My skin is terribly sensitive; when I’m not suffering from eczema I’m suffering from hayfever, and both are a nightmare for my face. I used to get reactions even when I don’t wear makeup and one day I got so fed up with it that I threw all of my makeup away and started afresh. I realise that I’m probably not alone when I say that gyaru makeup can sometimes be a nightmare for sensitive skin, so I did some research and experimenting over the past year or two and finally found some solutions to overcome it!
The preparation
I always put a dab of prescribed ointment onto the areas where my eczema gets really bad before applying makeup, but vaseline also works really well when I can’t be bothered to lug that massive thing around. I’ve heard that coconut oil works wonders for those with sensitive skin so you could try that too, and you can get them from your local Superdrug.
After that is done, I clean my chosen false lashes using facial wipes for sensitive skin. I normally opt for Simple because their wipes are incredibly gentle on the skin but I didn’t have them to hand so looks like we’ll be using Morrisons own-brand as a referene for now. As superstore brands goes, this one isn’t too bad but I would prefer Simple ones.
The base
With the preparation out of the way it’s time to put on some foundation. I’ve tried and tested a few and none have served better than this one from Benefit called “Hello Flawless”. It’s quite thin so it doesn’t make your skin feel so clogged up and allows it to breathe a bit more. If you want to go for something thicker then I’d recommend Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation. Set it with some light powder – I use No7 – and then add some contour.
Use powder instead of cream for the contour to reduce the amount of thick layers on your skin, and you can reapply if necessary throughout the day. At the moment I’m using Sleek and some cheap eyeshadow for my nose highlight (although if you find that cheap makeup isn’t good for your skin, find an alternative). I don’t usually use super cheap makeup but the skin around my nose isn’t too bad so I can get away with it for now.
I count blusher as being part of the “base” makeup, and BeautyUK has some amazing blusher tones but at the moment I’m looking for some other options – got a recommendation? Let me know in the comments below!
The eyes
If you haven’t yet tried the Naked palettes by Urban Decay then I suggest you do because oh my gosh they are amazing. I’ve never had to wear primer with this and the colours come out beautifully.
The next thing after eyeshadow is the mascara and I’m currently using Bourjois, and this one is especially those with sensitive eyes.
As well as cleaning the lashes before use I take off the left-over glue with a pair of tweezers. Luckily you don’t really have to worry about the lashes if you’ve got sensitive skin, but I would recommend going for those with a thin lash band as they’re more flexible. Cleaning them regularly is more important as well as what glue you use. DUO is an absolute godsend for lash glue and the green one is latex free – great for those with allergies! I make sure to have one bottle for uppers, and one for lowers, just in case.
I find that liquid eyeliner irritates my skin so I’ve switched to Maybelline’s gel liner. I have yet to find another gel liner to replace this, so if you have any recommendations please let me know! It’s just easier to use gel because you can always wash the brush before use to avoid bacteria spreading.
related post: easy gyaru makeup + hair tutorials pt 2
The lips
Luckily I’ve never had a big issue with my lips nor cheeks, but I still aim to use cruelty-free makeup because the quality is so much better than other makeup. Lip crayons have been one of the best things that have happened to me in the makeup world because some – like these – are quite moisturising so I don’t feel like my lips are being dried out. I do also wear matte lipstick but it’s not really ideal for those with sensitive skin, so I’m only showing my lip crayon collection.
The brushes
I always wash my brushes every time I wear makeup, especially for my eye makeup, and the best one I’ve found is this set from Real Techniques. The brush ends are super soft and gentle on the skin, and it’s ideal to use different brushes for different things to reduce bacteria spreading. I use the brush that came with the gel liner for, well, gel liner, but it isn’t as soft as the ones you get with Real Techniques.
Overall
Use hypoallergenic and cruelty-free makeup. Yes it can be more expensive but it’s so much better and won’t harm/irritate your skin which could help out in the long-run if you wear gyaru makeup on a daily. Plus I find that cruelty free makeup is so much prettier and better quality, just think of brands like Too Faced! Their makeup is heavenly and I’ve been dying to get some in my makeup collection. Most of my makeup shown above is cruelty-free but I am trying to replace those that aren’t, so if you have any recommendations then please let me know!
That’s all for today! I hope that this has helped you out but if you have any questions then don’t hesitate to ask. Everyone’s skin is different and I’m just writing from my personal experiences.
Until next Sunday ♡
Love,
Lizzie xx
P.S Since writing this post I have learnt that Benefit aren’t an entirely cruelty-free makeup brand… I’m still going to use the rest of my foundation, but I’m going to try out different brands to see which one works best for my skin and eases my guilty conscience. But that’s just me though 😀
