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Alcohol has been a part of my life since college, when I paid my way through school slinging brews and shots of Jameson to bros watching football. It's no secret that I love a glass of wine, especially after a long workday. On Fridays and Saturdays, I grab a few vodka-sodas with my friends, and dating in New York City means getting to know one another over a couple of martinis. So, yeah, I drink.
But as I've gotten older, my mornings-after have not gotten any prettier. Today, they tend to be defined by blotchy skin and bleary eyes, instead of the "lets-take-a-sunrise-yoga-class" attitude of yesteryear. Lately, I've become curious about products formulated to relieve the visible symptoms of a hangover — you know, the sallow, splotchy, dehydrated faces that greet us in the harsh, fluorescent light of a new day. Whether they're masks or creams, these jars and bottles claim to cure our hangovers by brightening and calming our skin. But do they actually work?
I decided to embark on a mini booze cruise to test the limits of these potentially magical products. A note of clarification: While these lotions and masks may help you look less like you spent the night out until 5 a.m. becoming the bartender's BFF and sending regrettable text messages, they don't actually claim to cure the actual hangover. The headache, upset stomach, dehydration, and general lack of focus? For that there's pizza, orange Gatorade, and Shonda Rhimes. And for your face? Ahead, find out whether these five morning-after beauty fixes live up to their claims — or whether they should be left sitting on the bar.
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