosy glow.
Give Yourself a Quick Lymphatic Massage
It sounds technical (and therefore difficult), but really it’s as simple as taking your pointer and middle fingers and rubbing them in circular motions on either side of your face, starting at your jawline and working your way up to your forehead. This will help drain the sinuses and move any fluid away from your face.
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Try Jade Rolling
Get similar benefits to a lymphatic massage with a jade roller, a centuries-old technique that’s also purported to have healing properties that ward off stress and anxiety. We can attest: The relaxing rhythm of running the cool stone over our face repeatedly lulls us to a trance-like state every time—especially when paired with a silky serum or aromatic facial oil.
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Slap on Some Under-Eye Patches
You’ve probably seen pictures of celebs wearing these silly-looking cooling patches, and that’s because they’re a godsend for under-eye bags. We particularly love the ones from Honest Hazel that use natural ingredients like cactus collagen to tamp down puffiness quickly.
And a Tightening Face Mask
On an extra bloated day, we call in the big guns. Special masks like Clarins V-Facial Intensive Wrap are packed with ingredients like caffeine and horse chestnut extract to quickly break up fluid retention while soothing any irritation and redness.
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Get Some Help from Your Makeup
A sweep of bronzer along your forehead, below your cheekbones and under your jawline will create dimension and therefore, slim down any puffy features. Finish with a pop of blush slightly above where you usually apply it (so above the apples) to give a more lifted appearance.
Beauty Director
Jenny Jin is PureWow’s Beauty Director and is currently based in Los Angeles. Since beginning her journalism career at Real Simple magazine, she has become a human encyclopedia of...
