In theory, covering up a zit should be really easy. Like, dab on some concealer, layer on a bit more and boom — you’re done. Except it’s never been that easy in the history of breakouts, and more often than not, your concealing attempts leave your pimple screaming, “HEY! I’m that zit you’re trying to hide!” Quite frankly, that sucks.
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So we asked makeup artist Ashleigh Ciucci to tell us exactly how to cover up a pimple with as minimal effort as possible, which means no 12-step process that requires four different products and the precision of a Fabergé egg painter. All you need is a concealer, some powder, a tiny brush and a few extra minutes. Click through to see the tutorial — which, by the way, is broken down in GIFs, making it the easiest-to-follow tutorial you’ve possibly ever seen — and get ready for your zits to pull a disappearing act.
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Step 1: Dab on a base
After applying your foundation (or tinted moisturizer or BB cream), swirl a stiff concealer brush, like the Sigma P86 or the Hourglass concealer brush, in a full-coverage concealer and lightly press the side of the brush into your zit until the blemish is totally covered.
Products to try:
- Dermablend Quick-Fix concealer (Dermablend, $26)
- CoverGirl Outlast All-Day Soft Touch concealer (Ulta, $11.99)
- BareMinerals Correcting Concealer (BareMinerals, $21)
Step 2: Pat it in
Using your ring finger, gently tap on the concealer to sheer it out until it blends into your skin. Don't press too hard — you just want the warmth of your finger to help the concealer melt into your skin.
Step 3: Set it
Zits are inherently oiler than the rest of your skin, so you'll need to set your concealer to keep it from sliding off by lunch. Using a clean, fluffy blending brush, like the Bh Cosmetics 12 or the Ulta Pro blending brush, pick up a layer of translucent setting powder, tap off the excess, then press and dab the brush against the blemish until fully covered.
Products to try:
Step 4: Blend it in
Here's the key step most people skip: blending. Sure, you've blended the concealer and the setting powder, but to make sure you're not left with an obvious-looking patch of makeup, take small, fluffy blush, like the E.l.f. tapered brush, and lightly tap it against the blemish, moving in a small circle to make sure the powder and concealer are totally blended with your surrounding skin.
Step 5: Model
Strike many poses for all of the adoring fans who will ask you about your perfect-looking skin.
Originally posted on StyleCaster.