How to look your best – even when you don’t feel it

You can barely breathe from a blocked nose, your eyes are watery and all the sneezing and coughing has left a mountain of tissue near you. There are few things worse than a bad cold. More so when your packed schedule won’t let you sit back with a hot mug of tea and your favourite movies/books. I know you feel miserable, but the good news is, you don’t have to look it. So whether it’s a presentation you just can’t postpone or a friend’s engagement party, these are my tips to ensure you look your best.

Give your skin some TLC
Your skin can get extremely dehydrated when you have a cold, so as good as a hot shower feels, turn the knob towards blue and shower in tepid water because hot water will further dry out your skin. Once done, ensure you moisturise – especially the area around your nostrils – which is probably sore from blowing your nose. Stay away from anything that has any AHAs and BHAs and skip your retinol as they can further strip the skin at this time. Pop your eye cream in the fridge while you shower – a lower temperature will help reduce the puffiness around your eyes.

Keep things light
Stay away from weighty, full coverage foundations that will make dehydrated, flaky skin look worse and opt instead for lighter textures that will hydrate. A good option is the It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream that gives you ample coverage (so no redness peeks through) while looking and feeling like second skin. Additionally its skincare properties (it’s infused with an anti-ageing serum packed with collagen, peptides, niacin, hyaluronic acid, antioxidants and vitamins A, B, C and E) will ensure your skin feels hydrated through the day.

Pick bronzer over blush
While blush might give you a healthy flush on a regular basis, in this case, it will only serve to play up the redness in your skin. Bronzer on the other hand will not only warm up your complexion, it will also add a slight glow. I like the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer that gives you a healthy, sun-kissed complexion.

Glosses over matte
Step away from the matte lipsticks and pick from your glosses and velvet textured lipsticks. Dry, chapped lips are another downside of having a cold and swiping on your favourite matte lipstick will only make them look and feel worse. A creamy or glossy texture on the other hand will keep your lips from drying further. I like a Bobbi Brown lipgloss called Rose Sugar that is glossy without being sticky. The newly launched Mamonde Highlight Lip Tints that come in cheery colours to perk up your complexion also work well.

Go easy on the eyes
When your eyes are all watery and itchy it’s best to keep things simple – and smudge proof. Pick a cream shadow like the MAC Paintpot in Groundwork – it’s light enough to open up the eyes, making you look more awake and healthier. Line your waterline with a flesh-toned pencil like the Urban Decay 24/7 Waterline Eye Pencil in Walk of Shame that will help neutralise redness. If you’re of a deeper skin tone like me (NC42), the MAC Powersurge pencil works better as it is a bit warmer, though slightly metallic. I would skip mascara completely, but if you must the Eyeko Sport Waterproof Mascara holds up pretty well to teary eyes.

I hope you find these helpful! Though I’d rather you were able to get some rest if you’re down with a cold. What do you do to look and feel your best when you’re ill?