Nursing is a job that requires you to socialize with people whether they are the patient, their family, or the other staff that works at the hospital. So it is safe to say that the nursing profession requires you to maintain a well-groomed appearance.
In any profession first impressions matter, and according to a study done by McKinstry and Wang, 41% of the patients were believed to have more confidence in the ability of their doctors based on their appearance.
This concept can also be applied to nurses, where patients may judge your ability based on the way you appear to them. Therefore it is essential for nurses to put extra effort into their appearance.
There are no specific rules regarding nurses wearing makeup, so it is pretty much your decision to make. Although there may be an exception for some instances, such as being in the operating room or wearing a mask may require you to be bare-faced.
Other than that, makeup is one of the best ways to enhance your appearance, so if you want to wear makeup, go ahead!
In this article, we will talk about 5 tips that nurses should keep in mind whilst applying makeup.
Tip#1 – Use Moderate Amount of Makeup
Try to keep your look simple. Avoid making it too bold, glittery, or dark. Too much makeup can make you look intimidating, and could make patients uneasy when interacting with you.
Rather you should be more conservative while applying makeup and make it look more natural. Being at your workplace requires you to maintain a certain image and a bold makeup look may create an issue as you are likely to look like you are coming from a party.
They say “Less is more” so stick to that phrase and keep the makeup to a minimum amount. Just use a hint of color to appear livelier.
Tip#2 – Apply Lip Balm Or Chapstick
Lipsticks don’t usually last long and are considered to be more on the bold side rather than the neutral side of makeup. The best option in this scenario is something like a lip balm, chapstick, or gloss.
They will help keep your lips nourished and will prevent them from becoming chapped or cracked during your shift at the hospital. The nourishing and natural aspect of it also makes it a healthier choice in comparison to lipsticks.
If you bite the skin on your lip unconsciously applying chapsticks may prevent you from constantly chewing at your lip during your shift. So remember to keep your lip balm or chapstick with you at all times so that you can reapply it.
Tip #3 – Cover Your Dark Circles
Nursing is a very demanding job, more so when you work night shifts, which can lead to eye bags and dark circles. One of the ways to do this is by applying a yellow base concealer for dark skin tone or a pink base concealer for lighter skin tone, under the eye.
Another way of reducing the appearance of eye bags is to highlight the crease and apply a dark shade of foundation over the puffy area. This is a more effective way to make your eye bags less noticeable.
Nurses have sleep-depriving schedules so concealer under the eye is a must, it will help you appear more energetic.
Tip #4 – Bring A Hint Of Color On Your Cheeks
To appear more glowing and alert, applying blush is a must. Yes, it may fade away over the course of your shift, but that doesn’t make it any less of an essential makeup trick.
Choose the right shade of blush based on your skin tone, like a rosy palette is likely to suit lighter skin tones whereas brownish berry shades are likely to complement darker skin tones. Keeping in mind the first tip in the article, apply blush moderately and avoid overdoing it.
If you feel the blush is starting to fade, reapply it to maintain your glow.
Tip#5 – Use Makeup Specific Brush To Apply Foundation
Using a makeup-specific brush for applying foundation will blend the foundation more evenly against your skin. It will also make the process of applying for foundation easier and quicker, which is a plus point especially for nurses given how they usually have less time to work on their appearance before the shift.
Further the bristles of the brush buffers the foundation perfectly against the skin and help it last longer. To make your foundation last longer you could also opt for a matte foundation as it stays longer and also reduces the oily look of the skin.
Conclusion
There are plenty of other makeup tricks nurses can adopt such as eyeshadow, eyeliner, and mascara, when they apply makeup but the main thing to keep in mind is to keep it natural. What you choose to apply or forgo in your makeup routine can be very specific to your makeup style, but don’t forget that the first impression is the last impression. So do your best to look good.
The main aim while applying makeup should be to glow more or appear high-spirited and vibrant when you interact with others, especially the patients. Your makeup look shouldn’t compromise your professionalism at work as every healthcare worker is advised to follow a certain set of rules at work.
That being said, there shouldn’t be any problems for nurses who choose to apply makeup as there are no specific restrictions against it. Just keep a natural look that enhances your facial features in a subtle way rather than proving to be distracting not only for yourself but also the people around you.
Always remember the more makeup you apply the more time it will take for you to get ready. Other than that you are likely to spend quite some time touching up the makeup during work. And nurses have very little time for themselves especially during their shifts so it is better to keep it simple.
If you are a nurse preparing for the night shift don’t forget to check our article on 6 helpful tips to prepare for the night shift written to provide you with the right assistance on how to manage your night shifts with ease.