How to Look Good when You Feel like Crap
My cube-mate is reliable for two things: Getting sick right before the holidays and getting me sick right before the holidays, ruining my much-anticipated vacay.
This year is no different. On Friday, she started sniffling. Today, she's hacking away at her desk and I'm wishing she'd choke on her Ricola.
Look, I'm not an unsympathetic, horrible person. It's just that I would appreciate not having to breathe in her contaminated air -- especially since downing orange juice and willing myself to not get sick doesn't usually help my cause.
And there's only one thing I hate even more than being sick: looking sick.
Related: 7 Stretches That'll Take You from Tired to Bright-Eyed
So when the inevitable happens in a few days, and I'm sniffling and coughing too (I can already feel a little tickle in my throat), I'm going to use these expert makeup and skin care tips to bypass the red nose and other sick giveaways.
Need to look great even if you feel like crap? Check out these tips:
SOAK YOUR SKIN WITH MOISTURE
Cold medicine and constant nose blowing can dry out your skin, making it look dull and even aged. Combat flakey skin patches and rawness by keeping up your usual moisturizing routine. However, here's the catch: Pass on your regular product if it contains fruit acids, retinol, or alpha hydroxyl acids, since these can further bother irritated skin, says Laurie Baldwin, a Philadelphia-based makeup artist whose clients include local newscasters who have to look great for TV -- sick day or not. Instead, opt for a gentle pick, like Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer, $11. For extra-dry areas, give an added boost of hydration by applying just a dab of natural beauty oil. Try Jason Natural Products Vitamin E Oil, $5, or make one of your own with Baldwin's recipe: Add eight drops of vitamin E and one to two drops of chamomile to four tablespoons of almond oil.
Give your I've-been-up-coughing-all-night-and-it-shows eyes the wake-up call they need. Place a cold water-soaked washcloth over your eyes for at least a minute to reduce bags and refresh the area. Then use Kiehl's Eye Alert, $22, says Jennifer Campain, professional makeup artist and beauty expert from Lehigh Valley, Pa. This product contains caffeine, which constricts blood vessels and temporarily reduces any puffiness for a more awake look. To help your efforts while you sleep, Baldwin recommends making sure that you snooze with your head propped up. "When you lay flat, fluid collects under your eyes, which increases bags and puffiness," she says. This may also help with congestion and allow you to breathe easier.
A pop of lip color can brighten your appearance. Instead of using a lipstick, slick on a lip gloss, which will not only add moisture to dry lips but offer a fresher, more light-reflecting surface. Campain recommends that you reach for a gentle pink shade, like MAC Tinted LipGlass in Florabundance, $15. Baldwin agrees that gloss is the way to go and adds that she likes to fill in sick clients' lips with a nude lip pencil before applying. "You're bound to need to reapply your gloss often when you're sick, since you're hopefully drinking a lot of fluids. With a pencil base, you'll at least have some color left behind if you're caught before reapplication," she says. Try LORAC Lip Pencil in Nude, $16.
Reaching for your regular makeup go-tos may not help your case. Eyeshadow colors in the red/purple family will only make red, irritated eyes look worse, and shades that are more brilliant than your own eye color will make you look more tired, says Campain. A universally flattering tip? Stick with muted, soft earth tones for shading, and use warm, soft vanilla tones for highlighting. Clinique Colour Surge Eyeshadow Duo in Ivory Bisque and Bronze Satin, $18, gives you both in one.
Looking paler than you thought possible? It's time for some creative use of cosmetics -- and bronzer needs to be your new BFF. Baldwin recommends sweeping the bronzer on your cheekbones and forehead (stay away from your nose if it's already red) for a warm, sun-kissed glow. Try NARS Bronzing Powder in Laguna, $33. Then, top with a blush. Campain likes cream versions, which she says will give you a more dewy, revitalized appearance than a powder. Dab a clean makeup sponge with just a little blush, then apply it to the apples of your cheeks. "Your goal should be to look like you just played a game of tennis," she says. "Stay away from plum colors and select something closer to the peachy-pink family." Her favorite option is surprisingly affordable: Graftobian Crème Rouge in Warm Blush, $5. If you're not familiar with it, Graftobian is a makeup company most well known in the theatre set, but the products work great off-stage as well.
For 5 more tips on how to look healthy when you're not, click here.
More from TotalBeauty.com:
At-Home Fixes for Skin Care Emergencies
Makeup Tricks to Hide a Hangover
Busy Gal's Guide to Skin Care
