‘I’m a Movie Makeup Artist, and This Is the $29 Product I Use When Actors Have an Early Call Time and Need To Look Awake’

Like morning news anchors, actors often start their days while the average person is still deep in their sleep cycles. This is due in part to the fact that they need to get through hair, makeup, and wardrobe before they even head to set. Given this, it’s understandable that not everyone that sits down in a makeup chair is bright-eyed and ready for their close-up, but that’s where people like Alisha Baijounas come in to work their magic with makeup artist tips to look more awake.

A MUA (makeup artist) for television and film, Baijounas knows a thing or two about faking a full night’s sleep. She’s currently the makeup department head on ABC’s Abbott Elementary season two, for which she’s typically ready to go in the makeup trailer by 5 a.m. to start working on its cast.

“Actors rarely show up fresh-faced,” she says. But Hollywood is practically built on the mantra: Fake it till you make it. And that same rule applies to looking well-rested in the wee hours of the morning. To accomplish this, there’s one product Baijounas swears by—and it only costs $29.

How this makeup artists helps her clients look more awake instantly

The product in question is Super Bounce Serum from Glossier, and applying it prior to makeup is her number-one makeup artist tip to look more awake. “Super Bounce uses hyaluronic acid to draw moisture to the skin, so it gives an instant hydration that’s perfect for awakening the face with a subtle glow,” Baijounas says.

To really make the product work its magic, she pairs it with an ice roller and Bolden AWAKE under-eye patches. “When you pair it with an ice roller, it brings out the natural contours of the face,” Baijounas says. “All of these products are great for everyone—all genders and ethnicities—and they do the trick every time.”

Glossier Super Bounce Serum — $29.00

BOLDEN AWAKE Under Eye Patch — $25.00

How to apply Super Bounce Serum for max effect

Baijounas uses a foundation brush to smooth the serum across her client’s face. “I apply Super Bounce with the same brush I do foundation with to sort of continue hydration through the foundation application process without adding more directly to the skin,” she says.

After, she adds the eye patches, then she pulls out her ice roller. “I use a two-prong ice roller over the top of the eye patches first to drain the under eye and sinus area working from the bridge of the nose outward to the top of the cheekbone/temple,” she says. Baijounas does five to eight reps per side before moving to the chin and jaw. Once this process is complete, she moves on to applying makeup. The results are better than coffee.