How-to -- the long version

Reading the New York Times this morning I came upon an article headlined "How to Go Makeup-Free to Beat the Heat."  Because "summer's heat and humidity make a face full of makeup feel oppressive.  But how to go without?"

Having decided to go makeup-free when I retired, I thought the answer would be pretty simple: just say no.

Silly me.  Turns out that in order to give up your makeup you might need to do all kinds of substitute routines or advance preparations.  Such as:

-  Laser treatments to remove your dark spots

-  Pulsed light treatments to implode your spider veins

-  Microneedling to shrink pores and build collagen.

-  Botox to shrink pores.

-  Rhofade cream to reduce red veins

-  Injections of hyaluronic acid filler under your eyes to puff out skin and eliminate baggy circles (aka "tear trough correction")

-  Chemical peel to take away excess melanin under your eyes and eliminate dark circles

-  Injection of "semipermanent fillers" to smooth wrinkles and camouflage bumps

-  Latisse serum to give you thicker, longer, darker eyelashes

-  Eyelash extensions  

-  Microblading, a tattoo procedure that simulates eyebrow hairs.

Of course, there are tradeoffs.  Many of these approaches require several sessions.  Some are painful.  Rhofade and Latisse require prescriptions.  And almost all of the treatments are expensive, whether done by a dermatologist, plastic surgeon or makeup artist.  

Having read this article for you, I will offer my own bottom line: just say no.  If you feel that your naked face looks too awful to go out in public, take it into your studio and make art.