I have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome Type Three [also known as hypermobility syndrome], and there are a few types. Each type has its own problems, so what is found in one type is not necessarily found in another. That said, there is also variation between the types; one person with EDS 3 might not have the exact same traits as another with EDS 3.
As I have said before, I'm no expert on makeup. I do what I do and hope for the best.
When it comes to EDS 3 and my skin, there are a few weird things. My skin is velvet soft, stretchy, and very thick. I'm also hyper-aware and hyper-sensitive, prone to scarring, stretch marks, redness, blisters, spots, eczema, and honestly a few other problems that just don't come to mind at the moment. If I think of any, I'll add them below. It means that I am demanding of my makeup; it needs to cover up spots, scarring, stretch marks, and eczema, without being too heavy on my skin or in a way that I can feel it. I also have very weak hands, so pots need to be easy to open. In short, I demand a lot.
I haven't found much on makeup and skin care specifically for EDS 3, and I know it is common. I'm going to give you my tips [partly as a reference to myself, for when I forget things] and I would love it if you could share yours with me in the comments.
As always, I'll provide links to what I'm talking about, and why I do what I do and why I use what I use.
I'm going to start with the night before. I love face masks because I can put one on and do something else while I'm waiting for it to dry. I recently started using Love Lettuce and I love it. I found Cupcake amazing, but the smell very strong; the same thing happened with Mask of Magnaminty. I find Love Lettuce helps with redness, spots, and eczema, but the smell is weak enough that I can use it even when my senses are on high alert. I use 9 to 5 to wash it off with what I would describe as warm water, but others might describe as freezing cold; 9 to 5 is also my daily cleanser.
Just before bed I'll apply a layer of Full of Grace. I know I've talked about this in previous posts. I keep it in a massage bar tin so I'll let it rest on my lap to warm up for a few minutes. As I said, I have weak hands so the fewer lids and the fewer actions the better for me. Full of Grace means that I can just rub the solid over my face and leave it; I might rub it in a little if I so desire, but more often than not I leave it. I'll do this just before bed so I sleep in it. The next morning my skin always feels incredible. I have noticed that the stretch marks along my jaw are almost faded, and I'm certain that Full of Grace is the reason for that.
I use 9 to 5 every morning, and it has definitely helped to keep my skin a little less angry. If my skin needs it, I will use a small amount of Vitamin E day cream but usually Full of Grace is enough.
On to foundation... and this is where things get weird. Please stay with me on this. I've already listed the problems I have, but I have another - I'm very pale. Foundations tend to sit in a middle ground of skin tones, often neglecting pale skin and dark skin. This means I mix foundations together, but it is such effort to mix up the right colour every time I want to wear foundation.
So I cheated. I got an empty VItamin E day cream pot, cleaned it out, and mixed my own foundation using a variety of products and chucked it in the pot. I started with small and equal amounts of the listed products below, then mixed them together thoroughly. Then I just kept adding them all until I had a pot full and it matched my skin tone. I will happily admit that it is a lot of products, but it is a very light coverage [probably because of the moisturisers] that I can build if I need to, especially since I don't wear concealer.
These are the products I use, and why.
- Vitamin E sorbet - a gorgeous cream that feels quite cool when applying, I love how this adds thickness to what was a very runny mix. I really do not like runny foundations.
- Seaweed day cream - prevents oily patches, but moisturises at the same time. Honestly I find this a little too drying, but mixed with everything else it does stop oily patches.
- Tea Tree BB cream, light - this is super dark and very yellow on its own, but it does provide a lot of coverage and helps with oily patches and spots. On its own I hate this product, but without it in this mix I don't get enough coverage.
- Jackie Oates - a beautiful foundation, an almost perfect match for my skin. I added this for coverage, colour and thickness, but also because it is smooth to apply. That makes my skin less likely to stretch, and therefore less likely to get more stretch marks, scarring, and blisters.
- Sheer Expert, rosy beige - one of those dreaded runny foundations. This is almost a perfect match for my skin, but I did find it difficult to apply because it is just that liquified. I put this in for coverage, and colour despite knowing that on its own it can pick up a few stretch marks. In the mix, they are covered.
- Rich Liquid, white - absolutely beautiful white foundation, gorgeous texture. I added this for colour [the rosy beige is a little dark] and texture. It has such an amazing finish that comes through despite being mixed with everything else.
As I said, there are a few products in that one pot, but it really does give a light coverage. I strongly recommend you to do the same - if you have a moisturiser that works, chuck it in a pot with your foundation and mix the two [or more!] together. It will save you time, and it means you have less lids to open. I use an EcoTools brush, the largest one in that set, to apply the foundation. I use a little at a time, but I do build it up in places I need it.
I'm not going to go in depth about colours or what eyeshadows to use, because most eyeshadows are kind of the same to me. There are some that are very faint and the pigment just disappears; those I avoid, I would rather not spend hours laying up the same colour just so it is a little bit visible. I will say though that palettes are great, and I love using Sleek palettes. They are very difficult to open, so I tend to keep mine closed loosely, and then slip it in the box it came in; that way I know what palette I'm using, and I'm not forcing open a lid that does not want to be opened. I'll come back to eyes in a moment.
Sticking with palettes, I do the same thing for blusher. I love the Naked Flushed compact, and I use it in Streak. The lid is closed by a magnet, so it is very easy to open. It doesn't just say easy-open and then you need a crowbar to force it; it really does open easily, but since it uses a magnet it doesn't open in your bag.
Back to eyes, I avoid loose glitter shadows. If I want to add sparkle, I tend to go for pressed glittered shadows, like the ones that are often in Sleek palettes. For a quick look, I like to take one shade, apply it all over the lid, and then just blend it out. Pencils are great for doing that too, and I love the 24/7 ones by Urban Decay for pigment, range of colours, and just how long they last. The velvet range is gorgeous too. Pencils make a great alternative to liquid or gel liner, especially when I do not have the control, time, or energy to get my wings to match. My eyes are very hooded because of the EDS 3, so perfectly matched wings tend to not happen often; pencils are brilliant because I can smudge out the top line into the hooded part, while keeping a sharp line at the bottom of the wing. It hides a multitude of sins.
When it comes to powder I stick with Lush. I use a mixture of Emotional Brilliance and Powdered Sunshine and put them in a bareMinerals refillable brush. I love the SPF15 of Powdered Sunshine, and the way the powders give a matte and flawless finish. Admittedly the brush takes off the foundation more than it puts on powder, but nothing is perfect. If there is a way to get the brush to get more powder flowing out of it, please let me know!
For lip colour, I always go for something that is moisturising and long lasting. My lips get very dry and tend to crack, so any lip colour needs to hide and/or help that. Urban Decay lipsticks are gorgeous, last a full day, and keep my lips soft. If I'm going somewhere fancy and I don't want to use Lipstick Queen's Hello Sailor [which I'm sure I've talked about before], I love using Estee Lauder glosses over the top of an Urban Decay lipstick. I need to pay close attention to the taste and scent of a lip colour, because I can find some of them to be overpowering. That can be a problem when my senses are on high alert. The Urban Decay lipsticks are almost tasteless, which is definitely one of the reasons I love using them so much.
We reach the end. That took a lot longer than I think either of us were expecting. If you got through it, treat yourself to something. Have a relaxing bath, or hug a pet. You deserve it.
Let me know if you have products that you use to help, or if you want more details on something I've mentioned.
See you next week with a shorter post!
E