Zits have a knack of showing up out of nowhere just a night before a big date or a photo shoot or an interview. There’s nothing worse than waking up and looking into the mirror to find a big fat bump or an inflamed red devil sitting on your face in the shape of a pimple.

Luckily, acne is fairly easy to conceal if you know a few tricks to mask it. If you don’t and you’re still thinking of popping that pimple, hold on and read till the end of this article because we’re talking about Tips to Get Rid Of and Conceal Pimples:

 

 

1. Prepare Your Skin

 

The first thing you must do is wash your face with a mild, non-abrasive and alcohol-free cleanser. Cleansers containing benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid do wonders to acne prone skin as they strip away the oil and dirt from your skin and help open blocked pores. Benzoyl peroxide helps reduce redness and swelling and also kills the bacteria. two of my all-time favourite cleansers are:

• Eau Thermale Avene Cleanance Gel
• La Roche-Posay Effaclar Foaming Gel 

Then, take a warm washcloth and press it gently against the acne to draw out the toxins and pus from the pores to help prevent any further breakouts. You must kerb your desire to zap the zit as that will lead to a scar on your skin.

Once your face has dried, apply a toner followed by a light non-comedogenic moisturiser. Also remember not to apply too much moisturiser, as that will again clog your open pores. Allow your skin to breathe and soak in the moisturiser for a minute or two.

 

 

2. Conceal and Cover Pimples

 

It is often said that makeup is the biggest enemy for acne prone skin, but that’s not true. Nothing works better than oil-free makeup to conceal acne at the last minute, especially when you don’t have time to run to your dermatologist.

To cover a zit, you can use a concealer and/or foundation. I personally like to use both. Now there are a number of ways to go about covering acne with makeup.

 

a) Start by Applying a Colour Corrector

 

Majority people always start with a concealer that is close to their skin tone. This will work great if your acne or scarring is not inflamed or red. If it is, then I highly recommend you start by using a colour corrector.

You can use a colour correcting primer as a base to balance the redness or you can go in directly with a colour correcting primer. My personal favourite colour correcting concealers are the L.A. Girl HD Pro Concealers.

For acne, you should ideally use a GREEN colour correcting primer and concealer. Just take the tiniest amount and use your fingers to cover the pimple. Using your fingers helps to warm up the product and sink in better into the skin.

If you like very precise concealing, then you can also go in with an eyeliner brush to spot conceal.

One thing to remember though is that you must apply a normal concealer (a shade that matches your skin-tone) on top of the colour corrector so that the green does not show on your skin.

 

b) Use a Concealer

 

Once you’ve applied the colour corrector, it is now time to go over that with a concealer that matches your skin tone. Once again, the trick to use as little as possible and ONLY where you need it.

Remember to use a shade that is your exact skin colour and not something that is lighter or darker than your natural skin colour. This is because we want to give the illusion of a flawless skin.

Another tip is to go for full-coverage concealers. I think this a wonderful tip for those of you who have a few spots here and there, and the rest of your skin is relatively clear.

If that is the case, then you can maybe even get away with applying no foundation! a thick concealer over top of a colour corrector will give you flawless skin and the fact that you used a shade that is your skin tone will make your skin look even all through.

Again, use a shade that matches your skin colour closely. Test the shade of the concealer by rubbing some product on the back of your hand or your jawline. If you have some redness still poking through, use a concealer with a yellow tinge to cover it up. Concealers with high SPF are recommended as they protect sensitive skin from the sun.

 

 

c) Apply Foundation

 

Once you are done with colour correcting and concealing, give your skin the finishing touches by applying a foundation.

If you feel that you tend to rub away concealer while applying foundation on your skin, apply your foundation first. So go in with the colour corrector and then apply a full-coverage foundation. This way you can skip using a concealer.

Another great tip is to use a Beauty Blender. Hold the beauty blender under running water and squeeze it a few times till it expands to its full size. Once you have squeezed out all the water from it, bounce it on your skin to melt the product and push it into the skin.

Out of all my beauty tools, the Beauty Blender is my #1 choice for applying my base 🙂

Once done, use a clean powder brush to lightly dust some translucent powder to set your makeup. This helps to divert the attention from any acne or unsightly blemish.

 

3. Accentuate Your Features

 

Another great tip is to draw attention to your assets, for example, your eyes, lips or your jawline. You can highlight the eyes by using an eye brightening concealer and using eyeshadow. Finish your makeup by using a nice, delicious shade of lipstick on your lips.

Remember, if you have zits around your chin and cheeks, draw attention towards the eyes, but if you have zits around your forehead or nose, draw attention towards your lips. Also, use neutral lipsticks if the zits are red or inflamed.

Once you’re done with your makeup, style your tresses and put on your favourite dress. There’s nothing like a confident personality and a charming smile to steal hearts!

 

 

4. Removing Makeup

 

When it’s time to remove makeup, my #1 tip would be to use a Micellar Water or a Cleansing Balm/Oil. My favourite Micellar Water/s are:

• Avene Micellar Lotion Cleanser 
• Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution

I’ve talked about the Bioderma Micellar Water HERE, so have a read to know what exactly it does and how it benefits your skin.

Secondly, always double cleanse!  Follow up by washing your face with a face wash or cleanser. Be careful not to use any strong face wash or cleanser, instead stick to your mild cleanser, preferably something that is alcohol-free. As I mentioned in the beginning cleansers containing benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid do wonders to acne prone skin as they strip away the oil and dirt from your skin and help open blocked pores. Benzoyl peroxide helps reduce redness and swelling and also kills the bacteria.

If there is any inflammation around your pimples, use an ice pack to bring it down. Apply an anti-acne or topical cream to help reduce inflammation and redness and remember- it is advised you go see a dermatologist and check out possible treatments available, especially if you suffer from a moderate or severe kind of acne.