It only took a short time for mask-wearing to become a fashion statement. And while I don’t think you need 10 masks to match all of your outfits or one with a giant Balenciaga logo (unless you absolutely love that, then do you), I think there’s a misconception that because we’re wearing face masks we don’t get to look good. Oh, the contrary, friends. Wearing a mask is absolutely even more of an excuse to get dolled up if you ask me. So whether you’re on a socially distant picnic, heading to the grocery store (since that’s our #1 reason to dress up right now), or walking around the neighborhood, you have every right and reason to look and feel your absolute best.
Aside from getting used to the activity of wearing a mask, there are a few obstacles you might have to go through. Breakouts and irritated skin, a sweatier-than-usual face, and not knowing how to accessorize might be among them. So, we’re sharing all the ways to look and feel just like your regular self—even with a cloth face mask on.
Of course, “looking good” is always relative and absolutely not the most important thing going on right now. But if getting dressed up and feeling put-together brings a little joy and confidence to your day, you’ve come to the right place.
1. Hydrated, Smooth Skin
A good base always starts with skin that looks and feels smooth and hydrated. Without skin prep, your makeup can look cakey, dry, and heavy on your skin, and that’s not a good feeling ever, but especially when you’re wearing a mask across the top of it. Prep your skin for the day with products that hydrate and soothe. Our favorites right now are SNP Prep’s Cicaronic line. If you’re experiencing irritation, breakouts, dryness, and itchiness from wearing your face mask, trust us: these products are essentials to have in your routine. Made with a patented CICA-Trio Complex (essentially Centella Asiatica AKA Tiger Grass, an up-and-coming ingredient that helps with rosacea, redness, irritation, and more), the products are created for tired, irritated skin that needs a little pick-me-up. Not to mention, they also contain three unique hyaluronic acid complexes that not only hydrate your skin but retain the moisture it already has, which is especially important when you’re adding a ton of products on top of your skin all day. These are the two products from the line that are basically a necessity for mask-wearing or anyone needing maximum hydration:
Cicaronic SOS Ampoule
OK, first of all, imagine the fun of putting these on every day. You use one ampoule a day for seven days to help your skin look and feel hydrated and comfortable. You know the feeling: your face is tight, bumpy, itchy, and red from all the time spent sweating under a mask. Using these every day for a week helps calm all of that, while boosting your skin’s hydration to make it less likely to happen in the future.
I love that these almost feel like a self-care treat. Amidst all the stress and anxiety of the world right now, we deserve a little something-something every morning to get us excited and ready to take on whatever the day has in store for us.
Cicaronic Soothing Cream
We all know the importance of moisturizing your skin before putting makeup on, and this cream is essentially an intense, concentrated version of that. Use it as the last step of your skincare routine (before SPF!) to lock in all those amazing properties of the ampoules and keep your skin feeling comfortable all day long. This product works amazing when paired with the ampoules, but it’s also great to continue even after the seven days are up to keep up those calming properties. It’s made with the same Cicaronic Complex that creates a smooth canvas for sensitive skin.
This product is ultra-rich, but it has a lightweight gel-texture that is really comfortable to wear on hot summer days or under makeup. If you struggle with irritated skin on the regular, this is a great addition to your morning routine.
2. Groomed Brows
Brows are the frame of your face, so when your brows look amazing, it’s hard to notice anything else, like your blemish on your forehead or the under-eye bags from staying up all night watching Love Island (once you start, you cannot stop!). Groomed brows in 2020 take many different shapes—literally. You’ve got the foxy brow from Bella Hadid, or the model brow a la Cara Delevigne, or the Instagram brow. If the last few years have taught you anything, it’s that brow trends will come and go—so just pick the style that looks the best on your face! Keep your brows groomed in whatever way works best for you.
If you can’t make it to your brow appointment, no worries—makeup can fix that. Luckily, bushy, unwaxed brows have been a trend the last few years, so embrace it. Fill in the sparse areas with a thin brow pencil in hairlike strokes, and go over it all with a brow gel (tinted to add some extra volume, or clear to set down the hairs).
Micro-Fluff Sculpting Brow Cream
All I have to say about recommending this is you’re welcome because you’re about to have the best brow days of your life. Whether you like incredibly fluffy brows or something a little cleaner, the thin brush on this brow gel gets it done.
Brow-Fro Baby Hair Eyebrow Pencil
A classic brow pencil is a necessity in your makeup kit, and we love this ultra-thin one from UOMA Beauty. It’s available in a variety of shades too, so everyone can have good brows. Oh, happy day!
3. Bold Lashes
You can definitely pair this with a bold eyeshadow, a winged liner, or whatever it is you like to do on your eyes, but in a pinch, adding a few coats of mascara brightens your eyes like nothing else. There is so much you can do with mascara that you basically don’t even need eyeshadow to play with your look every day. To get the cat-eye effect without the wing, angle the wand slightly and focus the most of the product on the outer corner of your lashes. Want a more doe-eyed look? Focus the mascara right in the center of the lashes, making the center the longest point. You can also experiment with putting mascara on your lower lashes or keeping them bare. Typically, your eyes actually bigger without the added mascara on the bottom.
To really amp them up, I like to use two mascaras: one that focuses on keeping them long and lush, and another that amps up the volume. But I also love putting a little waterproof brown mascara on my lashes for a no-makeup look that won’t smudge when I get inevitably very sweaty on my 2pm lunch break walk.
Exhibitionist Mascara
And this, my friends, is my drugstore favorite. Bold lashes are easy-peazy with this mascara due to its hourglass-shaped wand and dry formula that doesnt smudge.
4. Bronzed Skin
Your skin looks flat and dull without a little warm bronzer, especially in the summer. Although some of your face will be covered, the tops of your cheekbones and forehead are a great place to add a little extra color to your skin. It’s that je ne sais quoi of summer beauty. Did she spend all Saturday reading in the sunshine drinking spritzes? (If we’re talking about me, she was drinking White Claws, but that’s beside the point.) Those areas are typically where you’d get the most sun anyway, so it looks natural.
When I know I’ll be wearing a mask for a long period of time, I’ve been sticking with powder bronzer over cream because it stays put and has less transfer to the inside of the mask. I also am diligent about keeping the majority of the product on the upper half of my face, avoiding the area that mask covers as much as possible.
Airbrush Matte Bronzer
The price point on this bronzer might shock you at first, but its actually a decent deal when you look at how much bronzer you get. If you love Charlotte’s Airbrush Flawless Setting Powder, you’ll recognize this formula. It blends into the skin like no bronzer Ive ever used.
Bronzer
Mented’s newest release is this bronzer, and it has summer written all over it. It’s available in four shades ranging from medium light to deep dark. If you struggle to find your shade in bronzers typically, this is a good one to check out.
5. Accessories
Just because you have a mask on doesn’t mean you can’t wear jewelry, especially earrings. Adding a pair of hoops or dangling earrings sounds like a lot of extra work, but seeing your earrings peek out from behind your mask shows you put that little bit of effort in. Also, get creative with your necklaces, bracelets, and more. We like to stick with one statement piece of jewelry and then a few dainty pieces to round out the look.
While some use jewelry to accessorize their outfits, I like to match mine to my makeup—because well, it’s just who I am. Since I can’t go for bold lips anymore, I’m loving adding a bright earring to match whatever my eye makeup is saying, or a simple gold necklace that brings the eye up to the face. Don’t forget all of your hair accessories either! A headband or clip is the best way to get your hair out of your face, effectively preventing some of the extreme sweat that’s about to happen on your face.
Sloan Two Earrings
You can’t go wrong with a classic pair of hoops for literally every occasion, outfit, and style. We love that these are a matte gold that are hypoallergenic and completely affordable.
Tortoise Bobby Pin Set
Get your hair out of your face with these totally stylish tortoise bobby pins. For less than $10, you get six unique hair clips you might actually not want to lose!
This post was in partnership with SNP, but all of the opinions within are those of The Everygirl editorial board.
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