AIMEE WASSERMAN

So let’s be honest, we’ve all had our bad days where we’ve woken up to breakouts, or we struggle to fight the acne on our face. It’s common as a young adult or a college student to experience stress or simply have acne, if not all the time. Even when the pimples have healed, acne scars remain for up to six months! College is a stressful time, and sometimes we just don’t have a lot of time to research products to help cover our skin, or remedy the fact that we continue to break out. The point is: it’s great to look great, especially when you walk into a test with makeup on, feeling more confident than anyone in the room! A little makeup can go a long way toward building confidence.

I’m sharing my favorite products that have helped me and my acne-prone skin, as well as the applications to help cover your acne. However, no matter how much you love makeup, remember: makeup is not meant to be a mask. It’s meant to enhance your natural features, thus making you feel beautiful.

  1. Application
    1. When applying to cover acne, the first thing to remember is that it’s not always about the product. It can be  about the application.
      1. Make sure to blend your face thoroughly. Otherwise, the makeup will not settle and may not cover your acne as well. No worries! Whether using makeup brushes, sponges, or even clean fingers, it’s possible to fake a clear complexion while looking beautiful, acne-free, and natural.
    2. As DJ Khaled would say, the key to success is to moisturize.
      1. You know those flakes of skin that cling to your makeup when you apply? They can prevent your makeup from applying smoothly. In order to defeat this predicament, moisturizer is your holy grail. Also, moisturizer can both calm down redness and help treat your acne. By simply moisturizing every day, your skin will feel rejuvenated and will thank you for your commitment. If you consistently have flakes or even if cold weather makes  your skin dry, moisturizer is your key to a flawless face.
    3. If you have redness or a skin condition such as rosacea or eczema, you may want to use a really good foundation.
      1. Foundation is the best way to start with a clean-looking canvas. Simply apply with a foundation brush or an applicator, such as a sponge, all over your face. REMEMBER: foundation is only meant to smooth and even out the color of your face. This is not meant to be used specifically for covering up pimples: That is what concealer is for. Trust me, you’ll receive much better results if you use concealer for those pimples instead of piling on that foundation, and eventually putting too much on and looking cakey. Foundations come in many different forms, whether liquid, stick, BB Cream, or even powder! The best form of foundation that I have found to cover my acne problems is a creamy consistency, so a liquid or stick type. The best foundation to cover acne prone skin is one that is medium to full coverage. Less is more! The less foundation you put on for these products, the more it will cover. This is significantly better than less coverage foundations, because you’ll have less makeup on your face and your acne will be covered more proficiently.
    4. If you have many pimples or even have cystic acne, concealer is your best friend.
      1. If you have just one breakout or even just a few pimples, I highly recommend only using concealer. That way you have less of a commitment to the whole  makeup shabang and you will feel confident and beautiful. Pimples are not the end of the world when there’s concealer to cover them! Find a creamy concealer and you can just use your finger for this method. Just dab the concealer over your foundation (that is if you’re wearing any) and take your finger and blend it out. See how simple? It only takes a concealer and your fingers to cover a pimple!
    5. Finally, to complete your perfect makeup palette,  is a setting powder.
      1. Considering we all live in Florida, it can be so ridiculously hot that our makeup will literally feel like it’s melting off our faces! It can be humid, especially in the summertime, and you need to get to class without your makeup and coverage failing. Setting powder (or even a setting spray) is the best solution! Florida’s weather can become a nuisance when it prevents your makeup looking on point. Simply get a powder brush or a sponge, and sweep the powder over your foundation and concealer. Now you’re good for the day! Your makeup will be looking hot without the Florida’s hot temperature affecting your makeup application!

Those are the techniques. Now you need the tools: affordable  moisturizer, foundation, concealer, and powder. Try your local drugstore, and godspeed!

  1. Drugstore Makeup
    1. Foundation
      1. Foundations come in all different sorts of forms.
        1. Powder
        2. Stick
        3. BB Cream
        4. Liquid
          1. Full Coverage
          2. Low-Medium Coverage
    2. Concealer
      1. Doe Tip Applicator
      2. Squeeze tube
    3. Powder
      1. Pressed Powder
      2. Loose Powder
  2. High Street or High end Makeup
    1. Same as above