I have a watery eye problem. Sometimes it’s in one eye, sometimes it’s both. It can range from barely noticeable to stop-me-on-the-street-because-you-think-I’m-balling-my-eyes-out bad. Don’t be fooled by my teary eyes, I’m not having an emotional breakdown, it’s allergies. And I’m not alone.
According to a recent survey commissioned by the makers of ZYRTEC®, 96% of women with allergy symptoms suffer from ALLERGY FACE™ – the beauty challenges resulting from watery eyes, a red nose, and a puffy face. Clearly it doesn’t stop me from moving and shaking (although it is quite embarrassing). However for the 1,000 female allergy sufferers surveyed we learned that 50% of women with allergies have missed out on something, such as a party or date, because of their allergy-related beauty woes. And nearly three in four (73%) have a “must have” item for dealing with it while on the go. The top make-up solution is concealer (32%), followed by foundation (24%). And Over half (53%) of women with allergy-related beauty challenges have worn an “allergy disguise.” Over-sized sunglasses being top pick (40%). I wasn’t apart of the survey but I can attest to that!
“According to the survey, 81% of women with allergies think they can never fully cover up their ALLERGY FACE™,” said beauty expert Rebekah George. “The reality is that allergy-related beauty challenges don’t have to get in the way of you looking your best. With the right beauty tips and solutions, you can combat ALLERGY FACE™.”
What can you do about it? According to George here are some simple steps to add to your beauty routine:
1. Go easy on the eyes – Eighty-nine percent of women experience the beauty challenge of watery eyes during allergy season, so take advantage of the big, bold brow trend, which allows you to go easy on eye makeup. Focus on shaping and penciling brows to help “wake up” your face and distract from watery eyes.
2. Go dark to distract – Darker lashes can serve as a distraction to red eyes so embrace the “wet eye” trend and apply a clear gel to give lashes a wet look. For extra definition, top with a coat of black mascara.
3. Shimmery shadows – Use a cotton swab and dab a shimmery pearl shadow on the area between the bridge of your nose and eyes. The lighter shadow helps to brighten up your face.
4. Cool looks – If you wear glasses during allergy season, don’t forget they can magnify puffy eyes. To compensate, look for a concealer two shades darker than your skin tone. Be sure to pat on the concealer with your index finger or brush.
5. Combat red nose – Fifty-six percent of women also deal with a red nose. To help deal, add an illuminating powder or liquid to the top of your cheekbones. This helps put the focus on the outer part of your cheek, which can detract from a red nose.
6. Mask with metallic – To help reduce redness under your nose, opt for an on-trend, high-shine lip gloss in a copper or bronze color.
Opt for a gentler cleanse – At the end of each day, avoid rubbing skin that may already be irritated by a runny nose. Instead, look for gentle cleansers or makeup removers.
7. Beauty Bag Blunder – Fifty-one percent of women with allergies have kept makeup for longer than one year. The easiest beauty solution is to clean out your makeup bag using the one-two-three rule. Keep blush no more than one year, mascara for about two months and check your lipstick for discoloration every three months.
8. Less is More – For one in three (34 percent) women with allergies, covering up their ALLERGY FACE™ adds more than 10 minutes to their daily routine. If you want to keep it simple and not use a lot of makeup, dampen your makeup brush to apply products. This creates a more dramatic look that distracts from your ALLERGY FACE™.
9. Au naturel and aglow – If your Allergy Face is really acting up, skip makeup altogether and apply a self-tanner for a fresh and healthy glow that lasts all day.
As for allergy symptom relief… “When my allergy symptoms flare up, I take an over the counter antihistamine like ZYRTEC®,” says Rebekah George. “ZYRTEC® gives you powerful, 24-hour allergy relief of sneezing, runny nose, itchy, watery eyes and itchy nose and throat.”
For additional information about ZYRTEC®, visit www.ZYRTEC.com. For more beauty tips on how to combat ALLERGY FACE™, visit the ZYRTEC® YouTube page, youtube.com/Zyrtec.