Blog is written by an actual acne sufferer for more than 7 years. Includes information on acne, oily / combination skin care routines and remedies / treatments. Blog updated weekly; look to the right column for all previous entries.
As I mentioned from my last post, here are all the pictures of my face close up with and without makeup. If you're interested, take a look at my current skincare routine.
I know no one wants to cover up forever; we all want perfect healthy glowing skin. But there are tough times and acne coverage can help tremendously with self confidence. See my review on Bare Minerals makeup. So here's how:
First put a little bit of moisturizer all over face (see below, moisturizer is free of parabens, synthetic fragrances and artificial oils). Since, I have oily skin, I just use a little bit of that. I got the sample from Bare Minerals and it seems to be compatible with my skin. Didn't cause any more than usual breakouts.
Secondly, I put the Prime Time Oil Control Foundation Primer all over face in a very thin layer. I use just one pump from the bottom and that is enough for your face.
Let the primer dry before proceeding to the next step. It takes a minute or two. Then I like to do pre-conceal with my foundation on all my red spots and active acne. This is done with the Maximum Coverage Concealer Brush (see picture below). What I do is just dab the brush in the foundation powder and pad it on the areas that I want extra coverage.
After all the spots are covered, I use the Full Flawless Application Face Brush (see picture below) and do the swirl, tap and buff on my entire face for that final result. At this point, all my redness is pretty much completely covered. My face actually looks a little too white.
Next I use the Flawless Face Brush with Warmth All-Over Face Color on my forehead, cheeks, nose and chin. I guess it gives you that healthy glow and also contours the face a little. Well, I like how it looks on me. So, I use it every time but you don't have to if you just want coverage on the acne.
Last step, I use the Flawless Face Brush with the Mineral Veil - original formula. I heard from various online sources that this helps with excessive oily skin which is what I have. So I just use a thin layer of this to finish the look.
Oh, one last thing, the SPF 20 Concealer in Summer Bisque is for extra coverage. If you are seeking more coverage than the foundation, this is what you use on top of it for even more coverage. I don't tend to use this often because I think the foundation does a very good job at coverage.
**Update 1/5/2014: here is my recent review of the Bare minerals makeup after three years of continuous use.
So, my skin was bad enough that I wanted to cover it with some makeup. I was never a believer in makeup because of my skin being so sensitive. But at this point, it is bothering me when I am at work or have to interact with people. Those of us suffering from acne know that how much we are embarrassed by our skin. To be honest, I even notice people with bad skin and I have bad skin. It just how we see people and subconsciously judge people based on appearance.
OK, before I go on and on with this. Let's talk about Bare Minerals makeup. I bought this makeup more than a month ago because of the sudden outbreak of my acne. Here are all the products I have:
Matte SPF 15 Foundation in Golden Fair
Mineral Veil - original formula
Warmth All-Over Face Color
SPF 20 Concealer in Summer Bisque
Full Flawless Application Face Brush
Well-Care for Brush Conditioning Shampoo
Maximum Coverage Concealer Brush
Flawless Face Brush
Prime Time Oil Control Foundation Primer
I know it seems like a lot of products but I only purchased the SPF 20 Concealer in Summer Bisque and the Prime Time Oil Control Foundation Primer separately. All the other stuff came in a kit that was like supposedly save you money when you purchase everything all together. It came out to over one hundred dollars total. Yes, I know it's expensive. But my acne was so bad to the point that I just wanted to stay home. And I am sure that anyone that had terrible breakouts felt the same at some point. I got all this at Macy's and the lady there was very nice and put all the products on me. I didn't make the purchase right away because I was afraid that it can irritate my skin. So, I let it stay on me for a day to see if it itches or causes any discomfort. And at the end of the day, I felt fine and decided to go back and buy it.
If you plan to purchase this or any makeup for coverage, you should definitely have the sales person put it on you first. My motto is don't buy any makeup that you haven't tried because it will always have a chance to irritate your skin. No one wants to waste money!
Now, that I have been using this makeup for more than a month. Here is what I think of it. The coverage is pretty good even compared to liquid foundation. The redness is totally covered which is what I am primarily concerned about. Acne is raised so people can still tell you have acne when they are up close. It gave a boost of confidence and now I finally feel like I can look people in the eye when they are talking to me. My skin still gets oily at the end of the day; this makeup can only help me stay oil free for 1/2 day even with the oil control foundation primer. It makes my itch better.
Okay, here are some pictures of my skin before the makeup and after just for your reference. I know it's bad but bear with me.
