Unfortunately, pimples don’t go on vacation in the summer. And with the sun and sweat, they require extra prep and coverage.
[SEE ALSO: Best Self Tanners For Black And Brown Skin]
Here, we’ve compiled quick tips and products to help you camouflage that zit and to feel (even more) confident.
Step 1: Prep
Before any makeup application, always start with a clean canvas, moisturize thoroughly, and add sunscreen. These beginning steps really help the makeup stay all day and stick to your skin.
Once you have a perfect surface, apply your favorite grip primer to the blemish. We want this makeup to stay until it’s time to wash it off.
A current favorite primer is the elf Cosmetics Power Grip Primer, which works just as great as (and sometimes better than!) its pricier competitor, Milk Makeup’s Hydroobost primer.
Step 2: Conceal
The next step is where the magic starts to happen. Take out your favorite concealer pot and put away those liquid concealers. Concealer pots are much thicker, and help do the heavy lifting of covering the zit, where a liquid cover-up is much more likely to slide right off.
I highly suggest using a concealer brush rather than your finger to touch the area so you don’t build up any bacteria. When using the brush, try not to blend too hard on the zit and mostly touch up the surrounding red areas. It may look a little funky initially, but this is how we get the product to stay on. We can adjust any imperfections in the later steps.
I am a big fan of the Boi-ing Industrial Strength Concealer as it grasps the skin and has a long wear time. I pair that with an elf concealer brush.
Step 3: Set that Bad Boy
Before we move into powder, spray your whole face with a setting spray to set everything we just applied. Once that’s all dry, we’re going to take our magical powder foundation and set the area while simultaneously adding coverage. This is the secret to covering a pesky zit, as it gives you much more coverage than a traditional setting powder. On days when I know I’ll be outside longer or am feeling more insecure, I’ll pack this in my bag alongside a smaller powder brush and touch it up as needed. Although a little on the pricey side, my go-to choice is the Bare Minerals powder foundation, as it comes with SPF and leaves behind the cakiness other powders often have.
Step 4: Spray Yourself
The last and final step is to take that setting spray I mentioned earlier and spray it all over your completed look. This will help lock everything in and not glide off the face. The One/Size mattifying waterproof setting spray is a classic and highly celebrated in the makeup industry. Highly worth the few extra dollars.
Don’t forget to wash all that coverage off at the end of a long day so you wake up with a slightly smaller zit in the morning. Good luck with covering. You’ve got this, and remember, pimples are temporary.
We hope these tips help you feel your very best this summer. What are your favorite ways to conceal a blemish?
