4 Ways to Look Good When You Feel Lousy

In a perfect world, life would be put on hold when you get sick. But as too many of us know, sick days at work are limited, and some things just can’t be postponed because of a cold. So when you’re feeling a little under the weather, but have to soldier on with your day, here are a few tips to help you still look your best—and hopefully, feel a little better.

Head Cold

When you have a cold, the skin around your nose is red and dried out from constant blowing. And while you may feel tempted to hide that red nose under a layer of foundation, this could actually have the opposite effect. After just a few encounters with a tissue, the foundation on and around your nose is going to start rubbing off. And, while the rest of your face remains smooth and flawless, your sore nose will stand out like even more of a beacon to your illness.

So, avoid heavy foundation and concealer. Instead, opt for a light powder that you can carry with you for post-tissue touch-ups. Shine’s pressed powder comes in a convenient compact with a makeup sponge and a mirror for just such occasions.

Additionally, you can draw the attention away from your sore nose by emphasizing your eyes. Go with a bold cat eye, a smoky effect, or something metallic—anything that will draw people’s attention to your gaze and away from your nose. Our Focus eyeliner is perfect for a dark, dramatic cat eye, and our Be Captivating Eyeshadow Palette is perfect for creating a smoky eye that isn’t too overpowering.

Stomach Bug

When you have a bit of a stomach bug, your face tends to get a little bit pale and ashen. You may even have a bit of a green tint. And while, ideally, you should be staying home with a stomach bug, if you have to step out, you can take away some of that sickly pallor with a touch of bronzer or blush. Add a bit of extra color to your cheeks, but don’t feel like you have to do full contouring; you should still be taking it easy.

If your lips are also looking a little lackluster, add a warm pink or neutral-toned lip stain. Odds are, your face will still look a little washed out, even with some extra blush, to don’t try to go too bold with your lip color today. Keep it as natural as possible, while still adding a bit of color back to those lips.

Allergies

Spring and summer might give most people relief from colds and flus, but they bring their own kind of sickness—allergies. If you suffer from seasonal allergies, you definitely can’t use them as an excuse to skip work or miss out on life. Instead, you have to find the best way to press on. As far as your makeup goes, this is the time of year to really focus on a bold lip.

Odds are, your eyes are a bit bloodshot and a little puffy. So when those bad allergy does hit, you don’t want to draw attention to your eyes with bold eye makeup. Pull the gaze to your lips instead, with a bolder lip color, like our Devoted or Intent shades from our LipLast line, or our lipstick in Fortunate.

Cold Sore

Cold sores are extremely common, but getting one can still make you feel like a leper, and you’ll likely find yourself trying to subtly cover your mouth with your hand all day. (Sorry to say it, but none of us are as subtle at this as we think we are.) This is another chance to use your makeup to draw attention away from the mouth and to the eyes.

Try using our Fiber Mascara to pump up the volume on your eyelashes and really catch people’s attention. You may also want to try a dramatic eyeshadow color look with our Be Cheerful Eyeshadow Palette. Keep your lips very neutral, with just a lip balm or a natural-looking gloss, and people will definitely be keeping their eyes on your gaze, and will never notice a little cold sore.

So if you’re feeling under the weather, but you can’t phone it in today, you can still look your best. Try these simple tips to help you shine, no matter what bug may befall you. And, hopefully, looking your best will help you feel just a little bit better too.