This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of ZYRTEC®.  All allergies and the resulting ALLERGY FACE® that goes along with it are all mine.

Dangit that is a big picture of my face.  I’m not going to lie, I originally retouched this photo so much that it didn’t even look like me anymore.  But then I thought screw it.  We all have wrinkles and such.  I’m just going to keep it real.  While I would love to have smoother skin, it’s probably not something I’ll ever have (maybe with major lasers – not to be confused with the Diplo project – or other resurfacing methods which cost more than my car).  I’m not one of those gals that hates getting older.  I’m ok with wrinkles.  But I’ve been an allergy sufferer all my life and I could do without ALLERGY FACE®.  If you don’t have allergies, you have no idea what I’m talking about – and I hate your guts because allergies suck.  Allergies, in some way, have hindered things in my life that you wouldn’t think they should hinder. Like getting massages.  WTF?!  I can’t lay face down in the donut, without getting super stuffed up and miserable.  Sure the rubbing around on my back and shoulders feels great but then I end up with a sinus headache because of it.  Oh and the wine!  I can’t drink wine (I mean I shouldn’t drink wine but I do because it is so good) because of the effing sulfites or sulfates or some other dumb property that makes my nose completely inflamed so that I can’t breathe through it any more.  I’ve even figured out how to save any crying I need to do until an optimal time for my allergies.  Yeah, I feel AWFUL after a good cry – happy or sad – so I plan it out based on my allergy side effects to the crying.

If you DO have allergies then you know what ALLERGY FACE® is.  It is where your eyes feel like they are halfway closed, even though you aren’t tired, from all the inflammation in your face.  It’s when your nose is all red because although your nose is super stuffy, it is still runny somehow and you can’t go more than a few minutes without blowing it.  And the watery eyes which causes your mascara to run down your face which makes people think you have been crying.  Which you have NOT (not until next Tuesday, see above).

Having ALLERGY FACE® has led me to try many things.  Dark under eye circles are prevalent in people who have allergies.  So by that reasoning, I must have all the allergies, ever.  My dark circles are so…er, dark.  I read somewhere that using the Neti Pot might make them less severe but I just couldn’t bring myself to use that funny looking thing.  Then my allergist suggested that I do a nasal rinse with a syringe and salt water to flush out the nasal cavity.  You guys!  This has been life changing!  I feel so much more clear with way less pressure (and helps me to fall asleep because I can get air back in through my nose after drinking the offensive wine).  BUT, my dark circles are still there. Remind me to tell you sometime about how when I first tried the salt rinse I used a tablespoon instead of a teaspoon of salt…

Which means it is all up to makeup to make me look presentable.  And while I’ve taken several makeup classes and am scheduled to take another really soon, it just doesn’t come naturally to me and I don’t know any tricks to mask the ALLERGY FACE® side effects.  Thankfully the kind people of ZYRTEC®, who keep me and my family functioning amid allergies to dust, mold, dogs, grass, trees, laundry and cleaning floors (ok the last two are made up…), realize that even though their medicine can help with the symptoms of allergies, us gals still need a little help in the face department.   They enlisted the help of celebrity makeup artist Jamie Greenberg (who suffers from allergies so she knows) to share makeup tips for people with allergies and ALLERGY FACE®.

Head to the ZYRETEC® Facebook page to see all the looks designed to detract from your ALLERGY FACE®.  I tend to go for the “barest beauty” look on most days.  The highlighting and contouring really helps my face to not look so puffy.  And waterproof mascara is where it’s at.  It stays put even when my tears do not.  If you are like I was and ha no idea what contouring is, just watch this great video with Jamie Greenberg.  She shares her tips on looking your best with allergies. 
I’m grateful for these tips and to ZYRTEC® for being part of my journey with allergies. Are you an allergy sufferer? Do you have ALLERGY FACE®?

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of ZYRTEC®.  All allergies and the resulting ALLERGY FACE® that goes along with it is all mine.