Covid Masks and Making the Most of What’s on Show!
In this Article
Treating your skin to a detox
It’s all about the eyes
Decorative face coverings
Why not go all out with glitter?!
Saving face with Sönd
Last summer, my best friend sent me a selfie of her on a train. She asked me, given that she had a full fringe, bob styled hair, sunglasses and a face mask, what the point was of her actually having a face anymore.
And I must admit, I sort of agreed, there was none of it on show. Whilst I’m fully respectful to those who choose to cover their faces for religious or cultural reasons, for my bestie and me, that’s not our ‘normal’.
I’ve definitely questioned the point of the existence of lipstick nowadays. And I’m someone who purposefully chose the cherriest of red lipsticks to boldly hand my notice in at work once. So I LOVE lipstick. In days gone by, I never felt properly made up without a slick of lippy (and a generous spraying of Chanel).
But in today's pandemic dominated world, we must do all we can to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. A major part of that, is wearing a face mask or face covering.
For the most part, when we’re outside of our homes, we need to be wearing a face mask. (Unless we’re medically exempt.) There’s also whispers of it becoming the law to wear a face covering when we’re outside walking or exercising.
This means that lipstick is most definitely out, bar the odd kitchen edition or Zoom party. Because as many of us are well aware, face masks quickly become covered in our makeup, lipstick included.
So, are you like me and have lost your signature look with your red lippy now covered up by a mask?
If so, I have good news. It’s time to focus on the areas we can still see… The eyes, eyebrows and surrounding skin! Here’s how to make the most of what’s still on show (assuming you’re not in sunglasses of course…)
Treating your skin to a detox
First up, all that lovely skin above our face coverings. If the only skin on show is that of our upper face, then that skin needs to do a lot of work. Healthy, glowing skin is the dream for many of us, but it takes work. Especially if your skin has gone lockdown loopy .
That’s why a regular skin care routine is essential. And this is the bit where we tell you how amazing our skin care products are!
Everything, from our cream cleanser to our day and night moisturisers, toner and serum have been carefully developed by us to care for skin that’s stressed out, undernourished or contrary. You only need to read our Skin Stories to discover what our fans are saying about us.
Regardless of your skin type, the skin on our faces benefits from regular detoxing to help keep the pores clear. Using a face mask (as in what we used to call “face packs”, rather than a face covering) such as our Purifying Clay Face Mask helps to draw impurities from the skin such as excess oil, deep set dirt, grime and makeup, cellular debris and bacteria.
If left, these unwanted elements can lead to blocked pores. And what do blocked pores equal? That’s right, spots, blemishes and acne breakouts.
We’ve added nothing but zeolite and bentonite clays to our mask. Together, they naturally draw impurities away from the skin, leaving it clean and clear. Because who wants breakouts on the only bit of skin the world can see?!
It’s all about the eyes
Only ever have a dramatic lip or a dramatic eye, never both. Or so they say. We advocate expressing ourselves through makeup however we like!
But in the days of lipstick redundancy, it’s all about a strong eye. If you’re unsure how to create drama around the eyes, there are literally thousands of makeup tutorials online and on YouTube.
Practice makes perfect. And the beauty is, we can practice every day with a new look and if it goes wrong, we’re probably not leaving the house anyway! So perfect your power brows, feline liner flicks, smoky eye shadow and home-applied fake lashes and away you go.
You’ll probably never have felt so glam in the supermarket checkout queue! (Honestly, look around you next time. So many people are going all out for the weekly shop. I wore a bright pink pleated midi skirt, sparkly jumper and fake fur coat last time I went.)
Decorative face coverings
The majority of us that can wear a mask or face covering have now adjusted to the fact that normal life now means wearing one. So, if we have to wear one, why not make it a statement one?
Rather than the disposable ‘medical’ type face masks that are designed to be thrown away after one use, opt for a reusable one. Fabric face masks can be washed and used again and again (hello environment!). And what’s more, they’re available in all manner of colourful designs and patterns!
I’ve even seen face masks with slogans and political messages on them, so if a little bit of activism is your thing, then go for it!
Match them to your outfit or mood, and be as extravagant or as classically understated as you like.
Fantastic Hair
It isn’t just about our faces. We can also make more of our hair to make up for our faces being half covered if that makes us feel a bit down.
Even though hairdressers are closed, we can use home dye kits if we’re brave enough. Or even trim our own locks and maybe add in a new set of bangs if we’re feeling really brave.
DIY hair jobs aside, just doing our hair as if we’re going “out out” (and we’re actually only popping to the shop for essentials) can be enough to make us feel a little bit more like our true selves.
Why not go all out with glitter?!
Who ever said that glitter was only for festivals or pool parties?
Only last weekend I was invited to a friends Zoom birthday party, and the theme was drag and all things fabulous. So I dug out my old festival makeup box (that wasn’t opened for the whole of 2020) and applied glitter to my face with gin fuelled abandon.
Drag themed Zoom parties aside, why not add a bit of sparkle for a Saturday night on the sofa? Or, as we’ve all become fans of kitchen parties, glam up and add some glitter to your cheekbones or around your eyes. Or, why not body glitter? Decorate your arms, legs or decolletage and dance the night away.
(OK, so technically if we’re at home, we don’t need to be wearing a face mask. But we all need a bit of cheering up, so I couldn’t help but throw some glitter all over this article…)
If you can, try to make it eco glitter that biodegrades. Otherwise, you’re just washing ready made microplastics down the drain when you rinse it all off.
Saving face with Sönd
We know that times are hard right now. We all have our different struggles and anxieties. We’re not in any way making light of this global situation, but we’re trying to add a little bit of lightheartedness through the sad and difficult times.
Make sure you’re following us on social media to keep up to date with all our product launches and skin care advice. You’ve got this!
References
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/oct/22/glitter-environment-microplastics-hazard