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How does your makeup routine adjust when you're sick?


How does your makeup routine adjust when you’re sick? What if you’re just a little bit sick?

If I’m just a little bit sick, then I would still wear makeup if I was testing something or taking photos for the blog (like for lip swatches), but if I wasn’t doing either, I wouldn’t bother with it.

Thanks to Deandrea for today’s question! Got a question idea? Submit yours here.

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FadBurger Avatar

Funny enough I was just sick so this is fresh in my mind…I wore eye and cheek makeup but just lip balm on my lips…I was coughing and stuff and didn’t want to infect my good makeup…not to mention I just didn’t want to deal with it…

Michelle Avatar

I simplify my routine because when I’m sick, I’m super lazy. I’ve been mildly sick (sore throat, stuffy nose) for three days now, and today I did the bare minimum needed to cover flaws and highlight at least one good feature. If I’m too sick to leave the house (or room), I skip makeup.

Heaven Avatar

when I’m sick and have to go somewhere, like school or work, I HAVE to wear makeup to hide my sickly face. but I will avoid lipgloss, and also…the makeup around my nose will end up coming off after blowing my nose all day. it sucks to be sick and try to look pretty simultaneously!! 🙁

TygerKitty Avatar

Doesn’t change at all unless it’s something super serious – eye infections are the worst, all new eye makeup! If it’s a weekend sometimes I go without any makeup but if I’m not sick enough to stay home from work then it’s game on.

Veronica Avatar

Depends on the sick we’re talking about. If we’re talking, “at home hugging the porcerlain goddess” type of sick, then I’m usually found curled up in a ball of apathetic misery and probably still in my bedclothes, much less bothering with makeup.

If we’re talking about a minor cold or something similar, it generally depends on the symptons. If it’s affecting my sinuses, no eyeliner or lip color, since both will wind up getting smudged at some point. If it’s affecting the general pallor of my skin, then I’ll wear foundatin and layer my concealer more opaquely around the eyes to tone down the dark circles.

CatherineM Avatar

It depends on how sick I am. If I’m okay enough to go to work I still put on makeup, but use waterproof mascara (I tend to tear up whenever I have a cold). But if I’m staying at home I don’t use any makeup at all.

artemis Avatar

well…when i catch a cold i don’t go to school cause my nose and eyes are watery and i can’t take light..so i just stay at home alone 😀 (well, w/ my parents but i don’t need make-up for that) it would all get smudged anyway

Niki Avatar

If I have to go to work and I am sick, I still wear makeup but just some liner, mascara, concealer and maybe some blush for I don’t want to look sick and wearing makeup makes me feel better. However, when I am home, I don’t wear makeup sick or not.

Stephanie! Makeup artist Avatar

I keep my eyes simple and put on a bright lipstick, and bright blush. When I’m sick, my eyes usually show I bring the attention on the bottom of my face. So foundation (to show a healty carnation), pink blush (I like MAC Well Dressed), highlight on the apple of the cheak, concealer (don’t forget the upper lid), a bit of powder to fix, Make Up Forever concealer pen in the inner lid (to open the eyes), mascara (only on upper lashes if you’re affraid it may smudge or your eyes are wet), and bright lipstick like a bold fushia, pink or red.

Hope my English is understandable! French is my first language. 🙂

Nicole Avatar

I don’t wear makeup, when I’m sick. I only use Kaufmanns Kindercreme (which is not a makeup, but a baby care product) for my lips and irriteted, dry area around my nose. That’s it.

Dana Avatar

Depends on how sick I am! If I am so sick that I don’t leave the house then nothing.

If I am well enough to go to work then I pretty much wear the same foundation, I just do less eye makeup, and use eyeshadow to brighten and look fresh. Just because I am sick it doesn’t mean I have to look it. I usually make sure to bring extra concealer or some foundation with me to touch up the nose area, and reduce redness.

Por Avatar

When I’m sick, I don’t use lipgloss that uses a wand in a tube. I use lipgloss from a squeeze tube only. I don’t like the idea of putting germs from my mouth when I’m sick directly back into a tube of lipgloss. It could just be in my head, but I don’t want to spoil the lipgloss sooner. If I did want to use a lipgloss with wand, I would transfer the gloss from the applicator to a palette first and then apply from the palette with a lip brush. All other parts of my makeup routine remain the same.

Clara Avatar

If my face is red then I make sure I use enough foundation/concealer to cover up the redness. I don’t really change anything…! I guess make sure I don’t use lipgloss because I wouldn’t really be able to clean the germs off the wand.

Kimberly Avatar

Definitely! If I’m so sick I can’t get out of bed, I wouldn’t bother with it, but if I just have a bad cold I go ahead and put some on. I usually put on very light eyeshadow, brightener underneath my eyes, toned-down blush, and some kind of lip tint. It’s *just enough* so I don’t look like I’m dead. If it’s really bad, only lipbalm!

Rebecca Avatar

I tend to not wear makeup when im sick, but if I do have to go somewhere for whatever reason I will throw on some powder foundation and mascara and go, I will typically wash my face immediately when I get home haha!

M. Avatar

I just give up totally when I’m sick. Even if there’s not a risk of re-infection, it’s not going to make a significant difference in my mood or appearance if the illness is making me into death warmed over.

Shayna Avatar

If I still have to go to work when I’m sick I do foundation, concealer, blush, mascara and lip balm. If anything else: Nothing, except maybe a little concealer if going anywhere else. My dark circles are especially horrible when I’m sick. 🙁

Yumi Avatar

it depends, my skin goes to shit when i’m sick, but i still have to go to school/work so i usually just don’t use any lipstick, eye products, or blush. just foundation and a bit more concealer than usual to hide it as best i can. if i’m at home i don’t wear makeup at all, but that’s normal for me even when i’m well.

Mariella Avatar

When I’m sick, I feel better if I can wash my face, put on some moisturizer and lip balm before heading back to bed (if I have a fever, I find my lips can get really chapped). Just washing my face makes me feel somewhat better. If I’m only a bit sick and still have to work, I find I really need concealer and probably some blush since I am pale to start with and get paler and my under eye circles get bluer when I’m sick and not sleeping well as a result.

Rainy Avatar

If I’m going to school, I usually just throw some gloss or MAC Gaga 1 on and wear bright oversized sunglasses.
If I’m stuck at home, I usually take the time to mess around with new techniques or looks. It actually helps calm my anxiety too.

Chester Avatar

Being sick myself at the moment with a hefty bronchitis, mascara is the only thing I wear when I have to leave the house. When I’m just home I don’t bother. Unless I have a commitment to my blog where I have look posts scheduled.

Em Avatar

If I’m sick, but still have to leave the house to go to school, work, or run errands, then I wear concealer, some powder, usually a bright blush to brighten up my face, and lots of mascara to wake up my eyes. If I’m home sick, then I don’t wear makeup at all (but I never wear makeup when I’m at home anyway).

Joan Avatar

At the height of sickness, absolutely no makeup. As I’m recovering, absolutely yes to ditching the PJs and putting on clothes and makeup. It just lifts my spirits and assists my recovery.

A dear friend succumbed to ALS last May. I had seen her 5 months prior. Although she had lost her ability to speak and had a tube for feedings, she was in full makeup that she had applied herself, and was so beautiful. That’s one of the fond memories of her that I cling to.

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