It’s that time of year in New York City when everyone I know is sick. At my office, if I take my headphones out of my ears all I hear is echoes of people coughing and sneezing from various locations- that is when I’m not too busy coughing and sneezing myself. I am just on the outside edge of recovering from a particularly nasty cold. I’m talking the kind that makes you end phone calls abruptly to go get a glass of water, when you wake up in the middle of the night because you’ve been coughing in your sleep, and when total strangers start patting you on the back in public to quiet your hacking. Naturally, I have kept up a busy social calendar throughout this unfortunate illness, because sometimes in winter a girl just needs to get out and about – to make it to work at the very least. And if you’ve been a victim to recurring colds/flus/illnesses this winter like everyone else, sometimes you just get sick and tired of staying home sick. Here are some tips from Women’s Health magazine on how to stay looking your best even when you’re not feeling at the top of your game.

Get rid of those puffy, dark circles with eye cream infused with cooling ingredients like cucumber, and then cover them up with concealer. Putting cooled chamomile tea bags atop your lids can reduce swelling in a pinch too! Put on some blush to liven up your washed out complexion so you have a faux rosy glow. Brighten tired or bloodshot eyes with blue tones around your eyes in mascara or liner. Try wearing a fragrance with lemony notes to boost your energy. Since you’re probably over-tired, and cutting corners on your morning routine, pull out the simple, polished looks. Use that bun-maker you picked up at H&M to sweep your hair into a high bun to look pulled together and pull eyes up and away from your tired face. No one has ever accused a ballerina of looking sloppy, amiright? Then finally wear a power lip with lots of moisturizer to keep everyone’s attention away from your chapped nose and puffy lids. A lady with red gloss on never looks worse for the wear.