Beauty tip #9: makeup tips for chemo girls
Before chemo I wouldn’t wear much makeup and never felt compelled to learn more about it. But during chemo I felt so plain: pale, without lashes, with gaps in my eyebrows, without hair – chemo girls out there, you know the feeling! So to bring me a sense of ‘normality’ during the treatment, I had to recreate myself. I have to confess it was hard in the beginning, and there are days it still is. But after a while I got so used to applying eyeliner without lashes that now that the lashes are back they keep getting on the way! So below I compiled a list of makeup tricks, from chemo girl to chemo girl, and I hope they work for you too!
Tip #1: don’t be afraid to try it
Before I adventured myself into anything more than a BB cream (which I still use every day), I watched several videos on YouTube. Some videos were from other chemo girls, others from normal girls (such as Shannon). I then tried a lot at home. There were days that I put on makeup to stay at home, just to try the new tricks – as a lot of the time they didn’t quite work on my first try. Fake lashes, for example, were my biggest disappointment! I wanted them so desperately but I was so bad at it, I only managed it properly a couple of times (the other times I ruined all my eye makeup and still didn’t have lashes, argh!). So don’t give up. Make it a fun day, invite your girlfriends over and teach each other some tricks, have a laugh. Or try it in the security of your own bathroom, when there is nobody around to judge. Be prepared to accept it looks easier in the videos than done, but keep trying. With time you will figure out what works the best for your skin type, eye colour, facial shape, and your skills will improve. Also this is a great time to take some selfies, as they will help you to see how others will perceive your makeup too. Sometimes it is so different to what you are used to seeing in the mirror that you might instantly hate it, but when you see it in a photo you might be surprised.
Tip #2: hygiene is essential for beauty
As I detailed in my first beauty tip, remember that good hygiene is essential for our health during chemo. Wash your hands before applying makeup or cosmetics, and tightly close jars and tubes the after use. Never share makeup applicators, including brushes, lipstick, eyeliners, etc, and when possible, use disposable cotton tips or pads to apply creams. Use brushes, sponges or cotton balls to apply makeup, and wash sponges with a mild soap after each use.
Tip #3: Don’t apply makeup if your skin is broken
Remember to keep your skin and lips hydrated, so they don’t crack, as open wounds might get infected. If your skin is broken, avoid applying makeup until it heals to minimise risk of infection.
Tip #4: moisturise before you start
As I explained previously, chemo makes our skin feel dryer, more sensitive and delicate in general. Unfortunately, this also means that wrinkles might be more evident. My tip is to start the makeup by moisturising your skin. Also check if your facial moisturiser or your foundation has sunscreen (minimum FPS 15), otherwise apply it too.
Tip #5: make your skin look beautiful and healthy
Primers are good to help our makeup last longer and are usually applied after the moisturiser. You can also find specific primers for redness induced by steroids (given with chemo to reduce nausea and chance of an allergic reaction), such as the Smashbox Photo Finish Color Correcting Foundation Primer in green or the Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Protective Base.
There are lots of discussions about what goes next, if it is the foundation or the concealer. I suggest you try both and see what works the best for you. I tend to apply a creamy foundation first (using a large, soft brush or a sponge – avoid using your fingers as they will leave marks), then I add a creamy concealer (which helps to hide wrinkles) to the bits needed, usually under my eyes to hide dark circles. If the concealer is not enough to hide the dark circles, try a colour corrector, such as the peach tone of the Smashbox Photo Finish Color Correcting Foundation Primer. I prefer creamy concealers over other types as they don’t dry our skin, which is already very dry because of the chemo. I recommend using your fingertips to pat and blend the concealer into the skin. Also remember to blend the foundation down your neck too, otherwise your face and neck might end up with different colours.
You are not sure about the colour of the foundation and the concealer? Just walk into any beauty shop or department store and there will be lots of experienced ladies keen to help you. Or ask the ladies at your local Look Good Feel Better program. Too shy to ask for help? One mistake we commonly do is to try the colour of the foundation on our hand, which is usually of a darker tone than our facial skin. So try it on your neck instead (our face is the most sensitive part), but wash it off soon after to avoid getting diseases from other people who tried it before – I always have in my bag hand sanitiser and wipes.
Tip #6: skip the powder
Unless you are in your twenties and have perfect skin, I would not recommend applying any powder on the top of the makeup or using a powder foundation as it will highlight the wrinkles in the dry skin (believe me, I have been there!). A creamy foundation that contains hyaluronic acid, a natural humectant, will help to keep your skin hydrated and looking plump.
Tip #7: Apply thin layers
Apply thin layers of the moisturiser, primer and foundation, because if you need you can always add more layers without making it look too “cakey” (when the makeup is too thick and visible).
Tip #8: add a bit of colour to your cheeks
My favourite makeup during chemo was the bronzer! As a typical Brazilian, I hate looking pale. For me, there is nothing that says more “I am sick” than the pale look. But with the decrease in your red blood counts during chemotherapy, it is almost inevitable!A bit of colour in your cheeks will give you an instantaneous healthy glow. I prefer a matte bronzer, which gives a more sun-kissed complexion. I would usually add it to my cheek bones, the side of my nose and my jaw-line (which can make you look thinner if you put some weigh on or are feeling puffy during chemo). You don’t need to do the whole contouring thing if you don’t want to – although it is fun and after you try it a few times you might fall in love with it like I did. I also add some blush to the apples of my cheeks – there are different tones available so pick one that complements your skin (pink-ish for lighter skin, plum-ish for darker skin). Just smile at the mirror and you will immediately see the apples of your cheek when you add a bit (not much) of blush. Remember to blend all the makeup well, so that it looks natural and smooth.
Tip #8: highlight what you want others to focus on
A lot of the time we feel conscious about not having lashes or thin/no eyebrows, but others might not even notice it if we don’t want them too. For example, put a lovely red lipstick and nobody is going to be looking to your eyes! Or add some beautiful eye shadow and eyeliner, and nobody will notice you don’t have lashes. Add some accessories, such as earrings or a big necklace, a scarf or even fancy shoes and I can assure you nobody will notice anything else.
Tip #9: recreate your eyebrows and lashes
Tip #10: confidence is the new black!
I know how difficult chemotherapy is, and it is a self-stem killer. I never felt so insecure in my whole life, and I felt like I was an actress everyday: put on makeup, my wig and a big smile (even when I felt I had nothing to smile about). You might not feel great, but the only thing I can tell you is that it does work. It brings back, at least partially, our sense of beauty and, thus, normality. When you realise, you will be truly smiling again and even forget about the horrible treatment. So don’t let anyone, and especially don’t let yourself, ever tell you the opposite. You are beautiful inside and outside!
Lots of love and health! Have a good weekend!
Fran xo
“(...) Marilyn Monroe in 1955 took a journalist with her on the New York subway to show how she could flick between girl-next-door Norma Jean Baker (her birth name) to va-va-voom, shake the room Monroe – through confidence and body language alone. No-one noticed her while in “Baker mode”, on the subway. But as they stepped onto the footpath she teased, “Do you want to see her?” before fluffing her hair and striking a Marilyn-esque pose. Bam! Onlookers instantly recognised her and flocked over to admire the “magic” that she seemed to radiate.”
