The Best Way to Hide a Pimple
Six ways to hide a pimple. (Photo: Trunk Archive/Kenneth Willardt)
Logically, we all know we’re not supposed to pop a zit. Emotionally, a two-day zit-studded (literally) affair can feel like a week. So we’ve turned to some of the best cosmetics connoisseurs and dermatologists in the business for their best advice on how to pop (if you absolutely must) and camouflage. Sometimes you need to make a molehill out of a mountain. Here’s what to do.
The Q-tip method
“The only way that’s safe is to take two Q-tips and apply safe, but even pressure on the sides of it, and if it’s ready to go, great,” says top dermatologist Dr. Amy Wechsler. “If not, don’t push it.” She points out that you can’t hurt yourself with Q-tips. “They’re soft; they break if you push too hard — nails can hurt the skin,” she explains. Afterward, apply a little 1% hydrocortisone cream and skip the Neosporin, “that’ll clog the pore,” says Wechsler. “It’s so occlusive for the face (unless the zit is on the eyelid or something).” Apply the hydrocortisone cream onto a Q-tip and push on it as if you were injecting it and apply once a day for two days. “An ice pack will also calm the inflammation,” Wechsler suggests.
A bevy of makeup brushes
Makeup artist Ashleigh Ciucci says, somewhat counterintuitively, that to cover up a pimple, you should ensure the pimple is moisturized, as a dry zit only holds onto product. She prefers MAC’s Pro Longwear Concealer ($21) applied via a lip brush. “Dab the zit, pat to blend and powder to set with a small eye shadow brush,” says Ciucci.
Foundation first
Mario Dedivanovic, makeup artist to Kim Kardashian, suggests that when concealing blemishes you should apply a liquid or creamy foundation as the first layer, and then concealer. “Using a powder foundation all over skin and going over it with a liquid or cream to conceal can be a disaster to blend, so always remember powder is the last step to set everything,” says Dedivanovic. He occasionally sees ladies who have tried to spot conceal blemishes only and leave the rest of their skin bare. “This may look ok in your bathroom mirror, but when you’re in day might it brings even more attention to blemishes because of the difference in texture (bare skin next to blemish covered with cream and powder).” He suggests evening out the entire face first with foundation or tinted moisturizer followed by concealer then powder. “It will create consistency overall and blemishes will be less noticeable. Also, if possible use natural daylight always, especially when covering blemishes,” he explains. For zits that are smoother in texture, he likes Murad Acne Treatment Concealer ($21). “It has a great staying power as well as coverage. You can just dot it over blemishes directly from the tube and blend with finger or a damp Beauty Blender.”
Go gray
Makeup artist Legend MG likes to use cream concealers “that have a slight grey hue for fair skin tones and an orange hue for dark skin tones.” Then, using a fluffy blending eye shadow brush, he taps over the top a few times “so that the product deposits lightly and the edges are seamless. Powder, if necessary, will be tapped over the top in the same manner.” His favorite gray and orange concealers? “I tend to reach for Bobbi Brown’s concealer in Porcelain Bisque (grayish hue) and Dark Peach (orange hue) ($25 each).” For those with dark skin tones, after foundation, he uses a reddish tone by Bobbi Brown called Chestnut ($25).
Concealer without borders
Bruce Grayson says that when you use a round brush and target the blemish, you’ll create texture on top making it more obvious when the eye looks at. “You take the color away from the blemish,” he explains. “You have to take the color well beyond what you’re covering up and mix two colors—one to take away the redness and another to augment it,” he says. Putting a foundation over it too, is important. “That way, the area’s not this texturized thing,” he says. “Take the circumference beyond the blemish a few inches and don’t make the edge even, make the edge jagged,” says Grayson. Once you have your concealer without borders, powder over the area to set it.
Powder struggle
To set your concealed area, Dedivanovic recommends using loose powder on a soft velour puff or even a damp sponge by patting gently right over the blemish. “If you prefer setting with a brush, make sure there is enough powder on the brush or you risk messing up or removing the concealer with the brush hairs. And again, finish your entire face with some powder for even and consistent skin tone and texture,” he explains. To ensure your handiwork won’t look too stiff, Dedivanovic likes to spray the face and neck with Tatcha Dewy Skin Mist ($48) after makeup is complete. “The mist sets your makeup and helps to achieve that ‘glowing from within’ natural look and feel,” says Dedivanovic.
Disclaimer: Bobbi Brown is the editor in chief of Yahoo Beauty.
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