Hey guys, so I got my balls together and went to the local sephora and had them get me some concealer for when I go on a date or go to interviews. I have acne marks spread over my cheeks, pimples aren't really there except for a few. she had me get murad acne concealer with salyzcidic acid in it, which I don't think with do anything. But whenever I put it on with the little brush it doesn't cover it up very well, and it gets flakey.. So tell me, is there something else I need to use like a powder or something to blend the concealer with my face? I want to make my acne look not so noticeable, but I don't have to look like I have perfect skin. Oh yeah a big one here... I DONT WANT TO LOOK LIKE I HAVE ANYTHING ON AT ALL! I would be more embarrassed with people knowing I'm trying to cover it up than going out with my array of spots.
Yeah I'm a guy. I want to cover up my spots, so what.
Any good products you recommend?
Hey there.
Concealer shouldn't look dry or flakey when applied, if it is a cream/liquid concealer. If you want it to apply smoothly, you need to firstly make sure that your skin is well hydrated, moisturised, and exfoliated. I suggest exfoliating 1-2 times a week, just to remove any dead skill cells and flaking skin. There are many exfoliators which you can purchase, however there is a simple DIY one which works very well - brown sugar and olive oil. The brown sugar gently exfoliates the face, and can even help with lightening acne scars, and the olive oil is very moisturising and gentle on the skin. All you need to do is combine some brown sugar with some olive oil. You don't want it to be runny, otherwise the brown sugar will melt. It needs to be of a face scrub consistency. You can also substitute the olive oil for different oils - I really like using coconut oil.
Anyway, after your face is exfoliated, just moisturise it well at least twice a day. The concealer should apply much smoother 
Good luck.
I guess the salesperson had the best intentions--- but, I think anything with salicylic acid is just going to peel your skin-- especially if you're already using other topicals and medications for acne. At least you can return the concealer at Sephora.
I just went around and tested every foundation/concealer that looked similar to my skin tone, and bought the one that matched my skin the best. I didn't bother with concealer since some of the foundations can be used as if they are concealers. If you feel weird, bring a female with you.
I used the back of my hand to test the colors, then did test spots on my jaw line for the ones that seemed the best match (yeah, I know it sounds gross, but sometimes you just have to).
When I use the foundation to cover acne, I use it as if it were concealer-- since it matches my skin I don't need to worry about it being obvious. At first I used a "Make up Forever" matte foundation in color 30 or 35-- which matches my skin perfectly. Another time I went to Ulta and picked up a Tarte "Amazon clay" foundation that also matches my skin perfectly. I have a weird pale skin tone, so benign able to test their stuff makes the money worthwhile. I think matching your general skin tone is the most important-- I just use it on the spots and red marks. I'm not one to spend an hour doing makeup, because I hate wearing it unless I have to.