Tips to Help Conceal Allergies
I can’t remember the last time I walked outside of my apartment and my eyes didn’t burn. It has gotten to the point that without my sunglasses on my eyes are so heavy with tears there is a good chance I could blindly walk into an intersection of oncoming traffic to my death. Perhaps, death is a bit dramatic, and a week lying in a hospital bed watching TV while hooked up on a morphine drip doesn’t seem so bad right now, but that is not the point. The point is I can’t see through the water coming out of my tear ducts & streaming down my cheeks. I ask myself every morning on the way to work why I bothered putting on blush since it has been swept away by this broken facet that can’t be turned off.
Don’t get me wrong; I am beyond thrilled to say goodbye to winter and hello to summer. However, this transition has left me looking as bad as I feel. I don’t really like the idea of someone mistaking me for a crack head because of the level of blood shot eyes I continue to walk around my office with. It should be noted, in the hospital that I may end up in – if the morphine gives me red eyes, the doctors can handle that. Until then, I am on my own. If it was only red, burning eyes I would probably push through until the season transitioned and I am back to my old self. But, allergies like to party in groups and at this party there is also a runny nose, sneezing, coughing, and dark under eye circles.
After some extensive research via the World Wide Web I have compiled a list of tips to get us looking our best, even when we’re feeling our worst.
Hydration.
According to an article I read on Daily Makeover, “Oral antihistamines can dehydrate your body (and your skin!) if you are taking allergy medications. Make sure to drink plenty of water and add a hydrating mask or a Hydrafacial to your routine”
Drink Cold Water
Rumor has it that this helps reduce eyelid puffiness… works ok, I have been trying to stay hydrated and drink cold water and it does help, but not a ton.
Hiding the Runny and Red Nose.
When I am blowing my nose a lot, not only am I pretty miserable but I try to only use tissues with aloe vera. Seems simple, and it is… this has proven to make my nose feel better. I read celebrity makeup artist Norma Lopez suggests using a green-tinged primer to hide any redness in your nose. “On top of the green corrector, add your concealer that you use on a regular basis and cover the rest. Now apply powder or foundation, and your nose is close to looking flawless and perfect,” Lopez says.
Accentuate Your Lips.
When my eyes are in a constant phase of watering, I can’t cake on the eye makeup because it would be all down my face. Instead, I move attention to my lips with a strong bold color.
Tea Bags.
Pinterest, the mother of all DIY routines, enlightened me with this knowledge: Placing a tea bag over your eyes for 10 minutes after cooling it down to room temperature will reduce swelling and redness. I was really happy with the results of this and to top it off I found the tea bags on my eyes really relaxing.
Stick with With what You Know.
Honestly, what I did learn from all this research online is that when your immune system is already working over time to fight the allergens out there this time of year it probably isn’t a good idea to introduce something new to your day to day beauty routine. And if you have to try something new try to make sure it is hypoallergenic.
What else are you guys doing to help combat the battle against allergies this season?
***beauty always comes from within, photos take by Katerina Stavreva, xoxo behind the mirror***
