It’s that time again.. I don’t know about you but my eyes are definitely starting to itch…
While there is no doubt it’s so lovely to see all the beautiful flowers and trees in bloom, I’ve also no doubt that the dread of hayfever is also starting to set in on the millions of people that suffer from it. According to Allergy UK, “Allergic rhinitis (hay fever) is the most common form of non-infectious rhinitis, affecting between 10% and 30% of all adults and as many as 40% of children Pawankar R, et al, 2013)”
Personally I had never suffered from hay fever until about 5 years ago. I hear this a lot – more and more people are starting to suffer with it; I don’t think living and working in London helps. Mine seems to vary from year to year but every time it is my eyes that suffer. They run, itch and puff up 🙁 I still wear make-up though, it definitely helps their appearance and helps how I’m feeling – trust me, bare-eyed would not be good!
So here are a few of my tips to get make-up to help you through the hayfever season…
- Keep make-up simple.
- Avoid light shimmery eyeshadows as they will highlight puffy lids. Go for matter colours in mid to darker tones. Avoid browns that have any kind of red in them, as these can make your eyes look tired and bring out any redness you might already have.
- A dark matt liner along the top of the lash line can help to knock back the puffiness and give your eyes some definition. If black is too harsh, try a grey or a neutral dark brown. A good matt eyeshadow is also good to use for a softer line. Smudge a little bit on the bottom outer corners as well if you need some definition.
- A nude or cream pencil drawn along your inner lower rim can help to brighten eyes and counter against any redness. You can also use white but nude colours will be softer and less stark.
- Curl lashes and go for black mascara if you’re wearing it – I found that black can make the whites of eyes look whiter, while some browns can make them look redder as mentioned above.
- Chances are if you’re suffering with your eyes, you’ve got dark circles underneath them too. No matter how much sleep you get, they’re probably not going to shift if an allergy is the problem. A good concealer is what is needed here. Also blusher is an amazing way to lift the complexion and draw attention away from dark circles.
- At the end of the day make sure that you are removing your make-up properly, I try and do it as soon as I get home. Any niggly bits of mascara left over night can irritate your eyes even more. Use an effective but gentle eye make-up remover. Choose something with cornflower, chamomile or eyebright to help soothe further.
Are you a hay fever sufferer? What are your top tips to help survive the season??
