Sick of people telling you that you look tired? 5 ways to shut them up

Looking knackered is an occupational hazard of parenthood. But we’re here to help…

There’s nothing worse than waking up to face the day and realising that you look like you’ve just woken from a coma.

We know what the advice is: you sleep as much as you can, you drink water when you have the chance and you eat well (other than that Tim Tam…oh wait, make that Tim Tams). But when there are small people involved, those words of wisdom really aren’t helpful. What we need are smoke and mirrors.

Luckily, we’ve got you covered (literally). No more dark circles or bags under your eyes, here are five easy tricks even the most time-poor person can use to look more awake.

1. Big hair

Grab that dry shampoo and get volumising, ladies! When you're feeling the weight of the world on your eyelids, this is a surefire way of making your eyes appear open. Pulling your hair up into a high ponytail or creating volume around the forehead will automatically draw your eyes up and give you a botox-free facelift.

2. CC Cream

It may sound scary, but this stuff will change your life. From the more commonly known BB Cream family, CC cream is a tinted moisturiser/foundation mix which offers sun protection and has reflective qualities that will make even the most dull and fatigued skin appear bright and radiant. CC creams also offer colour-correction properties that cover redness and hide pigmentation and uneven skin tone. Your face will be looking lively in no time at all.

3. Frozen - in a good way

Apart from the usual cucumber slices and tea bags, there are a few simple household items that you can use to de-puff you eyes and make you look awake. When ice cold water just won't do the trick,  two spoons that have previously been in the freezer under each eye for around 30 seconds will. The icy cold temperature will stimulate circulation and wake you up pronto. If spoons don't take your fancy though, any frozen item will do. Another option is soaking a small towel in chamomile tea and lying it on your face for a minute. Chamomile also has anti-inflammatory properties and will help to reduce bags under your eyes.

4. Exercise early in the morning

It won't be easy at first, but if you can get into a routine of rising a bit earlier and exercising first thing in the

5. Conceal, conceal, conceal

For most of us, this is the go-to option for hiding bags and dark circles under our eyes. But it's barely worth using concealer for this reason if you don't know how to apply it properly. Instead of smudging concealer under your eyes, dab it lightly with your ring-finger. But don't stop there. To make the most of your concealer, also dab it from the tear duct to the bottom of your nose and towards the outside corner of your eye in a triangular shape. This will create the best wide-eyed look. Using a concealer stick that has a moisturising layer in the middle is also ideal for hydrating your skin.

And of course, if you're insanely time-poor, there's always sunglasses.

Do you suffer from dark circles or bags under you eyes? Any tips to add to this list?