Let's face it: Most of us have had, currently have, or will have, acne at one point or another. Maybe you see a few red bumps pop up around that time of the month, or maybe you're like me and have suffered from cystic breakouts across your cheeks, chin, and forehead. Either way, if you've had acne before or have it now, chances are you've struggled with how to best cover it up.
Smoothing uneven texture and concealing discoloration on the face can be tricky — but it's certainly not impossible. During the formative years of my beauty education, I turned to YouTube videos to help me figure out how to hide a painful zit (or two, or three, or a dozen). Ahead, I've rounded up some of my favorite acne-coverage tutorials with the hope that they will help my fellow acne-sufferers feel a little less alone. Get ready to walk away armed with some useful new skills.
The grown-up guide to dealing with acne. Read more from The Acne Diaries here.
Professional makeup artist Lisa Eldridge 's approach to dealing with acne is to put the spotlight on the clear, unblemished areas of the face. "I think about the skin between the acne," she says in this video. "I've tried to embellish that skin and make that skin look as natural and as beautiful as possible."
By carefully spot-treating problem areas, Eldridge manages to create a flawless canvas that doesn't look the slightest bit heavy or cakey.
YouTuber Raye Boyce shows us that a perfect complexion can be achieved using inexpensive products. After buffing a mixture of two full-coverage foundations onto her skin, she reaches for a warm-toned concealer for extra coverage. According to Boyce, the orange-y undertones in the concealer nix the need for a separate color-corrector.
Boyce says social media can be disheartening: "Don't ever get down on yourself when you're on Instagram and YouTube and you see people with perfect skin," she says in this video. "It is all a load of bull. It's filters, good lighting, [and] good makeup." Amen, Raye, Amen.
Instead of spot-concealing, professional makeup artist Wayne Goss suggests simply layering a full-coverage foundation over your problem areas. "[If you] have more than seven or so breakouts that need covering, never ever spot-cover because it's so disheartening to go in with a small brush on every single blemish," he told Refinery29. In this video, he teaches his viewers how to totally conceal redness and pimples while still maintaining a fresh, radiant finish.
His pro tip: Use a foundation that's slightly darker than your natural skin tone — this will help further conceal dark spots and inflamed zits. Buff on a light layer of it using a damp sponge for the most natural effect.
Lee, of the YouTube channel MamiChula8153, believes that a heavy-duty cream foundation and a flat-top foundation brush are the only tools you need to conceal stubborn acne. She stipples a base layer of foundation over her entire face before going in for a second round on areas that need more coverage.
She even demonstrates how to apply bronzer and blush if you have breakouts and bumpy texture on your cheeks. The key is to use a stippling or bouncing motion, rather than swiping or buffing. If you lightly bounce your brush or sponge over your skin, you won't disturb the foundation or concealer underneath.
Professional makeup artist Heidi Hamoud always starts with a primer when working with acne-prone skin (her favorite is Make Up For Ever's Mattifying Primer). "This is the magic tool," she says in this video. "It's what makes [foundation] cover so well, and it helps product stick to the skin."
For those concerned with redness, Hamoud recommends color-correcting with a green concealer before stippling on foundation. It's Color Theory 101: Green neutralizes red.
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