Toya Smith Marshall, of The Life of A Ladybug shares how to turn a sick day, into a get well, beauty day….

Sick day beauty

Today is a sick day for me. I didn’t stay home from work, but I’m still feeling sick as a dog. I have an awful cold and, as we all know, it’s hard to look your prettiest on days like this. So, I want to give you some tips on “Sick day beauty.”

I’ve seen that, lots of times, women try to cover up their “sick face.” Honey, give it a rest - you can’t cover up the fact that you’re sick … you just can’t. When you’re sick, trust me … less is more.

1. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! This time of year, our skin tends to get dry, anyway. But if you’re blowing your nose constantly, that area is going to get reddened and dry and flaky. Make sure to add extra moisturizer in any dry areas. Use a thicker moisturizer than you use on the rest of your face. It’s okay to use a bit of eye cream, which tends to be a heavier cream, or even a bit of Vaseline, around your nose.

2. It’s probably not best to use powder foundation. Using powder will only exacerbate any dryness or flakiness. If you do want to use powder, only dust it on places that aren’t dried out - dust a little on your forehead and cheeks, to keep down shine. If you do want to use foundation, try a more moisturizing formulation, like a stick or liquid foundation and only put it where you need it.

3. Concealer is your friend. Use it under your eyes, to counter any darkness that may result from those sleepless nights spent coughing and sneezing. Also, apply it around your nose, to counter the redness. Stick concealer is good, because it’s portable so you can reapply during the day and because it tends to be a bit heavier. When applying it to your dry, red nose, make sure to rub in a bit of moisturizer first, so you aren’t calling attention to any dryness.

4. Blush! You have to use blush. If you have dry skin, use a creamy formulation or use powder, if you have normal or oily skin. Blush will instantly brighten your face and make you look …….

read on……..

Toya Smith Marshall is the Founder, Owner and Writer of “The Life of A Ladybug”, a blog that is devoted to discovering the best makeup products and tips for women of color. Currently, in addition to posting product reviews and tips and trends, “The Life of A Ladybug” is featuring the series “Bronzers for Brown Girls”, in which Toya talks about the wonderful variety of bronzers out there for women of color. Toya is a licensed makeup artist, a professional belly dancer, a wife and a mother of a breathtaking daughter.
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