Autism and make up
When you’re autistic, many textures and smells can create sensory overload, so we often avoid wearing makeup for that reason, as most are packed with the stuff that can hurt a lot. When I was a teen this is exactly how I felt.
I avoided slathering on lip gloss like my peers, not because of any sense to claim individuality, quite the opposite, in fact. It was because whenever I tried wearing any kind of lip product my mind would shout out to eat the product instead of wearing it, because firstly, it was tasty and secondly - it was hurting me physically and if I did not remove said product, I was convinced it would infect my entire body and I would die. My mind did that with every brand, it was not picky. From the much loved early 2000s staple Juicy Tubes (oh boy remember Juicy Tubes?) to your usual Boots lip gloss fare.
Then when I entered university I thought enough is enough - I must buy some cosmetic staples if I want to make it through the three years (later four) alive. So, I went to the local shopping centre, which had a new MAC (the make-up company not the computers, but it did have an Apple Store in which I went in every visit to attend Mac classes and breathe on the iPods). There I was entering uncharted territory, the assistants scanning me to see if I am worthy enough for their attention, in which in the end, I was. She directed me to a foundation, blush and lipstick which all were spiffy and smelt like factory vanilla, so of course I bought it. Years and a foundation colour mishap later, I have fallen in love with makeup.
My collection is growing, and I follow over 300 make-up related blogs on Instagram. With that, I have found these solutions that work for me the most:
Lip balms and tints
Lipsticks and lip glosses can feel very heavy to wear plus the smell of the product can cause me to wipe it all off. Instead you can try a light unscented lip tint that have lovely colours from berry to nude. Best of all most come in a stick form which is easy to carry and apply.
Light coverage foundations
Full coverage foundations can feel like you just put a lot of icing sugar on your face and the sensation of it is not good at all, in fact it can feel like your whole face is about to melt off! To combat that melting feeling, use a light coverage or buildable foundation.
Multi-use sticks
These sticks can be anything from bronzer to blush. They are very useful and come in a variety of cool colours and best of all, they are very light on the face and blend easily. They have a wide range of uses and don’t require make up brushes to apply - so they are economical too.
Peel off nail polish
If you like painting your nails but don’t like the feeling of polish on your nails there are many non-toxic and peel off polish available in a wide range of colours and you don’t even have to use remover as it comes off straight away!
About the author
Solmaz is Ambitious about Autism’s Marketing and Communications Intern. She loves writing, and also has interests in music, technology and beauty products. Solmaz will be writing regular blogs here over the coming months.
