Looking your best when you’re sick is very difficult, but you can at least hide the most obvious symptoms with a few simple fixes. Whether you’re struggling with a fever or a runny nose, here’s what you need to do if you’re hoping to hide all symptoms.
Try some of the best beauty tips for when you’re sick, and you’ll be able to reduce the appearance of most of your symptoms. Even if you can’t fake a healthy glow, these makeup and skin care tricks can help you a lot when your skin is suffering because of a respiratory infection.
1. Hydrate and Moisturize
Your biggest problem is staying hydrated and keeping your skin looking healthy. Drink plenty of fluids, preferable water or herbal tea, while also applying moisturizer more often. If you have a fever, try a thicker moisturizer, suitable for cold weather. Keep it close and don’t forget to apply it before you go to bed to allow it to work overnight.
2. Try Blue Eyeliner
If bloodshot eyes are a consequence of your illness, one of the best beauty tips for when you’re sick is to use a dark blue eyeliner. It will make your eyes look brighter and cut down on the redness. Obviously, if your eyes are irritated, you should skip the liner altogether. When they’re not, just slightly runny, go for a blue waterproof eyeliner.
3. Fight Puffiness with Cold Creams
Using teabags on your eyes to reduce puffiness is a trick that works whether you’re sick or not, but you should remember to keep your eye cream cold. Storing it in the refrigerator while you’re sick will help fight puffiness and make your eyes look less tired. If you’ve got nasal congestion that’s boring you at night, elevate your head with an extra pillow to avoid the morning puffiness.
4. Choose the Right Concealer
Hiding a red nose when you’ve got a cold isn’t easy, so you have to choose the perfect shade of concealer. Using a yellow-based concealer in your nose area is one of the best beauty tips for when you’re sick. Make sure that you choose a product with full coverage. When in doubt, go lighter than your skin tone by one shade to hide the redness even better.
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5. Never Skip the Primer
Your makeup will have to face a lot more wear and tear when you’re sick, so primers become very important. Eye primers are a must if you plan on going for a less subtle eye, while lip primers will also come in handy if you’re thinking of going for a more dramatic lip. Without primer, all the sneezing and nose blowing will quickly ruin your makeup.
6. Say “No” to Powders
Since your skin can get dry when you’re sick, powders should be kept at a minimum. Use a liquid foundation or even a BB cream to get the desired coverage, and try to use as little powder as possible when you’re setting any of your makeup. Using blotting sheets instead of powder to control shine is one of the beauty tips for when you’re sick.
7. Stick to Lip Gloss
Lipstick will definitely stay on for longer with the help of lip primer, but a better option is lip gloss. It won’t just keep your lips more moisturized, it will also create a fresher look. Start by filling in your lips with a nude pencil before applying your favorite shade of gloss.
8. Try Orange for Dark Under Eye Circles
If you’re not getting enough sleep, one of the beauty tips for when you’re sick is to choose a product in an orange shade to counteract dark under eye circles and bags. A salmon primer or eye brightener that’s closer to orange than to pink can do wonder for your eyes.
More: Makeup Mistakes That Make You Look Tired
9. Curl Your Lashes
If your eyes are too irritated for any products, then reach for the eyelash curler. It will help open your eyes and improve your look even without a trace of mascara or eyeliner. If you can’t stand the thought of skipping the mascara, then make sure you’re choosing a waterproof one.
10. Don’t Forget the Eye Drops
Even if you use all the beauty tips for when you’re sick, you shouldn’t skip eye drops with a vascular constrictor. They’ll help keep your eye bright and reduce the redness to a minimum. Keep them in your purse when you go out in order to keep your eyes looking clear all day.