Beauty for sick days.

13 October 2013

I have a cold.

No matter how hard or for how long i fought it, it crept up on me. Now we all know how a cold can make you feel. Personally I feel like i want to climb into bed and hide under the covers with a box of tissues, watching old disney movies and noshing on endless plates of fish and chip shop chips (yeah i know it's a weird craving, but hey) Unfortunately life doesn't really let you do that and you have to muscle on and face the day and try and combat everything a cold can throw at you.

So as my cold has progressed so have my techniques at managing it. I thought it would be interesting to share with you my little go-tos, hints, tips, favourite products etc that really help make having a cold that little bit easier to live with.

Today I'll focus on the little beauty bits and then in the following posts i'll whitter on about nutritional and miscellaneous bits if you are interested in those too.

So...beauty for the beast of a cold.


Ideally when i'm ill i like to plob about with a totally naked face, on days when no one but house mates or maybe the postman will see me, that's fine, but when i'm at work or out and about and need to look at least like i'm semi-alive, let alone presentable, make up has to be done.

In the latter case I like to strive for a minimal makeup look that makes me look as healthy as possible with minimal products and lets be honest, minimal effort.

For me a BB Cream is essential for this. Colds make me want to rub my face in weariness a lot. So there's no point having flawless foundation that will be inevitably smeared across my face and hands or completely wiped off. This REN BB cream is a total dream and i love it so much! It gives me a hint of colour, even skin tone and light coverage all in one. If i rub my face it doesn't show disastrously and i can apply this with my hands in seconds. No worries about coldified bacteria being wiped over my brushes either, using my fingertips means i can wash easily and not spread the badness.

As i said for me its about minimalism. I usually whack on a hefty flick of cat eye eye liner and lashings of bold mascara, but with a cold Physicians formula mascara is all i need or can deal with. It gives my lashes definition without being too much. It can take the test of eye rubbing and a hell of a lot of eye watering, which always accompanies a bout of sneezing! Alternatively when my eyes are seriously looking gloomy a sweep of my all time adored Origins GinZing Mascara gives them the peppy perky boost look they need to trick people into believing that i'm not letting this old cold bring me down (when really, on the inside, i'm wailing and lamenting my misfortunes and generally feeling oh so very very sorry for myself.)

Probably the most essential is the Origins Concealer. It hides my dark circles and bags and even has a nifty way of transforming my coldified nose from rudolf impersonator to your average flesh toned snoozle.

The last product i use for 'i don't really have a cold' make up trickery is my beautiful Origins blush in  Sunset Peach. Despite all the concealers best efforts, sometimes after all that nose blowing your honker is gonna end up red red red. The last thing you want to do is add pink flushed cheeks to the look. Sure some people might mistake the look for health, like you've just come back from brisk jog in the snow, but most people who know me (and my lack of enthusiasm for jogging, or any exercise) will clearly spy a cold lurking within me and avoid my like the walking cold and flu germ incubator that i am. This blush is much more peach and corally toned so I can achieve a healthy hint of warm colour without having rosy red nose clashing coloured cheeks.

So thats my make up face, but i also have a few non make up bits and bobs that I find essential for dealing with a cold.

Dr Bronner lip balm - nothing is better at hydrating your lips! Having a cold can dehydrate your skin and that includes your lips. Having a stuffy nose at night can lead to sleeping with your mouth open which again dries your lips out big time. So a hefty slick of this before I hit the sack is perfect at keeping them protected.

Bio-oil, Pomegranate, Avocado Oil - Any of these beauties are great for protecting your skin from dehydration during a cold. They also can put back in essential nutrients and vitamins that you need. Your body is working hard to fight the cold and the skin gets put on the back burner a bit so you need to make sure you keep your skin care simple and healthy. Also these are amazing at protecting your nose from drying out from using tissues and blowing your nose so frequently. 

Yes To Soothing Eye Gel - Thank goodness for this little miracle, I wake up with swollen zombie eyes and this can really help to reduce the tired looking puffiness. It also soothes them if i've been rubbing my eyes a lot.

Ila Bath Soak - I got this just last month and it's been wonderful to pour into a bath and let myself relax into the lovely scent. Stress suppresses your immune system so relaxation and avoiding stress is key to fighting colds and flu. Plus the scent mixed with the steam really helps open up my sinuses and airways which helps a lot for breathing, congestion and headaches when dealing with a cold.

What are your go to beauty items when you have a cold?

3 comments

  1. eheheh what a nice idea for a blog post! First I want to say: you are not alone! When i'm ill I want to get into bed under a big blanket with a disney movie, cup of tea and some chocolate cake..and it's the best eeeevvvver!
    Anyway I love and share some of the beauty products you have mentioned :)Really want to try the Origins Concealer :)
    Hope you feel better soon x

    Ila x

    http://cleanserblog.blogspot.co.uk/

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey Ila!
    Aw thanks, i'm definitely on the road to recovery now thank goodness! But the chocolate cake does sound like a good idea!! The concealer is pricey but honestly a total godsend even when im not ill. It is lightweight but very effective! I love it! xxx

    ReplyDelete
  3. A little late, but I hope you're already healed by now. On top of snuggling and catching up with movies, I also love to do my 'hobbies' despite of having lack of energy.. so I just like to do easy stuff such as painting or sketching. Although, I can never finish it at the end and go back to bed haha. As for beauty related stuff, I just dab my favorite RMS concealer, a multi-tasking lip & cheek balm (my favorite is currently Blushed by Revolution Organics), curl my eyelashes and mascara. A highlighter can come in handy too!

    I also keep with me a balm that I can use everywhere. I love your ideas though, we're similar! :)

    Don't forget a warm cup of hot chocolate or tea if you like and Water + Apple Cider Vinegar + Honey + Lemon works wonders for my throat and any cold symptoms :)

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