6 Beauty Tips For When You Have A Cold

Non-stop sniffling. Husky voice. Too many sneezes to bother blessing. Nothing says ‘I’ve got a cold’ more than these unglamorous tell-tale signs.

And even though most of us recover by locking ourselves away from humanity for a few days (with comfort food and box sets to hand) until we’re feeling better, sometimes that’s simply not an option. There might be a special occasion on the cards, where you’ll want to look picture-perfect or a meeting that you simply cannot miss no matter how gross you feel. But, how to disguise the zombie-esque symptoms? With these quick-fix beauty tips, of course…

1. Stay Hydrated

When you feel poorly on the inside, it can show on the outside. So to help you look your very best even when you're far from glamorous, a little added moisture wouldn’t go amiss. Start by keeping on top track of your water intake (recommended is 2 litres a day). If the taste of plain water isn’t your favourite, try infusing with some fruit for flavour.

Give your complexion that dewy, plump finish by layering up with hyaluronic acid-infused products and your trusty moisturiser. Don’t forget about those chapped lips and keep them nourished with a soothing balm.

Sorry, this product is currently out of stock.

Superdrug Superdrug Blue Lip Balm Stick 4.8g £1.25

B. Skincare B. Nourished Day Cream 50ml

Burt's Bees Burt's Bees® 100% Natural Origin Lip Balm Mango £0.40

2. Tissue Issue

When your nose is dripping like a tap it’s tempting to grab the first tissue in sight – and when you’re at work or on the go that can sometimes be toilet roll or worse, a kitchen towel. STOP! Always have a soft, lotion-treated tissue up your sleeve instead to help prevent any unsightly nose flaking.

If the damage has already been done, then take care of the sore area with moisturiser or fragrance-free lip balm. Prevent drying it out further by avoiding concealer, no matter how tempting it may be to cover up.

Superdrug DNRAD Superdrug Balsam Twin Pack 80sh Regular Facial Tissues £0.05

Superdrug Superdrug Lip balm Original 4.5g X 2 £1.69

3. Tired & Puffy Eyes

If your cold is keeping you up all night, you may be carrying more bags under your eyes than when you hit the shops on pay day. Lighten your load by investing in a hard-working eye contour lotion and fake that wide-eyed look with the help of eyelash curlers and mascara.

B. Cosmetics B. Stainless Steel Eyelash Curler

Blistex Blistex Cold Sore Cream - 2g

4. Cover Cold Sores

While cold sores and the common cold do not go hand in hand, we know how hard it can be to look our very best when a cold sore crops up. If you’re nodding your head, then quit stressing that your cold sore is going to ruin your selfie game by learning the best way to cover it up.

First step is to make sure you treat it with cold sore relief cream. Once it has fully dried, add a green-tinged concealer to neutralise any redness before applying concealer and setting with powder. Always use your clean fingertips to apply your makeup products to minimise the risk of spreading the virus.

5. Bloodshot Eyes

For bloodshot, itchy or streaming eyes, you might want to ditch the makeup in favour of eye drops. Visit our in-store pharmacists to help find the right drops for the job!

Superdrug Superdrug Sparkling Eye Drops 10ml £2.99

6. Uneven Skin Tone

If Susan from accounts has commented that you look tired, it’s probably because your skin is looking a little sallow, pale or uneven. Bring back the radiance by adding a little colour correction into your base routine. Use green undertones to counteract redness, a peach blush to perk up sallow skin and a matte bronzer to bring a kiss of golden vibrancy to pale skin.