Nursing School Makeup (clinicals)

Miss.LeoRN · Aug 6, 2014

We were pretty much told at orientation that only light make up is allowed. If it was too obvious we'd be asked to remove it/sent home with a clinical fail for that day. And that goes for any uniform violation.

Personally I don't wear much make up. It just feels weird and then I feel like a clown. Possible because I have freckles and when they're covered by a foundation I just feel.... sorta fake I guess. I do wear lip glosses, mascara, once in a while I might do some subtle eyeliner. I won't likely do much different come clinical.

Backwardo · Aug 6, 2014

During my CNA clinicals, I just did my normal face of makeup. Foundation, black eyeliner, black mascara, beige-ish shadow. I don't wear anything very thick or dramatic, so I likely won't change it unless I'm asked to.

ellaballet · Aug 6, 2014

We were told don't wear a lot of makeup. I wear a little bit of tinted moisturizer, undereye concealer and mascara just so I don't look totally dead lol. I wouldn't wear eyeliner or lipstick, but I guess it depends on your school's rules.

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Aug 6, 2014

I wore my normal day to day makeup. Nothing heavy or dramatic. That includes foundation (horrible blotchy red skin!), a bit of blush, light liner, mascara, lip balm.

Did have one girl in clinicals who wore a face full (and probably added 5lbs to her weight) that looked like she was going clubbin. The instructors never said anything but it just didn't look appropriate for the setting. Sort of like seeing a person dressed to the 9's with full face, hair and ball gown at a neighborhood picinic :)

springchick1, ADN, RN · Aug 6, 2014

Hello everyone! I am starting nursing school on August 25th and was wondering what most of the girlies around here do for makeup! Do you guys think that eyeliner may be too heavy of a thing for me to wear? What about a natural face and berry lips? I would like to know how you guys do your makeup for clinicals! :)

Congrats on starting nursing school! As for clinicals, yes, eyeliner is too heavy of a thing to wear. We (like a previous poster stated) were told our first day to wear light makeup only. The direct quote for our instructor was, "No bedroom eyes". Your instructor will probably give you instructions on this but to be safe, I say skip the eyeliner. And you may want to do a light lip gloss if you have to have something on your lips.

Balto · Aug 6, 2014

Don't come with heavy makeup or outrageous colors. The bright lights of the floor can make that stand out (not in a good way). Keep it light, fresh and natural.

Personally, I don't wear makeup. My skin is too sensitive.

Heliantus · Aug 6, 2014

Be careful with make up, most clinical professors will make you go home if they deem it inappropriate/too heavy.

Personally I make sure to exfoliate and moisturizer my face so that my skin looks fresh and healthy. I then dab a bit of concealer under my eyes ( night shifts will make your eyes look puffy). I use a little blush, because I am very pale. Sometime I put on mascara, but it depends how tired I look. For my eyebrows I use tinted gel, my eyebrow hairs are sporifice and much lighter than my hair. Honestly this is all I do. You don't need much to look good, just need to look yourself. :)

ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP · Aug 6, 2014

I don't wear any makeup, especially in clinical. Also don't wear ANY perfume/strong-scented lotion, as that can make a patient more nauseous.

jordiRN · Aug 6, 2014

I wear makeup everyday, just the basics! So it would have been weird not to wear it to clinical. Our school never had rules about makeup, but it was kind of an understood guideline that you don't glitz it up for clinical. I wore my usual moisturizer, powder, blush, eyeliner, and mascara. Nothing too thick or dark, just enough to make it look like I hadn't just rolled out of bed! And I second the no perfume thing! It might not bother you or your friends, but you'd be surprised how much it can affect some patients.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Aug 7, 2014

Perfumes, scented lotions or anything that smells is an absolute no.

As far as eyeliner goes, if you're not putting it on heavily or doing "cat eyes", I don't see the problem. My eyes disappear without it, and I've been wearing it since 1980. People aren't always sure I have it on, though.

A normal, natural face is best -- light enough to enhance but not be obvious. Toward that end, foundation, blush, lipstick, eyeliner, mascara are all OK, just as long as it isn't noticeable.

mrsboots87 · Aug 7, 2014

It will depend on how strict your school is if you can wear eyeliner. My program states "light make-up only" and the instructors clarified that eyeliner is ok as long as it is not dramatic. Just a thinner line with no long cat eye types point at the end. The rest is kind of self explanatory with no heavy shadow or blush and don't look like a painted doll. I usually wear bare minerals powder to keep it light, with a thin line for my eyeliner, a very light peachy blush, regular mascara (no thick coat or fake lashes) and lip balm (im not a gloss or lipstick kind of person). Basically, beside the mild amount of upper eye liner, my face just looks like I have very nice skin because I don't wear much lol. Just enough to not look like I just rolled out of bed. For me, I wear eyeliner everyday to the point that if I don't wear it everybody thinks I look sick. I would rather have a little more makeup than have my patients think I'm sick. Just wear your makeup how you think you will for clinical and ask an instructor if what you are wearing would be acceptable. Then you will know what is appropriate before your first clinical shift. In my class, a couple students were sent home from their first clinical shift for too heavy make-up, but I never got in trouble for my eyeliner.