Tips for Looking Refreshed and Rested for Your Interview

Heading into the interview for your dream job, it’s important to show your prospective employer that you’re up for the challenge of a new role. To make a lasting impression you’ll have to do — and look — your best.

This pre-interview regimen is sure to help you look refreshed and rested leading up to the big day:

Step 1: Cover the Essentials of Self-Care

Caffeine and energy drinks can help you feel awake and alert in the morning, but they can also lead to a midday energy crash. If you want to be particularly sharp and focused on your interview day, stick to the basics that you know deliver energy-boosting results: exercising, drinking water, and getting plenty of rest.

It seems simple enough, right? However, the simplest steps are often the most challenging — or easiest to forget. Start by adding some light exercise to your routine for at least 20 minutes a day. Even if your interview is only a day away, a long walk, yoga class, or kickboxing session can help you de-stress.

Proper hydration can work wonders when it comes to feeling and looking your best. If you find it difficult to drink enough water throughout the day, try setting a timer to remind yourself, and always keep a refillable water bottle handy. You can also try a more exciting option: Flavor your water with citrus slices or go for sparkling water.

To get a full night of rest, try turning off all your screens at least 15 minutes before settling in. If that doesn’t help, step into a relaxing bubble bath. Bedtime rituals can help your brain and body wind down, too.

Step 2: Keep Skin Balanced

Sticking with your established skincare routine is important for keeping skin balanced and healthy so you can put your freshest face forward. That means the last thing you’ll want to do before an interview is go nuts experimenting with a bunch of new products. There’s a chance you could end up with brighter skin by testing out that random beauty sample in your bathroom drawer, but there’s also a chance it could cause a breakout. Why risk it?

An interview appointment can come up at the last minute, so it’s best to turn to a few key products that will gently perk up your complexion whenever you need it.

After cleansing skin with your regular daily cleanser, scrub in small circular motions with a gentle daily exfoliant that features round exfoliating beads. These beads will gently lift dry skin and diminish fine lines for a smoother complexion that is sure to impress. Follow up with a hydrating mask that includes soothing ingredients like aloe or colloidal oatmeal, antioxidants, and essential oils to give your skin the extra pampering it needs for the big day. This is also a great way to prep skin for a flawless makeup application.

Of course, pimples don’t care that you have an interview. If you find yourself with a new blemish or two, don’t panic — and definitely don’t pick it. That can only make things worse. Instead, try an over-the-counter blemish treatment and use an oil-free concealer to camouflage the pimple while it heals.

Step 3: Impress With Rested Eyes

If you have a restless night before the interview, your eyes are going to show it. With all the eye contact you’ll be engaging in, it’s important to have well-rested peepers. To alleviate puffy and tired eyes, use an ingenious beauty treatment that is sure to become a staple in your daily routine: eye patches.

These soothing gel patches contain hydrating and firming ingredients like hyaluronic acid, colloidal silver, caffeine, and green tea, making them a last-minute lifesaver when you need an extra boost to look awake and refreshed in the morning.

Lie down and relax with the eye patches on for 10 minutes before you apply your makeup. They will firm, hydrate, and help concealers go on smoothly and stay in place throughout the day.

Here’s a protip for getting the most out of these eye patches: Place them in the fridge to cool them before use. If this still isn’t enough to banish the discoloration under your eyes, apply a yellow-based concealer to counteract the blue tones and brighten the entire eye area.

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There may be no way to fight the pre-interview jitters, but by taking a few deep breaths and following the steps above, you can help make an impression with more than just your resume.

Melissa Federico is a licensed esthetician and writer for Walgreens.