15 replies to this topic

[Lily87]

Hi,

I just wanted to put my details out there in case anyone should want to contact me for make up application advice. I work as a professional make up artist and I have suffered with severe acne in the past. I now consider myself a master at covering all types of blemishes- as I have not only had to cover my own but also other peoples!

Feel free to write back on here if you have any specific questions!

[adalyn]

whats your method of covering up scabs or brown spots? i'd super appreciate your response!

[baileykcool]

nasty, huge scars? how do I cover these up?

[Lily87]

Hello!

With scabs, less is definitely more.

Avoid powder at all costs. As scabs are dry and prominent, in a lot of cases make up can make them look more obvious. The best way to cover any scabs or dry patches of skin, is first to moisturise well. Use a gentle moisturiser, nothing harsh that will sting or irritate the area. Let your moisturiser absorb into the skin before you apply your make up. Then follow with your foundation if you use one, and then your concealer on problem areas. Use a brush to apply concealer and foundation. This ensures that your skin is evenly covered. Brushes are especially good when concealing scabs as you can apply the concealer into any awkward patches without having to poke around with your finger or sponge applicator- with a brush you can ensure you can get into all visible areas of the scab. It is important however to wash your brushes regularly- this will avoid spreading infection.

For concealers, I recommend using a cream concealer. These have a good consistency and stay in place well. An excellent one is Secret Camouflage by Laura Mercia. Each concealer has two different shades so that you can make sure you get the right colour match for your skin and foundation. It is pricey but it lasts forever.

Brown spots- If you use foundation all over your face, then apply this first before any concealer. If you have pigmented areas of skin, you should build up coverage gradually with your foundation. Apply one covering of foundation, and then in any problem areas add extra coverage. Only add extra coverage when the first application has dried/ absorbed sufficiently. If you apply layer upon layer of foundation while it is still wet it will not given even coverage and will definitely look caked on.

Build your foundation up by gently patting it on with clean fingers. If you suffer with greasy skin you can set your foundation with a very light dusting of face powder- apply with a brush. I would recommend using a translucent shade. This will stop your foundation from coming off during the day. It also helps to give the appearance of an even blend.

A really excellent foundation is Lancome Teint Miracle. It gives great coverage, looks natural and doesn't feel like you are wearing it. It is again, not the cheapest, but a little goes a long way.

I hope that helps!

Nasty huge scars-

If these are are pitted scars then you can use products which have a filling effect, therefore giving the surface of the skin a smoother appearance. Clarins do a product called "Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch". It has a really soft texture and blends over the skin really easily. You can then apply your foundation over the top.

If you have superficial scars which are more on the surface then I would recommend covering them with same technique as mentioned above for brown spots.

If you have raised scars, such as keloid scars then the trick is to make sure that you have the perfect foundation match for your skin tone- again, build up the foundation gradually. If you scars match your skin colour then they will be less obvious even if they are raised.

[baileykcool]

Well, they aren't dents, just massive red marks.

[wishfuldrinking]

What moisturizers do you recommend?

Know of any good foundations for dry skin? Only anticipating Accutane dryness...I use Lancome right now, just ditched Makeup Forever and my skin already seems a little happier (but not much!) Just wondering if you knew of any really good ones.

[Lily87]

Massive red marks-

Ok, if your scars are red, but not raised or pitted then concealing them in the same way as for brown spots would be the easiest way to deal with them.

However, for redness, you can actually get green concealers. It sounds a bit odd that you might want to use green on your skin, but green actually counteracts the colour red, so this is why it is great if you to have red blemishes or rosacea etc. To use it, apply it carefully over the affected areas, making sure you blend it well, then apply your foundation or skin-coloured concealer over the top.

Hope that helps!

Hi Wishfuldrinking!

Good to hear you have swapped to Lancome, it really is by far the best foundation I have ever used- and I have a tried out a huge variety! I just recommended it to a friend who is also on accutane and she is getting on well with it. I would advise you to stick to that and hopefully your skin will gradually improve.

The best thing to do for your foundation when your skin is getting dry is to moisturise well before you applying your foundation. Again, make sure you have given it ten minutes or so to sink in, otherwise it can turn your foundation shiny and it won't stay on so well. A really great moisturiser is "Skin Repair Moisturiser" by Liz Earle.

When my skin was really dry, I used to mix in a little bit of neat Vitamin E oil with my moisturiser and apply this to my face at night. I got the oil from a health food shop- I found it helped my skin stay in better condition and despite being oily it didn't cause any further spots.

One other product that I absolutely love is Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair serum. It is expensive and at first I was a bit reluctant to try it. However, it kept cropping up in all the magazines under recommendations and it kept winning beauty awards. So eventually I bit the bullet and bought some. The results were fantastic- it really, really helped calm my skin down a lot. I would notice my skin looked a lot less angry the day after I had used it and also, now that my acne has cleared up, I think it is part of the reason that I have not been left with a lot of scarring.

It doesn't feel like you're wearing it when it's on, it just sinks in immediately and you only need a tiny amount for one application.

It may be something worth investing in for you, and if you do, you should use it before your moisturiser.

Hope that helps you!

[Kairasa]

I tend to have dry skin and I don't use any foundation whatsoever. Do you have any recommendations for me? Also, my skin is very irish-y (aka pink), and while I'm pretty clear these days, foundation tends to either make me look too pale or too pink. haha

[Lily87]

Again, I would recommend that you moisturise first with a good moisturiser. The Liz Earle one that I mentioned earlier would be good for you if you have particularly dry skin.

Once moisturised, apply your foundation- Lancome's Teint Miracle suits all skin tones including skin types such as yours with pink/blue skin undertones. This particular lancome foundation has a really high water content and will keep your skin hydrated and healthy looking throughout the day. You would probably be best using the lightest shade which is 010. I find that this shade is a good match for most people with a fairer complexion. If you go to the Lancome counter in a department store then they will be able to check the colour match for you. I always recommend getting them to apply some for you in store, then going out of the shop and checking the foundation in natural daylight. This is the only way to make sure you have the best colour match.

I have had a few clients who have bought an expensive foundation in a store after a make up artist had recommended the shade to them- at the time when they were in the store with the artificial lighting it looked like the right shade, however once they got back to their car and saw it in the mirror they realised it was too dark. And once you've bought your foundation you can't usually get it exchanged- so be wary of buying before checking it yourself.

Just to add, I am a freelance artist and I don't work under any cosmetic retailers, so these recommendations are all just based on experience and not because I am trying to plug any products )

[Jlisondra]

thanks for all your suggestions and tips ; ) they are really helpful! ok, a few questions and i'll prob ask more in the future lol..

whats a blush that you find flatters almost every skin tone?
what are your favorite drugstore products?
if you have a short amt of time to get ready, what do you make sure to grab for?

[colpol]

Hello!

I suffer from acne and I have a lot of scars.
I have tried so many foundations to try and cover, but none work =[ and I am not happy with the way my face looks with just foundation so always have to wear foundation powder too.
My current face is 2-3 layers of foundation, and then a huge layer of a powder foundation, this is just to cover it up, it looks very very unnatural but its the only thing whic covers it.

What would you recommend for someone with acne which can not be covered? What do I need? Concealer? What foundation should I use and how should I apply it?

[adalyn]

hey dear,

could you please suggest several foundations besides teint miracle that you'd highly recommend for all skin types?

thank you!

[maimy]

You are great.

What is the best primer out there?

[Lily87]

Hi Guys,

Sorry for such a terribly slow reply. I moved in November and didnt have internet connection until recently!

To answer your questions:


whats a blush that you find flatters almost every skin tone?:
MAC creme blush in Ladyblush. I find I can use it on almost anyone!

what are your favorite drugstore products?
Garnier Tinted Eye Roll on. Its meant for under eye dark circles but if you feel you need a bit of cover up but dont want anything heavy on your skin, this has a really light texture but does give some coverage. I literally just roll it over my skin and blend in.

if you have a short amt of time to get ready, what do you make sure to grab for?
Foundation, bronzer & mascara! I always use my lancome foundation, sometimes just on my worst areas of skin, a dusting of Hula bronzer by benefit and some lashings of mascara to wake me up!

Colpol- I recently wrote an article on my blog about covering acne, i think it might help you:

*Moderator edit - URL removed - read the board rules*

Please feel free to msg me if you have any other questions on that topic!

Adalyn: I am such an advocate of the lancome foundation that i tend to stick to that alone, but others I have use in the past and found to be good are Clinique's range for acne/ oily skin. But i really would say have a go at the lancome one. I have converted 5 of my friends to it, and my nan and they all love it! Laura Mercier do great foundations too!

Maimy- I really like Benefit's That Gal primer, it has a nice soothing effect on the skin and is light in texture. For something more heavy duty- a night out maybe, Revlon do a great new primer called Photoready. It really makes your foundation stay put. Steer clear of Boot's number 7- I found it to be awful! A lot of primers kind of roll off if you rub them, so test them on your hand and give them a good rub before you buy.

Again, so sorry for such a delayed reply! I hope you all manage to read this! xx

[Bookitty]

Do you have any tips for applying mineral foundation? Love your blog x

[Starlitskies]

Wow, great posts! You're really helpful, and it's very sweet of you to answer everyone's questions like this

First, I guess I'm just curious as to how you cover acne bumps. I can usually cover-up most of the redness, but then any zits I have still look really bumpy. Is there a good trick to sort of smooth things out?

Second, how the heck do you do a good smokey eye without looking like you just have a black eye?! Smokey eyes always look SO pretty on everyone else, but I just look like I got in a fist fight when I try to do it haha

Thanks so much!