to be so happy with how much better my face looks with make up but annoyed with how long it takes to do it?

[Ciabattavonbreadsticks]

So today, I woke up and put make up on. I don't usually wear make up in the day (job is non customer facing and a not very make-up appropriate environment iykwim) but today was a special day (I got engaged )

My skin has been deteriorating a lot over the last year or so, I've always had pretty good skin but as I've gotten older I have developed horrible sore, itchy, red, blotchy skin that has destroyed my confidence and made me feel awful. Today, because I actually took the time to put make up on, my face looked normal and, dare I say, pretty for the first time in I can't remember how long.

I wish I could look like this every day. Only problem is, I have suffered with MH problems over the last year and sometimes the time and effort it takes to actually put it on, even though I know it will help my confidence and make me feel better, is just too much.

Aibu to love how much better I look and feel with make up on but just not be able to muster the energy to do it every day? and aibu to wish I could just pay a professional to come in and do my face everyday

My full face - including contouring, highlighting, eyelash curling and combing - takes ten mins tops. Have you tried mineral foundations, blushes etc?

My eyelashes are thin and short and look almost non existant without mascara so I'd love eyelash extensions but I don't think I can afford them

Have tried mineral powder before but it just didn't cover up my redness enough unfortunately, BB creams are a brilliant time saving invention but again I don't seem to be able to find one that suits me. I'm very pale and even the 'light' colour ones always seem to come out way too orangey and just make my face look weird.

Congratulations!

Last year my resolution was to get my skin into better shape and, glory be, after decades of spotty, blotch skin, I have skin I am happy with in the main.

See your GP to check if there is any actual condition causing your problems, perhaps you've got exzema or similar which would respond to treatment.

Then find a really good facialist and book in some facials. Not a high street, slap on a thousand creams and send you on your way kind of facialist, a proper one. I went to a place that does all sorts and had a free consultation first. She did an amazing facial including extractions etc.mi had one a month for three months. I also had some other treatments which have made a huge difference.

Honestly, you can get things better.

There's nothing at all wrong with makeup, I still wear it every day, just not like a mask. A bit of CC cream, a dash of bronzer and a slick of mascara and I'm good to go. A word of warning, eyelash extensions are addictive and wreck your lashes. Great for your wedding (!) or similar but not for everyday. Mascara was luckily invented so no need.

Do you have rosacea?

www.theguardian.com/fashion/2015/aug/29/rosacea-treatments-that-work-sali-hughes

In fact I love Sali Hughes' advice on all things beauty. Might be worth looking through the guardian archive for tips. She's good at addressing specific 'issues' as it were!

Try bio oil on your face. Its amazing makes the dry bits nice and has done wonders for the oily bits. You can use it to clean your face with cotton wool.

YANBU
I hear you! I've got my makeup down to a fine art.
2-in-1foundation /concealer stick
Blush
Mascara
Eye shadow
Eyeliner
Eyebrow pencil

Takes me 12 minutes! (10 and a half is my record)

Congratulations!

Ciabatta try posting on Style and Beauty. It does sound quite like you have rosacea or another proper skin condition in which case a lot of the advice here will be not right for you.

Your first step should be to see your GP when your face is red and sore to get a diagnosis.

You prob need to stick to bland fragrance free skincare products (definitely not wipes, no longwear makeup) and as few products as possible to avoid as much irritation as possible.

Oh and congratulations!

Can I recommend Holika Holika BB Cream? You'd need to order it on Ebay from Korea but its only £4. I'm very pale and have awful rosacea but this covers it completely and looks great on my skin as Korean products tend to run very pale, you wouldn't really need a powder over it either in my experience.

A Lot of the Korean skin care stuff has done wonders for my skin taking out a hell of a lot of the redness and its a lot cheaper than the UK equivalent.

Could you miss some of the steps you mentioned for everyday perhaps? Do you really need primer, foundation and powder for example? Or could you mix your primer with your foundation and apply them together and skip the powder, or just use primer then powder? Then skip eyeshadow and just use eyeliner and mascara and a slick of gloss, you could do all the extras for special occasions/when time allows then. I also think this may help build up your confidence re applying make up in general so that when you do go the whole hog you won't find it so time consuming/daunting IYSWIM. Also look out for all-in-one base type products which would save time too. Good luck and congratulations!

For me (also v pale) everyday makeup = tinted moisturiser, concealer, mascara, brow thingy, blusher, bronzer, chubby stick.

So no primer, powder, eye shadow, eyeliner - all the bits that take time.

The ladies on S&B will also have loads of tips about foundations for v pale skin. Have you seen the Lisa Eldridge foundation videos as well? She definitely has a video on this which will give lots of suggestions. She is a genius of makeup.