for someone who wants a good coverage...i've realized using a small amount of liquid foundation, and setting it with a powder foundation appears less heavy than using a lot of liquid. unfortunately, lighting can b really deceiving, and make you think you don't look cakey when you do in natural light.
I pretty much go all out...
After wiping my face down w/Stridex pads, I moisturize, and let it sit. Then I apply primer/BB cream, concealer, liquid foundation (Revlon Colorstay for Combination/Oily skin) and translucent powder. And if I want some extra coverage after that, I'll dab on a bit more concealer on my problem areas.
It may sound like a lot, but it actually looks pretty natural (not 100%, but it doesn't look caked on or anything like that).
I used to use so much makeup that It's actually embarrassing to think about it now. Once my skin got better, I've been using much less. I try to cover about 80% of it, I'd say. Enough that I feel comfortable, but not so much that people think I have perfect skin. It's not worth it just because it's pretty obvious all that make up is there if you have cysts (you can cover the color, but the bumps are still there). I've also been using less makeup ever since I started to use Colorstay (about 5 months ago) since it covers so well and doesn't make me oily. I use a bit of that with some powder and then set everything with the ELF HD Powder which is amazing for long-wear. I sometimes use concealer, depends on the day, I just haven't found a good one w/out parabens.