Look good, feel better Part 2

Posted on February 16, 2021 by Apparently Catherine

I’m not very good at the whole makeup application thing, my mum didn’t wear makeup and during that part of high school where young teen girls traditionally started to delve into it, We were sporting a shaved head (irony not lost) and hanging out with boys all day pretending We knew how to ride a skateboard. Make up wasn’t really relevant.

So I actually learned many things at the look good feel better workshop on Monday that most people would probably consider very basic. The goal of the program is to help ease the appearance related side effects of cancer treatment by teaching makeup techniques and demonstrating headwear like how to tie scarves nicely and what those little bra strap things on wigs actually do.

There were about 8 of us in the room spaced a Covid safe distance apart with various levels of hair loss. Unfortunately that pesky pandemic means our facilitator cannot physically help us with application techniques like they did in the old days, but we made do with spoken guidance and hand gestures from 1.5 meters.

They taught us some basics about skin care I didn’t know (like what toner is and why you should use it) and the make-up application techniques centred around people on chemo who’s skin maybe isn’t as cooperative as it once was were really interesting! They also taught us ways of symmetrically applying brows once yours have fallen out and clever ways to use eyeliner to lesson the obviousness that ones eyelashes have vanished.

One of the perks of Cancer is that some pretty fancy brand make up companies are keen to donate items to make up free goodie bags for the chemo patients attending workshops. I now own my first and likely only Giorgio Armani mascara! #fancy

So at the end of it all I was tired but definitely looked and felt better. Unfortunately I didn’t take a selfie of the after photo I promised, I’ll have to add one when I have enough energy to apply my new makeup again!

While I love and appreciate these wonderful initiatives, Cancer has so much funding and support already that part of me is also screaming “where are the look good, feel better self care style bags for psych ward patients?!” That’s something I’d LOVE to see some big companies get behind, wouldn’t you?