Look Good Even When You’re Sick

I’ve been feeling under the weather for a while now and its played havoc with my skin, not to mention my wedding is around the corner and I just cannot afford to look sick with friends and relatives dropping by at all times of the day.

“Oh gosh you poor baby you look so sick” is just not what I wanna hear right now, ya feel me?

So I got to practice a few fixes and being a blogger what else could I do except share em all with my gals right?

Without much ado, here are a few tips and fixes to look better when you’re sick:

Treat yourself to the right tissues

If you’re coming down with the sniffles, don’t skimp when it comes to facial tissues. You’re bound to be blowing your nose a lot, and opting for lotion-treated tissues will go a long way in preventing a Rudolph-red, irritated nose. Alternatively you can opt to apply moisturiser often to the area that is receiving a lot of friction.

Stay hydrated

When you’re sick, you’re a little dehydrated, too  and that shows on your skin. It becomes flaky, dull and lacklustre. This is the time to slather on an intense facial moisturizer both in the morning and at night to prevent a parched look. 
Bonus: You'll protect your skin against all that nose-blowing friction, too. And tuck a small bottle or tube of heavy-duty moisturizer in your handbag (along with a personal pack of tissues) before you head out for the day. Water provides elasticity to your skin and makes it youthful. Always carry some water or juice to sip regularly when your sick, specially when you've got the flu.

Soothe puffy eyes with teabags

If your eyes get puffy from congestion, sleep with your head slightly propped up to allow fluids to drain more easily from your face. To battle under eye bags, try this tea remedy: Take two cold, wet teabags and place them over your eyes while you lie down for 15 minutes. The result? De-puffed peepers. 

Cool down your eye cream

Try storing your eye cream in the refrigerator. Not only will it feel refreshing on your tired eyelids, it will also help to fight puffiness. 
I suggest the aroma magic almond eye cream for those bags but for more dark circles quick fixes you can read HERE.
A cotton pad soaked in some chilled MAC Fix+ and placed on the lids for a few minutes is also a great way to bring down those bags.
Tip: Alternatively, use chilled spoons on your lids to bring down the puffiness and give you a shot of pretty eyes.

The dreaded rabbit red-eye

Another hallmark of a cold? Pink, bunny rabbit-like eyes. Banish that bloodshot look by using eye drops to lubricate and cool your eyes, reducing redness. It works even better if you have been storing your eye drops in the fridge and the solution is cool.

Tip: Splash cold water into your eyes before you start fixing your face.It serves two purposes; closes your pores and reduces the redness of the eyes.

Prime your face before putting on Make Up

Since you’re bound to blow your nose, sneeze, and rub your eyes a bit more when you’re sick, start with an application of face primer before you put on any makeup; this will add hours of staying power to your look. Lip primers and eye primers are a good idea, too though lip primers can be skipped. 
Tip: I've found I prefer to keep my lips unpainted because of all the liquids I sip when I'm sick and I don't want to ingest a lot of chemicals. A few swipes of tinted lip balm and Im good to go.

Conceal for all you're worth

One of the top tip-offs that you’ve got a cold is a red nose. Opt for a highly pigmented, opaque concealer that is yellow-based and just a bit paler than your skin to camouflage the redness. 

Don't pile on the base or powder

Skip the regular foundation and traditional face powder, since it’s easy for it to look flakey when you’re dehydrated. For some natural-looking coverage, use a heavy duty moisturiser and top it with some mineral foundation, which will conceal and even out skin without looking dry or you simply skip multiple layers and use a tinted moisturiser instead.
However I prefer a couple of layers for such days because of all the wiping I will be doing which will result in removal of a few layers of makeup.

Warm up your skin

If you’re feeling pasty, you’ll want to add a bit of color to your face. But play down any pink ( do NOT use any pink, red, orange eyeshadow) and bring out the warm tones in your skin by using a bit of bronzer and some peach-toned cream blush for a healthier-looking glow. 
Caution: Don't overdo the blush or it will give you a feverish tint and yes I'm talking from experience!

Brighten up your Eyes 

Bright eyes make you look younger and your skin fresher which gives a wholesome effect of being in good health health (Exactly what you are not but are looking to be).
Dab pale, shimmery beige or gold creamy eye shadow on your lids and at the inner corner of your eyes to catch the light and to counteract any redness or dullness in the eye area.

Avoid Mascara Malfunction

Sneezes and sniffles mean watery eyes and potential smudging or even running. To avoid a washout, stick with waterproof mascara or use a clear mascara. If your lashes are decently thick, I'd say ditch the mascara altogether because your eyes tend to be irritated when you're sick.
Tip: If you still feel the need to have spiky peepers then take some lip balm between thumb and index finger and apply on the eyelashes to give them definition.

Keep lips smooth and shiny

When you’re stuffed up, your lips have a tendency to get super-chapped. Rub them gently with a warm, wet washcloth to remove any flakes, and then condition with a rich salve or balm. Stick with tinted lip balm or gloss in a neutral tone for a fresh look. 
Avoid matte lipsticks when you do dress up because they not only end up further drying your lips but also enhance the fine lines making you look more tired.

Tip: At night I like to use Neosporin Daily Hydration Therapy which is great for super chapped lips or you can't go wrong with plain old cream from the milk at home!

So these are my couple of pick-me-ups when I'm sick. Share your fixes for a blue feel in the comments below!

Photocourtesy:
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examiner.com

Zap Those Puffy Eyes and Dark Circles

In all the recent hoopla about my wedding, my mom has been going round in circles, up the hills and down the valleys in every given direction at all times of the day.

Enter: dark circles and puffy eyes.

Exactly when she needs to look her best, she is suffering from the dreaded duo of Dastardliness :P

So here are a couple of quick fixes I’ve been working on for all those ladies who like to stay up late but dread the undereye bags the next day.

Haemorrhoid cream

Models, actresses and performers have reduced puffiness and wrinkles with haemorrhoid cream for years—the stuff tightens puffy areas quickly and reduces wrinkles.

The odour of the cream can be too strong for some people in which case mix a bit of a strong scented cream into it before applying.  Be careful not to get any of the cream in your eyes.

Tea

This is one I’m sure most of us know about even if we haven’t used it before.

Caffeinated tea, which contains natural tannins, has long been used by runway models for reducing eye puffiness. Soak two tea bags in warm water, and then chill the bags for a few minutes in the refrigerator. Place one tea bag on each eye for five minutes, and your eyes will feel fresh.

Avocado

For many people, tiredness causes dark circles under the eyes and that can add years to their appearance. If you can’t catch up on your rest, place slices of ripe avocado under each eye. It works even better if you can grate the avocado and place it under the eyes.

Teething rings

Babies come with sleepless nights and dawn feedings, leaving mums tired, sleep deprived and severely bag eyed and panda looking.

Fortunately babies also come with teething rings! Put two gel-filled baby teething rings in the freezer until they’re ice cold, then lie down and place the rings on your closed eyelids for about 10 minutes. The cold will not only reduce eye puffiness but invigorate you, too. Make sure to sanitize the rings before offering it to your precious snookums!

Potato and Milk

Grate some raw potato and mix with milk before placing it under your eyes for about 20 minutes. It works better if the mixture is cold. Your eyes will feel refreshed and decidedly less puffy.

This can also prevent dark circles and puffy eyes if used over a period of time.

Spoons for the Office Party

What if you are invited to go out with some colleagues after work and don’t know how to wave away those bags left behind by the long day?? No groceries to help ya there!!

Grab two spoons from the break room, chill them in the freezer or place them under cold tap water till chilled and place them on your eyes for 10 min. Viola! Fresher looking eyes instantly!.......well not instantly but you know what I mean :P

   

These are some simple, no side effect remedies to help your DDD (dreaded duo of dastardliness). Over a period of use they also help in prevention rather than just cure.

For those who already have advanced case of the DDD applying a paste of ground almonds and milk will also help to lighten the dark shadows and provide relief.

Also try these fixes:

1. Switch your sleep position. Your sleep position may be contributing to those under-eye bags. Thanks to gravity, sleeping on your side or stomach can encourage fluids to collect under your eyes. If you're a side sleeper, you may notice a heavier bag on the side you sleep on. 
2. Don't smoke, and always apply a sunscreen around the eye area. Smoking and exposure to UV rays both weaken collagen and cause premature wrinkling and sagging.
3. Apply a moisturizer to the eye area nightly. 
4. Add a prescription retinoic acid - the vitamin A cream that goes by the generic name tretinoin - to your daily skin care regimen.

So if you suffer from bags or dark circles under the eyes then get started with some of these options and make sure your eyes are the topic of conversation this wedding season!

Photo Courtesy: 

The Official Scope Magazine Blog

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