Look Good...Feel Better

As a makeup artist, helping people feel good about themselves is all part of the job. Brides, birthday girls, hen parties…they all want to look extra-gorgeous for that special occasion. But there’s another side to the makeup industry that fascinates me – camouflage makeup for people who have been scarred through illness or an accident.

When you look at the same face in the mirror everyday of your life, it’s easy to become ungrateful of what’s staring back at you. The same cheekbones, lips, eyes, nose…some people go as far as to alter their features with plastic surgery.

But what if your face was altered through illness or an accident? How would you feel staring into your reflection? Your self-confidence would hit rock bottom. You’d want your old face back.

The charity ‘Look Good…Feel Better’ is tackling the issue head-on. This fantastic initiative teaches beauty techniques to cancer patients so that they can manage the appearance-related side effects of cancer treatment.

Fighting cancer is a gruelling battle, and the added emotional trauma of scarring is enough to drag anybody’s self-image to the ground. When you’re feeling down about yourself, you don’t exactly have the energy to fight. 

‘Look Good…Feel Better’ provides individual, group and self-help makeup sessions that offer support and inspire self-confidence. It’s amazing how much stronger you are when you feel good about yourself.

Makeup professionals work with cancer patients on skin care, nail care and show them how to deal with hair loss using wigs, scarves, hats, hairpieces and other accessories.  It’s these small things that make the difference. And for those who are unable to attend sessions, self-help materials are provided so that patients can master the techniques at home.

This is such a worthwhile cause, and it’s something I would love to become involved in. It’s amazing what a dab of concealer can do, both aesthetically and emotionally.

To find out more about ‘Look Good…Feel Better’, visit their website. It’s a truly inspiring read:

http://lookgoodfeelbetter.org/

But it’s not just cancer patients who can benefit from good camouflage techniques – makeup can conceal all types of scarring and skin problems, from burns to acute acne. Veil Cosmetic Camouflage make incredibly effective products. Take a look at their website to read about people’s experiences:

http://www.veilcovercream.com/

In the meantime I’ll be attending relevant training courses in order to get involved in this side of the makeup industry. I love mainstream makeup, but it would be fantastic to apply my skills to a cause that really changes lives in a lasting, significant way.