Now that we’re at the acceptance stage, we can move on to the phase where we don’t mind the giant piece of cloth covering half of our faces for the majority of the day. The good news is that there’s a silver lining to having half your face covered. Well, at least for some of us while others might be thinking that the last lip filler appointment was a huge waste of money. For example, I’m more than happy to cover my gigantic nose and let people assume that I have a teeny-tiny nose right under my fluttery lashes. So, chin up. Because below are the best tips on how to do your makeup when wearing a face mask.
After all, makeup and skincare are both self-care. And it might just be what you need to feel just a little bit better about yourself during these un-whatever times. And for some of us, taking some time to focus on how we look is a great way to manage anxiety.
Here’s another good news. You don’t need a foundation for this! When you think about it, you’re literally wasting your $80 foundation when you’re wearing it under the mask. Nobody sees it anyways!
It smudges and it gets dirty and cakey. And it requires additional makeup steps like setting powder and spray that just end up harming your skin without any payoff.
Since we’re using half of our face, our other senses are heightened. So you’ll be focusing on the upper part of your face. And this will be a makeup look that’s a skincare hybrid so that you don’t have to deal with maskne. Scroll down to learn how to leverage makeup to look your best with a face mask on.
1. Your skincare is your base makeup.
It’s important that you pay attention to your skincare, especially your eye cream. You want glowing skin if you happen to take off your mask and not a sweaty upper lip with sweat drops mixed in with a patchy foundation.
So, do your skincare properly. Apply your serum, your daily moisturizer, and your sunscreen on your clean face. Apply your eye cream generously.
2. Your concealer is your foundation.
Apply your concealer under your eyes and carefully blend it in with your eye cream for a creamy and natural look. You don’t need a full layer of cement-looking concealer. The creasing was annoying in the pre-pandemic era.
It’s going to be more bothersome and magnified when it happens when you’re wearing a mask. Because face masks limit the way we express ourselves. So we rely on our eyes to show emotions and when we smile, we smile intensely.
It just makes your concealer more prone to creasing. And as a result, your fine lines and crow’s feet become more visible. That’s why it’s important to pair a lightweight concealer with a good eye cream and make them work as a team.
Additionally, apply tiny dots of concealer on the cheeks, around the nose, and on any imperfections. This evens out the skin tone and covers any redness on the face. The idea is not to cover everything but to get an even base with barely-there coverage.
3. Master the art of brows and lashes.
The upper part of your face is the only part that people see when you have your face mask on. So, you need to ace your eye makeup game. Define your brows and brush them upwards for a lifting effect. Remember to secure your brows with a brow gel.
Apply your mascara generously for voluminous lashes to distract people from the mask. This is the time to take advantage of different techniques to volumize the lashes.
Try a curler before applying mascara. You can go for a tubing mascara or a waterproof one for long-day wear. If you have sparse lashes, try beginner-friendly individual lashes to amp up the volume. Stay away from cheap ones if you don’t want to deal with fall-offs all over your mask.
4. Get creative with eyeshadow.
Go for a dramatic look using colorful shades and patterns to jazz up your makeup look when wearing a face mask. You can use shimmery and creamy eyeshadows to draw attention to the eyes.
You can also try a natural look with neutral tones and use eyeliner to define your eye shape. Remember to play with different wings and try not to go for a thick line. Because it’ll end up giving you a very angry look with closed eyes.
5. Move up the bronzer and the blush.
A bronzer applied on the upper part of the cheekbones as opposed to the lower part lifts up your face. This is a handy makeup trick even when you’re not wearing a mask.
But for our purposes, this is all about moving up the colors toward the upper part of your face as your cheeks aren’t that visible under the mask.
Apply your bronzer starting from the outer corners of your forehead and bring it down to the temples as well as on the upper part of your cheekbones.
Do one swipe over the center of the nose for a more unified and natural look. Apply a tiny amount of blush right above the cheeks and blend it almost towards the under-eye area for a natural flush of color.
6. Go for powder.
Normally, creamy products give the most natural look. But cream formulas can move around. This may not be a problem for eyeshadows. But it may be so with a bronzer, a blush, or a highlighter.
Because the friction caused by the face mask can rub your makeup off. For that reason, powder formulas may be the better choice for long-lasting and smudge-proof makeup when wearing a face mask.
Once you’re done with bronzing and blushing, apply your highlighter on the usual spots; around the outer corner of the eyes, the bridge of the nose, and the inner corner of your eyes to make the eyes pop and give them a more youthful look.
7. Make the mask work for you.
Most of us were on the fence about face masks with different colors, labels, and patterns when they first came out. It seemed opportunistic and frivolous. But at this point, single-use face masks are almost a waste of money.
While saving money on face masks, you can take advantage of different masks and try colors that complement your skin tone. You can also use face masks with patterns to reflect your mood. After all, your face mask is almost a part of your daily outfit.
So pick your colors wisely to bring out your eyes. Also, try matching your eye makeup with your face mask colors. This can help a lot with your overall look and vibe.
8. Go easy on the lips.
Even though they’re almost invisible during the day, your lips still need attention. Instead of using lipstick, use a lip balm to keep your lips hydrated and plump. If you wear a mask for a long period of time, there’s no need to use lipstick just to smudge it all over your face mask.
9. Don’t forget your hair.
Don’t shy away from playing around with different hair colors and styles. This is a confidence boost in itself. But good hair care will also take your makeup to another level.
Try a sleek bun and wear stud earrings. It always looks classy. You can let your hair down and wear different hairpieces for a more cheerful look.
Finally, set everything in place with a setting spray and wear a nice fragrance for a mood lift. And never take off your face mask for your own safety.
So this is how you can do your makeup when wearing a face mask so you feel comfortable, look good, and avoid mess at the same time.
