In the past 3 months or so, I’ve gotten sick around 9-10 times. Crazy, I know. I’m not sure how or why my immune system completely crashed recently, but it has been horrible. Whether it be a sore throat, nausea, fever, or stuffy nose, I’ve had them all. The worst time was when I was sick on New Year’s Day (aka the day of the Rose Bowl Parade that I was supposed to march in), where I spent the entire day lying in bed with a fever and the chills. When I’ve got a cold or the dreaded flu, there are certain bits that I always reach for to make me feel (or at least look) a hell of a lot better.
Starting off with the meds, I’ve got my pain relieving Advil tablets. They take away a headache quicker than you can say “can I have two more?”. Next up is Aleve, which is my new favorite for the rest of my symptoms that Ibuprofen can’t soothe. I usually take these for nausea, sore throats, and fevers. A great all round medication, Aleve can’t be beat. Last but not least is the rarity in my favorite sick bits: Airborne. Airborne is the infamous vitamin supplement that I take on occasion, especially when I’m feeling extra groggy or full of cold.
Onto the skin and makeup, I’ve got a handful of products that help a great deal. Before applying any products to my face, I like to keep things clean by applying a sanitizer. I like to use my Bath & Body Works Hand Gel in ‘Tis the Season so that I can feel festive even in the end of January. When I get sick, my skin usually creates dry patches on itself (is it not enough that I feel crappy, but I have to look it too? Thanks, skin.) so moisturizer is a must. My favorite Simple Hydrating Light Moisture adds just the right amount of moisture without any grease. It also hydrates for 12 hours so I don’t have to worry about any dry patches reocurring. For the base, I like to keep things light and simple. I tend to reach for my Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation in B30 when I absolutely have to leave the house, but still want to look decent. Applied with my new favorite Real Techniques Buffing Brush (full review to come), and I’ve got a pretty dang good ‘no makeup’ look. To occupy myself as I mope around the house, I like to paint my nails with a pretty polish. My recent favorite is the OPI Nail Lacquer in the shade Baby Please Come Home from the Mariah Carey winter collection. The varnish has a ‘liquid sand’ texture which feels exactly like the namesake! Polishes always make everything better, especially a cold.
Last but not least, I wanted to throw in a few reading bits. I always have a magazine at arm’s length, and being sick is no exception. My favorite magazine to read is Allure, and the January 2014 issue is chock full of great beauty tips and fashion tips for the new year. My new must have book is the Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual, which I received for my birthday. Bobbi is one of my idols and her book is bloomin’ full with amazing advice from a makeup artist who knows her stuff. My favorite chapter so far is Chapter 9: Artistry. I highly recommend Bobbi’s book for everyone from teenagers to mature women!
I hope this edit has helped any of you who are or who will be feeling under the weather. Get your beauty rest, drink plenty of water and you’ll be feeling better in no time!