Marina | May 31, 2014 | Beauty |

They say April showers bring May flowers and May flowers are here which means allergens are everywhere so for those of you who suffer from allergy when this time of year comes around, I know how you feel. Sniffles, runny nose, watery eyes – these are just some of the annoying things you have to put up with when allergies attack. On top of that, you still have to go out and get on with your day while looking drab and sick. Thankfully, we have makeup and other beauty products to cover up the telltale signs of a bad allergic reaction. Here are some beauty quick fixes you can use when allergens attack and you want and need to look gorgeous for the day.

• Don’t pile on too much makeup – use the lightest, least possible amount of makeup you can. Putting on makeup that’s too heavy or too thick can trap allergens and make the allergic reaction worse. If your face does not need much coverage, skip foundation and go for tinted moisturizer instead. When choosing products to wear, choose the lighter version of what you would normally pick and skip anything that’s unnecessary.

• Contour – allergic reactions often have you ending up with a puffy face so if you don’t want to go out with your face looking like an inflated balloon, make sure you don’t leave the house without contouring. Contouring will help give your face more structure. It will emphasize your jaw lines, temples and cheekbones and will help combat the appearance of a puffy face.

• Go green – blowing your nose and wiping your eyes can result in redness so make sure you always have green tinted concealer with you all the time. Green concealers are used to cancel out redness and that’s what you have plenty of right now so keep one in your purse and reapply throughout the day on areas that need it (e.g. under the eyes, around the nose, etc.).

• Tip for the eyes – since you’ll pretty much be wiping tears away from your watery eyes all day, it wouldn’t be so practical to wear glamorous eye makeup as it would just smudge. To make your eyes pop despite being watery, just use waterproof eyeliner on your lash lines and wear falsies to give them that ‘fresh, wide awake’ look.

• Go wavy – on days when you suffer from allergic reactions make sure you aren’t wearing your hair down and straight because straight hair can emphasize a puffy face. Instead, wear your hair with a bit of texture in it and add some waves. This will balance out and soften your look and will prevent the puffiness take center stage.

• Wear your hair up – if you have naturally sleek and straight hair and you don’t have the time to style your hair wavy, pull it back and wear it up instead. This will not only help you feel more refreshed, it helps keeps allergens away as well. In a rush? Don’t worry about perfection. One of today’s hottest trend is sporting the messy yet sexy look anyway.