GEORGE TOWN: With wearing masks soon to be a thing of the past, it’s time to head out and stock up on skincare products and make-up, especially lipstick.
The satisfaction of being able to accentuate one’s features with make-up and not deal with acne breakouts from the humidity of wearing a mask has got many people excited.
Many women are revelling in the joy of not having “maskne” or smeared make-up.
“Maskne” is a portmanteau of the phrase “mask acne”, coined during the pandemic for the zits and pimples that break out on the faces of some who wear masks all day.
Student Rahula Loh, 27, said she was excited to go maskless outdoors again, adding that wearing face masks under the hot weather was uncomfortable.
“I enjoy wearing make-up but it’ll usually come off on the mask and my effort will go to waste. For the past two years, I have rarely worn any make-up. The make-up that I have is expiring as it has a shelf life.
“Wearing make-up under a mask gives me acne as well. Once I stopped wearing make-up, the acne stopped. I had to change my skincare routine as well to protect my skin barrier,” she said when met at a cafe in Tanjung Bungah near here.
Loh said she could now start practising make-up for her upcoming nuptials.
It was announced on Wednesday that Malaysia is taking a giant step towards Covid-19 endemicity with a raft of new rules, with face masks no longer a must when outdoors, registering with the MySejahtera app not needed and social distancing also not required effective tomorrow.
Architect R. Jeevan, 33, said being able to go maskless outdoors was great news as he has been struggling with clogged pores.
“I regularly get little red pimples on my chin and around my jawline.
“I have to diligently apply antibiotic cream to keep the breakouts under control.
“I hate ‘maskne’ and I am glad that I can now take off the mask when walking in the streets or any open space,” he said.
However, blogger Gaylen Hong, 38, said she would still keep her mask on whether outdoors or indoors.
“Putting on a face mask means not having to cake my face with make-up or foundation, something which I have been enjoying.
“I barely wear make-up unless I am attending a function or for work purposes.
“However it would be nice to put on lipstick again,”she said.
Bus driver Abdul Rashid Mohd Hussain, 61, is glad that scanning MySejahtera before entering premises is no longer compulsory.
He usually writes his name on the notebook provided.
“I do not like people knowing where I have been as I feel it’s like invading my privacy.
“I have experienced being questioned about my entries in my app at work and it feels weird.
“To reduce the usage of the app, I write down my details whenever possible but sometimes I still have to use my phone.
“I am really happy with the latest announcement,” he said.
Shop operator Lau Yok Wan, 56, said maintaining social distancing and wearing masks indoors were more important than scanning before entering premises.
“Asking them to scan the app has always been difficult. Some just walked away because of this.
“Many people feel without scanning the app, they are less likely to be flagged as being a close or casual contact. I believe it will help my business since the public no longer need to register,” she said.