If there were ever a time to appreciate the wonders of a sheer, everyday workhorse foundation, this would be that time!
These are my favorites at the moment. What are yours?
5 Sheer Foundations to Ace Your WFH Base
- Lancôme Skin Feels Good Hydrating Skin Tint Healthy Glow: Ultra lightweight with a demi-matte finish; looks great in person AND in pics.
- MAC Face and Body Foundation: The most natural-looking of all the sheer bases, and it’s long-lasting too. I kid you not, skin still looks like skin when you wear this.
- First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Tinted Moisturizer: A beautiful satiny finish with medium coverage! Plus, it blurs pores.
- It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better Foundation + Skincare: This one is also medium coverage, but the finish is closer to matte than the others. The barely-there formula practically feels like water.
- MAC Studio Fix Soft Matte Foundation Stick: This one is SO easy to blend and has a gentle, soft matte finish. Sometimes I like layering this on top of Face and Body. ?
Thoughts on looking good and feeling good
Most of the time, when we look good, we feel good. I heard something along these lines recently in a fashion video (it was about how not to look “frumpy,” in case you’re curious), and it spoke to me.
At the beginning, Erin, the host of the show, says…
“We’re talking about how the way you look affects the way that you feel, affects everything in your life. When you’re looking good, you will feel better. You will feel great. You will have more to give everybody else.”
This struck a chord with me, because whenever I have something to give — whether it be my time, energy, money, love, etc. — I always give what I have to my friends and family, which I’m always happy to do, but what I hadn’t realized, though, is that the strain of the past year has left me with very little (or rather, zero) leftover “oomph” for myself, and it’s been slowly chipping away at my confidence. My proverbial well is bone dry.
Lately, I can feel myself getting dangerously close to the point where one rolls out of bed one day and stays in the same crusty pajamas for two weeks straight.
I think a part of it is my hair, to be honest. I haven’t had a cut in more than a year, and it’s been bothering me. I haven’t wanted to do anything with it lately, because it’s almost impossible to wrangle it into any sort of workable style. That frustration then leads to me saying, “well, f*ck it,” to everything else. Why bother putting on sunscreen or mascara when none of it feels fun?
Oh, and forget about getting properly dressed, because nobody will notice if my shirt is inside out or backwards — not even the people I live with, and I know this because it’s happened several times.
Because I haven’t really talked to anyone in person lately, unless it’s the occasional curt one- or two-minute conversation with the sales associate in the checkout line at Petco, or a brief in-passing conversation at preschool dropoff, I sometimes find myself wondering, “Why do I even keep trying?”
The funny thing is, logically I know that 1) this is all temporary, and 2) what’s mostly bothering me is exterior stuff. It’s all frosting, and not the cake, which is something I tell Connor all the time. I know in the grand scheme of things that the outside stuff is frippery. I’m 100% aware that what’s on the outside does not determine my worth on the inside.
Yet…when I look in the mirror and see myself looking sloppy or unkept, even when I remind myself that the exterior stuff isn’t everything, and all the best stuff is on the inside, I still feel yucky. ?♀️
People often say that the first step to helping yourself is being able to admit that you need help, and watching that video made me realize that I need a little help.
So, here I am, gently reminding myself that doing the things that make me feel good are not a trivial burden. Brushing my hair, putting on sunscreen in the morning, and curling my lashes — these are all good things, and they are worth the effort, because when I look good, I feel good, and I will have more to give.
Oh, and another gentle note to self: it really doesn’t have to be hard. The effort does not have to be Herculean.
For the last few nights, right before bed, I’ve been setting out a bottle of one of the sheer bases listed above, along with a lash curler, a mascara, a brow pencil, blush and a lipstick, and I make sure to put on makeup first thing in the morning.
Surprise, surprise! — I’ve been feeling a little better since I started doing this, and my plan for the next few days is to do the same tomorrow, and the next day, and the next….
Oh, and earlier this week I bought myself some clothes for the first time in…I can’t even remember how long.
Also, I found a stylist who does outdoor cuts. Mind you, I haven’t booked an appointment yet because of the virus and whatnot. I’m still nervous about the pandemic, but at least I know that, when I’m ready, she’ll be there, and that’s such a mental relief.
Anyway, that’s what’s been going on with me. Thanks for listening, and on that note…
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. TGIF!
Happy Gentle Friday, Karen.
I love the little “love MU kit” you put out for yourself for the morning-time. All the small rituals — makeup, making the bed, coffee, etc. — are very important, even if, especially because, they are exterior. They are the little things that CAN be done that CAN be controlled to allow you to deal with everything else that you cannot.
We’re all on similar life rafts and I feel like rooting for everyone who is going through something (because there is always something, even on top of pandemic ish), big or small, drama or no drama. We all need to feel supported and if extending ourselves a bit of gentleness, a bit of beauty in our day takes just a small bit of energy, I think multiple times more energy comes back. You got this! And we got your back, too! xo
Thank you, Christine. Hang in there! Hold onto that life raft with last bit of strength of your perfectly painted fingernails. 🙂
P.S. I’ve been loving my Typology Tinted Serum, the 2 drops that I manage to spread just around my eyes, above the mask line. LOL
So smart to keep it above the mask line! I just looked up the shades and gah, I wish they had something between 4 and 5.
No worries! Because the offered shades are based on Fitzpatrick skin types, they are sheer and general enough to cover a range of skin tones. I believe I got a 4. It blends in really well and gives a nice, sheer even tone without highlighting pores or even feeling like anything on top of the skin.
Well you know I love lightweight. Hmm. Maybe I just put a 4 in my cart. 🙂
Maaaaaybeeeee…. I’m about ready to pick up the regimen for my skin type. They give you a good list of products based on your skin type from a detailed questionnaire and then update it! You will love all the packaging…
Oh, how fun! Do it in the name of self care. 🙂
Karen. All of this! When I give up on putting myself together for the day, what I’ve really done is given up on the day. My productivity, mood, and contribution to the day are largely tied to my outward appearance. When I still worked outside of my home, I would even reapply lipstick right before tackling a long session of document review. That little act turned into higher focus and mental acuity. Some days I need to be cozy with my laptop on the couch, and other days I consider wearing pumps around the house. Whatever it takes to get the job done! A little wardrobe refresher never hurts either 😉
Hi Alison,
Yes! The little things really do matter. Love your idea of putting on some lipstick before a task… I might just do that right now.
The little things do make a difference! I will say my friend has similar hair to yours (what I call mermaid hair) and she ended up cutting it herself and it looks great, so there’s always that!
I hope you feel better and have a great weekend!
I figure that if I get really desperate, I’ve watched enough Youtube videos to not totally ruin it. LOL
Have a great rest of your Friday. 🙂
Hey girl, I really get you. I’ve been also in that situation right now and between the pandemic and unemployment; I truly can find the energy for many things. That’s why I have to thank you because your posts have been like a safe place for me during this times.
For me right now I’m struggling with the lack of energy and management of time, but I think I really need to put all my war paint in order to get the job done.
If you ever try to do your hair by yourself, please start slow and with the idea that if something goes wrong the process to correct it may not be ideal. That’s how my sister and I have acted while all the bleaching and coloring (actually part of me thinks about becoming a colorist) so we have always know that if something went bad we will end up with a darker dye to cover everything or getting short hair to disguise it. You have already watched many videos, so I think you already have enough insider advice to avoid common mistakes.
I send you a virtual hug and remember we’re going through this together.
I will take that hug. 🙂
Hey, and if you put on makeup this weekend, I will too!
Words of wisdom, my friend!! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on this subject. I know I feel the same way.
Sending you SO much love. ❤️❤️
I totally agree with you! I need to keep up with my routine, even when WFH, just so I still feel like “myself” and not like I’m home sick. I’ve decided to use this time to be creative with my makeup and put together a new look every two weeks, shopping my stash and rediscovering old favorites. Right now I’m on a Babes of the 90s kick, so my current look is a neutral, but sparkly brown eye (Lancome Brun Captivant shadow stick, dark brown liner, MAC Powersurge on the waterline, dark brown mascara, defined dark brown brows), + plum lips (NARS Shrinagar), + soft plum blush (MAC Animal Instincts) for my super pale winter skin. Then my look is set, and I don’t need to think about it for two weeks. I’m even incorporating music and old perfume for total nostalgia. Like – yep, that was my look 25 years ago. Not something I’d wear in real life today, but fun to revisit those times.
I hope you’ll decide to get your hair cut if that will make you feel better. I hate when mine gets even a little too long, so I sympathize! And everyone is different and I’m certainly not telling you how you should feel, but do keep in mind that we’ve heard so much doom and gloom over the past year that I’m not sure we’re hearing the facts. It’s awful for ANYONE to die, but in the US, 98.4% of people who were diagnosed with covid are still alive. Many people, myself included, had cold symptoms and never even would have known it was covid. So, who knows how many more people have actually had it? Maybe now, with the vaccines, we’ll start hearing good news and people will still follow the safety guidelines, but will be less afraid. 🙁