Masks – The Latest Accessory
We hope you’re all staying well whenever you are and we especially send lots of love to those who are enduring additional restrictions currently. For a large portion of the country, mask-wearing has become part of daily life. With that in mind, our co-founder Kathrine has created this quick little eye makeup routine which is designed to bring out your eyes while the rest of your face is covered. Enjoy!
For a large portion of the country, mask-wearing has become part of daily life. Anyone that has spent significant time wearing a mask will know that it can cause issues like skin irritation, tenderness and in some cases, breakouts which are now cleverly coined “mask-ne”.
Heat, friction, moisture foreign fabrics can wreak havoc on the lower half of your face. Not only that but for some mask wearers, they can creep up into the face causing eye irritation too. All in all, it’s a hindrance that a huge number of people are living with, albeit to avoid something much bigger than a simple hindrance. Our “new normal” brings some new little challenges that in the grand scheme of things are very manageable. So how exactly do we manage them? Read on.
“Mask-ne”
Breakouts caused by masks are very common. Combined with a general population who are understandably feeling stressed, even those who have never experienced this issue are experiencing spotty skin.
PREVENTION: The best prevention of breakouts is to change your mask at least every 4 hours or as soon as you notice any dampness. If you wear a reusable mask then have three with you to rotate throughout the day, wash all of them every wear and try to dry them in the sun to best rid the fabric of bacteria. Also, don’t store your mask loosely in your handbag rather keep it in a snaplock bag handy for cleanliness. We have to admit that our handbag wouldn’t be the most hygienic environment!
TREATMENT: Stick to a strict beauty regime that is all about calming and protecting your skin. Particularly with active acne, you should only wear light mineral makeup and nothing too drying OR full of moisture. Yes, it’s a tricky balance however both our Mineral Powder and All Day Foundation are skin-healthy options. it’s a matter of finding the right one for your skin type and the stage of your breakout. While it would be tempting to reach for a heavy-duty cleanser you don’t want to strip the natural oils from your skin. You must still thoroughly cleanse each evening but opt for a nourishing cleanser that has antioxidants. Try a toner with Niacinamide to protect the natural skin barrier, balance oils, improve texture and reduce pores and you won’t look back!
Skin Irritability
Even if you have hardy skin (lucky duck!) you can still have serious flare-ups from a mask. Elastic was never designed to be tightly stretched across our cheeks or bits of metal pinched across the bridge of the nose.
PREVENTION: Barrier-style creams are your best form of defence. Whilst you don’t need to slather on a nappy rash cream (*chants* say, no Sudo!) there are many preventative measures within some of your regular beauty products that won’t clog your already overwhelmed skin. Protect and nurture is the name of the game and it’s a good time to ease off the actives in your skincare for some gentler loving. Choose products with the mindset that you have sensitive skin such as – gel cleansers, calming masks and soothing light serums.
TREATMENT: Cool off with soothing aloe formulations or any product designed for post-laser will do the trick. Grab a hyaluronic acids mask for hydration and just take it all lightly. This is a time when less is more.
Eyes
Many have complained of their mask riding up into eyes. A great tip for this is to twist the elastic into a loop on each side which creates are full circle lasso around the ears. This helps with steadiness!
Remember, your eyes are visually doing the talking for you now so you may be reconsidering your regular makeup application. Your expression starts from your brows so ensure you’re adding some definition right from the top. Pay more attention to the brows than usual, define and shape but don’t add heavy dark products as it’s all about lightly offsetting the mask. When it comes to your eyes then plump up those lashes girls and have fun with your eye colours. Lilacs are very flattering to most and on-trend or why not play around with some complementary colours to your mask? As you know, makeup is about feeling good within yourself and self-expression. Has there ever been a time when the population has needed a collective pick-me-up more? Even if you’re not accustomed to something with a shimmer why not brighten your day and give it a shot? Avoid heavy black liners and opt for a gentler grey that starts a third of the way from your inner eye and darkens towards the outer edges. It gives a mini cat-eye shape and paired with your coloured shadow, it’s the ultimate mood booster.
Mask-wearing may create some issues but remember to be proud of yourself for playing your role. We must give a huge shout out to our health workers who have been dealing with this for a longer period and on a grander scale. Our appreciation and respect only deepen by the day for what you do. If you’re a doctor, nurse or carer reading this, we hope we’ve helped just a little and above all, thank you.
