This time of year can be maddening when you look in the mirror and see red eyes, puffiness, allergy “shiners” and a red nose. And all about the time you want some nice family photos for the Christmas card. They have termed it “allergy face” and there ARE ways to combat it! Zyrtec found in a study that 81% of women with allergies don’t believe they can fully cover up their symptoms, however.

You’ll find loads of information online, but some of the fast tips you can glean are:

• DO use extra moisturizer as the allergy meds can dry you out, making skin appear more flaky
• DO use a humidifier as another method to keep skin more hydrated
• DON’T do nothing – there are many wonderful products and things you can do at home to help
• DO consider using a silvery eyeliner or a blue eyeliner, which will combat the redness and make the whites appear more white
• DO layer a bronzer with blush to chisel the cheekbones more, which helps a puffy face look better
• DO apply cold compresses to swollen areas – a cold spoon is a popular choice for puffy eyes
• DO draw attention elsewhere with bold color, like on your lips
• DO buy a green color correction concealer and play with it until you find what works best – layering under skin-toned concealer