Beauty Tips (for that time of the month)

On average, the amount of time a woman will spend on her period in her lifetime equates to the length of 10 years. Although I can accept this as part of being a woman, I never rejoice when Mother Nature pays her monthly visit to make me, like so many, feel tired, sick, and just overall not the best. But no matter how much we would like to spend this span of days in bed or in a warm bath, we instead have to carry on and get things done. Mostly I grin and bear it pretty well, but the strain that my period puts on my appearance is a lot of times the insult to injury that I have a hard time overcoming. These are moments when relishing in the practice of my beauty routine really helps, especially by keeping some tips in mind:

Be OK with Whatever Amount of “Beauty Time” You Want to Spend: Don't feel like you have to spend a whole lot of extra time to make yourself I struggle with my own advice here but feel much better when I follow it. This is definitely a time where listening to my body's needs is more important than my compulsion to look flawless . So if your heart is nagging you that you will need to wake up an hour earlier than normal to do the perfect full face of makeup and still get all the other things in your morning done on time,but your body is begging you to let it sleep. then sleep. You will feel so much better for it, and your symptoms may be much more easily endured. Plus, putting pressure on yourself to look perfect when you don't feel well can just make you feel worse.

Use Light, Buildable Coverage: I can have a real tendency to nitpick my face, especially when on my period. Like most, this time of the month brings more blemishes for me to deal with ,and I do cover them. But no matter how widespread the breakout, I still want to get away with wearing the smallest amount of makeup possible. This allows the skin to feel more comfortable and heal faster. As to what to cover, I start out with the most prominent blemishes with a concealer (mineral powder or cream concealers work best), blend that in, and slowly add more layers as needed. This gradual layering of a lighter coverage product, even over a wider expanse of the face, will provide a much more natural-looking effect overall while still covering all you want to cover without the potentially masklike look of thick foundation.

Embrace the Flushed Face: Many of us get redder cheeks when we have our periods. I do too, though mine come and go to where I flush heavily one moment but can look quite gray in the next. But because I know that flushes will be coming, I feel better about skipping blush all together. For those who remain looking (or feeling) a bit dull, you might try wearing your favorite bolder lip or eyeshadow to brighten your complexion. Opting for a brighter shade will enliven your face without the bother of adding a cheek color.

Adjust the Point of Emphasis: This is my favorite breakout distraction technique. Though they can pop up anywhere, two places we commonly experience breakouts as women, and especially hormonally-based ones, are on the chin and jawline or on the forehead. Mine are almost always on my jawline, but it varies from month to month. My tactic here is to find the area where your blemishes are the most and emphasize the opposite part of the face. (i.e. if more noticeable blemishes seem to be on the forehead,play up the lips. If on the chin, emphasize the eyes). But if the eyes are to take centerstage, I'd never try a winged liner or anything overly complicated. Instead, try a one-shadow smoky eye look utilizing any medium-to-dark color. The deeper color will help to recede any puffiness of the eye and will also blend with any dark circles you may have. Overall, the sunken in eyes will add to the effect of the smoky look, making undereye concealer optional.

Indulge in Perfume: Wear your favorite fragrance. Scent is such a powerful mood-shifter and can have quite a pleasant, de-stressing effect. Plus, there are some perfumes that seem to transport me into a whole other time and place, which really cheers me up. Also, having a pretty aroma around me keeps me feeling fresh and pulled together, even though I might not always be feeling that way.

The most important thing to remember during that time of the month is to do everything to de-stress You may have your own ways of dealing with your beauty routine at this time of the month is to do everything you can to feel comfortable and beautiful. Wearing an extra-bright red lipstick and my favorite perfume does it for me, but you will find your own ways. The goal, as always, is to love yourself, even when the monthly "friend" comes 'round.