Face masks have quickly become an essential part of our getup, what with the law saying it will now be mandatory for everyone to wear a mask whenever we leave our residences.
With these new norms in place, many brands have taken to making their own face masks in signature prints and fabrics, a combination of function and aesthetic. In a time where skincare seems to be prioritised more so than ever, makeup seems less of a necessity for some. It might seem frivolous to talk about makeup or even wear makeup during this time, but for many, it can make a huge difference in creating some sense of normalcy and can even function as a creative outlet.
Of course with face masks being mandatory, our beauty routine should be updated to keep up with these changes. Especially with mask acne and skin irritation being the main considerations. Here are six helpful tips and tricks to get you started on making the switch.
Just as you usually would, keep sunscreen and moisturiser in your routine. But if you’re wearing a face mask for long periods of time, it’s best to keep the products to a minimum. Avoid layering on moisturiser and thick creams, as they might encourage more congestion within the skin when wearing a mask. Instead, look for multi-tasking products that are lightweight and gentle. Watery essences, light serums, or even gel moisturisers – whichever the case, be sure to wait a couple of minutes to let the product sink into the skin before putting on the mask.
If you know you’re prone to skin irritation from wearing masks, try using products that counter these symptoms. Ingredients like aloe, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid are skin-soothing and will defend your skin.
We recommend: Skin Inc Serum UV Moisturiser, $72 (35 ml)
Sunscreen and moisturiser all in one, the Skin Inc Serum UV Moisturiser defends your skin against UV rays and blue light, and has a SPF 50+ PA+++ rating of protection. Enhanced with vitamin E, this moisturiser also protects the skin from blue light. It applies lightweight, milky, and invisible, leaving no white-cast and contains skin-loving ingredients like niacinamide and cica that soothe and protect the skin from irritations or acne that would come from wearing masks. To keep your skin nourished and hydrated throughout the day, this moisturiser is formulated with hyaluronic acid.
Even if you want to do the bare minimum in your beauty routine, brows are not to be neglected. Brows can help create a polished look to enhance your appearance, they frame our eyes and shape the face and like it or not, they bring attention to the top half of our face.
We recommend: The Face Shop fmgt Designing Eyebrow, $11 (0.3 ml)
Ultra-smooth and creamy, this eyebrow pencil glides on the skin and makes it easy to create hair-like strokes (even for beginners). It’s also available in six different colours so you can choose the one that best fits your skin tone and hair colour. The rectangular tip makes it easy to draw your perfect brows.
With the mandatory use of face mask outdoors, all the focus is on the eyes. Consider it an opportunity to have some fun and let our eyes speak.
Line your eyes with a waterproof eyeliner to combat the heat and humidity of Singapore’s climate. This way, you’ll be sure to keep everything smudge-proof and as polished as you’d like.
We recommend: Marc Jacobs Beauty Highliner Gel Eye Crayon Eyeliner, $39 (0.5 g)
With a satin finish, this 12-hour waterproof eyeliner is perfect for Singapore’s humidity. This eyeliner glides on effortlessly and delivers an instant statement colour payoff, plus the vitamin E and rosa canina seed extract in the formula soothes, softens, and protects the delicate skin around the eyes. Once it sets, this eyeliner is smudge-proof.
If you want to go a little above the regular eye routine, try using an eyeshadow palette that plays upon the subtle neutral shades. Now that we’re all wearing face masks, it’s a little harder to see each other’s expressions, and maybe even just for the sake of having fun and feeling good this little addition to your routine can go a long way.
We recommend: Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette of Pops Eyeshadow Palette in Pillow Talk, $92 (10 g)
With four glimmering shades, this eyeshadow palette uses pearl pigments to give your eyes a molten sparkling finish. The combination of glossy ester in the luminosity of the pigments and soft gliding effect is guaranteed to make your eyes pop. These four swatches are perfect for everyday wear and can easily take you from day to night if you wish to switch things up.
Mascara is the short and sweet way to opening up your eyes. Be sure to start by curling your lashes, especially for Asian lashes that tend to hang straight down this step is crucial. Build the lash line and run the mascara through the root of the lash to give your eyes more definition.
We recommend: Hourglass Caution Extreme Lash Mascara, $49 (9.4 g)
This all-in-one mascara lengthens and volumises the lashes for an extreme and dramatic lift – perfect for Asian lashes that tend to angle down. Using an innovative 4DAmplifier brush, this buildable formula helps lashes defy gravity in just one stroke. You can easily use the shorter bristled side to coat your bottom lashes without smudging your lower lashline.
Ideally, you shouldn’t be wearing foundation under your mask and it’s best to avoid this part of your routine if you know you’ll be masking up all day. But if you need to, or want to, stick to lightweight formulas and consider applying them as you would a concealer – only in spots and certain areas. Of course, when it comes to the top half of your face that’s uncovered by a mask, you can apply the foundation as per your usual routine.
We recommend: Milani Cosmetics Screen Queen Foundation, $30 (30 ml)
Buildable with light to medium coverage, this foundation blends seamlessly and blurs imperfections for a luminous and natural finish. Enhanced with Digital Bluelight Filter, it protects the skin from blue light exposure when you’re clocking in your screen time, and fights off dullness, discolouration, and hyper-pigmentation.
If you’ll be wearing foundation under your face mask, then it’s best to set your makeup to keep it from transferring to the mask. Opt for translucent powder, the finer the powder the better as it can easily blur and conceal blemishes on the skin and double up to give more coverage.
We recommend: Shiseido Synchro Skin Invisible Silk Loose Powder, $70 (6 g)
This translucent powder is the lightest-weight and finest powder across Shiseido’s history. It’s formulated to hold a featherweight finish that appears seamless with the complexion. Infused with antioxidant wild thyme extract and Smart Correcting Powder, this powder enhances the skin’s texture and tone. Pick and choose between the radiant and matte finish, both will help control excess oil and shine for eight hours and reduce the appearance of pores without settling into fine lines.
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