Feverish to Fabulous: Beauty Tips for Cold and Flu Sufferers

Sept. 16, 2008 — -- The redness, puffiness and abundant mucus that you suffer when you have a cold or the flu should automatically grant you a free pass to stay under the covers until you feel rosy again.

Unfortunately, work, family, and other responsibilities may mean that you must get up and face the world -- no matter what that face looks like.

"Just feeling bad can make you feel not so attractive," said Dr. Ronald Turner, a cold and flu expert and professor of pediatrics at the University of Virginia.

And a Rudolph-red nose on top of the fatigue, aches and stress of being sick hardly helps the way a person looks.

Fortunately, experts say that after lots of rest and fluids, there are a few simple things you can do to look more refreshed.

"When you do have the rough night, you wake up in the morning and you look like hell," said Matin Maulawizada, a New York-based makeup artist whose work has been published in various magazines, including Vogue, Vanity Fair and Cosmopolitan. "At least they can make themselves look better and feel energetic."

A healthy looking face needs a healthy canvas. Unfortunately, the skin can be hit hardest during an illness, looking dry and scaly and even pocked with cold sores.

A cold or flu, medications and dry air are just a few of the things that can strip skin of moisture. And dull, dry skin can emphasize the fatigue that comes with a cold or flu.

In addition to dry skin, the most obvious sign that you are not feeling -- or looking -- your best are the red areas around the nose and eyes, exacerbated by rubbing with fingers or tissues.

"These are prime areas for cold sores and chapped skin when you are sick," said Carmindy, a New York-based makeup artist and resident makeup guru on TLC's show "What Not to Wear." "Also eyes can get red and runny."

A rich moisturizer can help restore some of that water to the skin and soothe redness and itching, creating a more vital, energized look, she said.

Soothing irritated areas also helps to create a smooth canvas for a concealer that can hide the redness.