How To Disguise Blemishes Fast

How To Disguise Blemishes Fast
Our three-minute guide to concealing breakouts.

Waking up with an angry looking blemish in the middle of your forehead, cheek or chin is a misfortune we’ve all experienced at some point. Having to jump on a 9am Skype meeting with a red, swollen spot or breakout is a new issue altogether for most of us though. With a camera lens in front of you, it can feel like your friends and colleagues have a front row seat to your complexion woes.

Depending on the condition of your breakout, there are some speedy insider hacks that you can employ to camouflage or distract from your skin. Here is our three-minute guide…

60 Seconds To Cleanse & Hydrate

It can be tempting to slap on some makeup and hope for the best, but makeup artist and founder of Votary, Arabella Preston recommends taking one minute out to cleanse with a cloth. “You won’t be able to successfully conceal a blemish if the skin is dry and flaky,” says Arabella. “A super quick oil and hot cloth cleanse will nourish the skin, speeding up the recovery time of the blemish and helping prevent scarring.” Using a hot cloth will help to gently exfoliate your skin and decongest the area without causing any irritation.

All of Votary’s Cleansing Oils, including the Votary Clarifying Cleansing Oil - Rosemary & Oat, £55, come with a cloth. You can also buy them separately with Oskia Dual-Active Cleansing Cloth 3 piece, N/A. Once you’ve cleansed, pat your skin dry with a clean towel.

30 Seconds To Apply A Salicylic Treatment

Salicylic acid is one of the best ingredients to use on a blemish to help reduce the swelling, loosen blocked pore and tackle the bacteria build-up. “Massaging a soothing treatment oil into the blemish is truly transformational,” says Arabella, who created Votary Blemish Rescue Oil – Tamanu and Salicylic, £35 for this specific reason. “Don’t make the mistake of trying to dry your blemishes out. That will only increase the chance of scarring, prolong the recovery time and make it much harder to conceal.” Ren Clean Skincare Clearcalm Non-Drying Spot Treatment, £20 is also very good for this trick. If you have a little bit more time to play with, we recommend sleeping with Plenaire Violet Paste dabbed onto any blemish patches.

80 Seconds To Camouflage & Conceal

Now comes the step that you might have thought would have come first: concealing. “I conceal blemishes after I have applied foundation and use a small buffing brush to blend for a seamless finish,” says Arabella. “I use a wand applicator concealer, such as Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer, £27 or Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Concealer, £35.” Arabella recommends dotting the concealer on with the wand and then pressing the formula into the area, before using a brush to blend. She does have one important piece of advice on shade selection: “make sure it is yellow-toned rather than pink-toned as this will help reduce any redness.”

10 Seconds To Set & Forget

“Use a translucent setting powder to fix your concealer in place,” says makeup artist Arif Khan. “Avoid powders with light reflective properties as this will draw attention to the area.” Arif recommends using a fluffy brush such as Space NK Brush 302 - Eyeshadow, Concealer and Highlighter, £14 to apply a light dusting of powder without moving your concealer.

One Final Note On Disguising Blemishes

If your breakout or blemish is open and weeping, it might be better to stop at the second step and leave your treatment to work its magic. “At this stage your breakout is an open wound, so unless you absolutely need to, I would avoid wearing anything on top of it and give it time to heal,” advises Arif. Why not use the distraction method and opt for a bright pop of colour courtesy of Kevyn Aucoin Unforgettable Lipstick, £16.8 in Fatal Shine instead…

Posted: 星期一, 20 四月 2020