Since COVID-19, our lives have completely changed, and that includes our makeup and skincare routines. There are new concerns now that did not exist prior to COVID-19. One major change is that we have to wear face masks in certain places. Wearing a face mask means that much of your face makeup, and all of your lip makeup are pretty much unseen, which can have a major impact on how you do your makeup each day before going out, and what you focus on. So today, I will talk about some of these makeup changes, and easier ways to do our makeup in this new world of face masks.

Focus On The Eyes

Wearing a face mask covers half of your face, so your eyes are the main focus, and often the only thing that people will see when they look at you while wearing a face mask. This makes eyes crucial and helps justify fully decking them out.

Previously before COVID-19, the main focus was on natural seamless undetectable makeup. Now, the eyes are getting nice pops of color and eye makeup is becoming far more vibrant and bold on a regular; more colorful eye looks are making their way back into daily makeup styles. Makeup styles that I have seen recently include bright eyeshadows, such as greens, blues, and reds that are worn as eyeshadows or as eyeliners.

Since COVID-19, my makeup has also changed. On occasion, I will wear false eyelashes alone for my eye makeup look without eyeshadow or eyeliner. I also started following the new trend by wearing more vibrant bright eyeshadows on a daily basis, regardless of where I am going or the season. When you focus on one or two aspects of your makeup, it is much faster to get ready and very convenient, so this is a nice refreshing change.

Here are some fun, vibrant, bright eyeshadows to play with in our beauty store this holiday season!

Lips Unseen

I love a beautiful red lip. Red, purple, and burgundy lips go amazingly well with darker skin tones. Unfortunately, wearing pigmented bright lipsticks like these with a face mask will destroy your face masks, and likely permanently stain them. Even if you can get the red stains out, you are still going to have to wash your face masks more frequently because they are going to look dirty more easily and quickly. These days, you can buy an insert to put inside of your face masks to protect them from lip makeup, as well as to give you an extra layer of protection in the form of a charcoal filter. Nevertheless, this is a bit inconvenient, and it is an extra purchase that you have to make during a time when money and work are uncertain. Thus, rather than wear lipstick, I have switched over to lip tints and tinted lip balms most days. Lip tints will stain the lips well and go into the skin, so they are less likely to get on your face masks the way that lipsticks will. In terms of tinted lip balms, their color is subtle and less pigmented, so they wash out of face masks more easily.

Another good way to pair your lip makeup with your face mask is to skip dark and highly pigmented lipsticks altogether. Instead, you could go for nude matte lipsticks or natural ‘my lips but better’ lipsticks. These pink and nude lipstick colors are not likely to permanently stain your face masks the way that a red, black, or purple lipstick would. They also wash out of face masks much more easily.

When it comes to gloss and shine, face masks are bad news for lip gloss lovers. When you have to wear face masks, lip glosses are messy, and they can cause acne breakouts from the gloss getting all over the mask. Then, the friction and movement of the face mask will get the lip gloss all over your face. Considering that we are often eating and drinking throughout the day, lip gloss can cause face mask acne because it will contain bits of food particles and bacteria from the air and our food. So, while face masks are required to be worn inside of most buildings, it is best to avoid wearing moisturizing lipsticks and lip glosses that can move around on the face, as well as dark lip colors that can permanently stain your face masks.

Given the changes that we are living with today, this is a good time to go towards natural lip colors and makeup styles. You can even choose to wear no lipstick at all or go all-natural. Lately, when I crave lipstick, I go towards matte lipsticks that will not move around on my face, but these can be drying, so they are not recommended for people with chapped or dry lips. To be safe, unpigmented lip balms and lip tints are always a winner, regardless of the health and condition of your lips; they are universal and can easily be found anywhere and everywhere as well so there is something for everyone.

Here are some lovely lipsticks and mattes to try out this holiday season!

Switch Over From Foundation To BB and CC Creams

In the new world of face masks, we need to be careful about getting too much makeup on our masks because it can cause breakouts and contaminate our faces. Furthermore, going heavy on face makeup, especially when half of your face will be covered and unseen, particularly the parts that tend to be the most scarred and need the most coverage (the cheeks and chin), can seem unnecessary and excessive. Instead, this is a good time to focus on improving your skin naturally and wearing healthier face makeup, such as BB (beauty balms) and CC (color control or color correcting) creams.

Foundation is amazing and great for hyperpigmentation, but it tends to be thicker and messier than BB and CC creams, so it will get all over your face masks. Unlike foundation, BB and CC creams tend to be lighter; they also absorb into the skin well, rather than sit heavily on top of it the way thicker foundations do. Thus, BB and CC creams are a great option for people who need extra moisture and have to wear a face mask, but do not have major skin discoloration or unevenness.

Unfortunately, BB and CC creams do have poor coverage compared to a foundation, but since mostly just the forehead and the sides of the face are showing while wearing a face mask, this is not much of a problem. However, if you do need more coverage because of scar tissue on the forehead and around the eyes and nose area, you can mix a little concealer with the BB or CC cream to give you better coverage for scars and hyperpigmentation. If this is still not enough coverage, you can wear a foundation and either wear a matte one that will transfer less or apply powder to help prevent the foundation from moving around and transferring as much onto your face masks.

When I do wear foundation, when it comes time to wash my face mask, I wear gloves and wash my mask with soap and a little bleach (if my face mask is white or light-colored), or with soap and baking soda (for colored face masks). These two methods will often remove all, or nearly all, of the makeup out of my face masks, so if you still feel like going all out with your makeup, knock yourself out! You now have a solid plan B!

Conclusion

We all have different things that make us feel stronger, more powerful, and ready to take on the world. For many women, that comes in the form of makeup. Makeup can be empowering, but it can also be a lot of fun and a great form of creative expression. You can decorate yourself however you like and just as we change every year, so can your makeup. COVID-19 has changed our lives and shaped us greatly, so naturally, your makeup style and preferences will likely evolve during this time as well. As a result, I welcome you to experiment and try out some of these new makeup trends. You never know, you just might find a new way to express yourself that adds some fun and adventure to your daily life. During a time of great stress and change, anything that excites you and inspires you to explore is precious! So, have fun experimenting with your makeup, and happy holidays everyone!

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Check out the beauty products in our store here