Grace Power & Beauty

From breakouts to puffy eyes, under-eye circles to cold sores, there are so many ways in which our skin causes us problems. While it’s nature’s way of telling us we’re not doing something we’re supposed to, it would be far more preferred if it gave us signs in less obvious ways.

However, if you’re suffering from puffy eyes or dark under-eye circles from a lack of sleep or an acne breakout from a poor diet or stress, you’ll find it’s not quite the end of the world. Makeup becomes your knight in shining armour, ready to hide those skin imperfections so that no one knows they even existed. Here’s how.

Puffy Eyes

Puffy eyes mean you have excess fluid in the connective tissue around your eye. Typically, it’s caused by crying, trauma, or even a lack of sleep. While it looks like it’s there to stay, there are ways in which to give it its marching orders. Firstly, you will need to invest in a smoothing eye gel that both firms your skin and minimises swelling. It’s also helpful to purchase a highlighting pen. These are available in most makeup departments, so just ask the staff.

After storing the gel in the fridge to keep it cool, apply it to your puffy skin and let the coolness work its magic. It aims to reduce the swelling in no time. Then, using the highlighting pen, run it along underneath the hopefully now reduced puffiness around your eyes. While it’s a trick of the light, it does work by deflecting attention away from this area.

Dark Undereye Circles

If you don’t want everyone to know you’re running on coffee opposed to sleep, then let this magical concoction of products take care of the details. To remove dark under-eye circles, you’ll need moisturiser, a concealer that’s quite creamy and a touch lighter than your skin tone, translucent powder, and a makeup brush.

Firstly, apply the moisturizer around your eyes and leave it to absorb into your skin for a few minutes. Put concealer on your makeup brush and apply it to dark areas of your eye, starting from the inner corner. Once you’ve got the concealer on the affected area, use your finger to dab it gently, then add powder with an eyeshadow brush to blend it. While it might seem like a complicated process, it’s well worth it when you see how effective it is.

Cold Sores

Many people are affected by cold sores, painful clusters of blisters caused by the herpes simplex virus. If you’ve woken up to find you’ve got the beginning stages of a cold sore, there’s no reason to panic. Makeup can come to the rescue and conceal it in no time. Firstly, you’ll need to apply an ointment that can keep the cold sore moist. Typically, you can buy these specifically for cold sores from a pharmacy.

The next step is to apply concealer using a Q-tip as close to your skin colour around your lips as possible. It’s also crucial not to use the same Q-tip for each time you dip it into the concealer, as this can heighten the risk of reoccurring cold sores.  Blend it in nicely, then when it comes time to do your lipstick for the day, opt for a subtle colour that eyes won’t be drawn to. You want to detract from the cold sore, not bring people closer to it.

Breakouts

Pimples – we’ve all had them, but that doesn’t make them any nicer to deal with. When you wake up with a breakout or a single pimple, it’s time to take action. Use a really thick concealer that perfectly matches your skin tone, and get translucent powder at the ready. Don’t use too much concealer, just dot it over the area with a brush. You don’t want it to be too obvious what’s underneath. You can then smooth the area over with a translucent powder, and it will be like it never existed!

Skin imperfections can be a drag on your day, especially if your job or lifestyle involves working with people. While we’re all prone to breakouts, puffy eyes and under-eye circles from time to time, it doesn’t mean we have to wait for them to run their course. Try any of these techniques to hide them, and watch as no one says or notices a thing.