Hay Fever-Proofing Your Makeup

You read that right; around 13 million Brits suffer from hay fever every summer, making it one of the most common allergies in the nation. At least you’re not alone!

If you’re familiar with the allergy, which sees sufferers react to pollen with cold-like symptoms including sneezing, runny nose, sore throat, and itchy eyes, you’ll know how much of a pain it can be. While hay fever is not caused by a virus, which means you won’t feel unwell in any other way, the cold-like symptoms can be super inconvenient.

There’s no cure for hay fever currently. However, there are some ways to treat the allergy, which can make your favourite summer activities (we’re thinking picnics, hikes, and sunbathing in the countryside) a lot easier to manage.

As recommended by the NHS:

• Use Vaseline around your nose to trap pollen particles
• Wear sunglasses to stop pollen getting into your eyes
• Shower and wash clothes regularly to get the pollen off
• Stay indoors
• Keep windows and doors shut to avoid a pollinated house
• Vacuum and dust with a damp cloth to keep pollen away
• Buy a pollen filter for the air vents in your car

Because no cure or treatment can prevent hay fever, if you’re stuck with the allergy, you’ll need to learn to deal with it. It can be a little uncomfortable and inconvenient, but that’s as bad as it gets!

This is the stuff we’re most interested in! How can you keep that perfect makeup looking its best throughout summer, when pollen is making your eyes itch and stream? Read on for our tips and tricks for hay fever-proofing your look this summer.

Hear us out. Summer is a perfect time to try out a fresh new look, which can mean skipping out on eyeshadow and liner and focusing on other parts of your face.

Less makeup works particularly well at this time of year. You’re more likely to have a peachy tan, which means your eyes will be popping naturally without the need to heavy mascara and liner to emphasise them. Skipping these steps can also be a great way to keep your makeup looking great when it’s super-hot outside; mascara and liner are two of the biggest culprits for sweating off, so leaving them out means no chance of panda eyes at your summer event.

Keep your eyes natural and pair back your makeup routine to suit the warm weather. A swipe of blush can emphasise your summer glow, while a bright lip is a playful way to wear makeup in the sun. Bright lipstick also looks great with minimal eye makeup, as French girls everywhere will tell you. Try out the look and wave au revoir to smudgy hay fever eyes forever!

If you aren’t willing to forgo the mascara, waterproof formulas are a great way to enhance your lashes in the face of hay fever. Choose the right product, and you’ll be able to dab and wipe your tears away without spoiling the look of your makeup.

There are plenty more waterproof makeup options available, including some great liquid liners! Perfect for a BBQ cat-eye or a flawless summer wedding look.

If you’re considering waterproof makeup this summer, why not switch your entire collection and ensure a picture-perfect look no matter how sweaty it gets. You can find plenty of waterproof eyeshadows, foundations, blushes, and lipsticks over on our shop site.

Our favourite way to beat hay fever is with a summertime lash lift and tint. Lash work has become super popular in recent years, with plenty of salons offering the service and lots of at-home kits available too. There are several different options available, so you can choose the lash treatment that suits you based on the look you want.

An eyelash tint is a great way to enhance your eyes while still maintaining a natural look. Whether you go to a salon or choose an inexpensive yet effective at-home dye kit, your results will include darker lashes that look naturally thicker and longer. If you don’t have silky dark lashes, this is the simplest way to fake it.

If you’re a mascara diehard but suffering from hay fever eyes, a lash lift is a perfect solution. Most salons offer the service now, which involves lifting your natural lashes for a just-curled look that stays. Your therapist will usually then dye your lashes and apply a thickening treatment to make them appear more defined. Lash lifting is a favourite among the beauty elite, who love natural-looking results and the procedure’s several-week lifespan.

If you love stand-out eye makeup and you’ve never tried eyelash extensions, you don’t know what you’re missing! Lash extensions involve a professional beautician fixing tens of individual false lashes onto your own to create your desired finish. You can go a little more natural with a scattering of shorter lashes, or choose thick, long, false-lash-looking extensions for all-out glamour.

Eyelash extensions last for a few weeks and eliminate the need for any mascara, which means they’re perfect for summer and even better for hay fever sufferers!

If you have hay fever, you might also experience sensitive skin and reactions throughout the summer. Whether your skin reacts to grass, heat, or pollen in the air, there’s never been a better time to consider hypoallergenic skincare and makeup.

Hypoallergenic skincare, like face wash, moisturiser, and even SPF cream, is gentler on your skin than chemical options. Because they’re so gentle, these hypoallergenic skincare products are unlikely to cause or aggravate a reaction from something like hay fever or sun intolerance. Brands like Dermalogica and Simple are great for hypoallergenic and sensitive-skin-friendly products.

If you’re searching for hypoallergenic makeup for hay fever season, look to the likes of bareMinerals and Vichy, who are great at making beautiful makeup that won’t cause or worsen a reaction. Hypoallergenic makeup means you can still apply all your favourite products and keep your skin happy too – win-win! For more summer skincare advice or 2020 trend tips, keep exploring the Fragrance Direct blog!