How To Conceal Blemishes.

Caudalie Beauty Elixir – £32
Origins VitaZing Moisturiser – £27
Clarins Instant Smooth Primer – £25
Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer – £3.99
Real Techniques Setting Brush – £6.99
Laura Mercier Foundation Powder – £31

I know how difficult it can be to make skin look flawless without slathering on loads of full coverage foundation, so I’ve put together this post for people who, like me, like to keep makeup natural whilst also camouflaging even the most unsightly blemishes!

For a good, natural-looking base, prep is the key. When I come out of the shower or I’ve just cleansed my skin, my blemishes or imperfections look red and more noticeable than usual. The first thing I do is spray a few pumps of Caudalies Beauty Elixir all over my face, this calms the blemishes and takes away redness. It also helps my skin in the long run, too.
After this, I gently apply a pea sized amount of Origins VitaZing moisturiser to give my skin a glowing finish with just a touch of colour. I find that since I’ve incorporated VitaZing in to my routine, my skin looks a lot more flawless before I’ve even touched foundation.

The next step is to prime, and for this I use and recommend only one product – Clarins Instant Smooth primer. This is the Holy Grail of all primers, no matter what your skin type. It calms and hides blemishes, helps with excess oil and doesn’t cling to dry patches. My skin always looks amazing after applying this and I find blemishes are hidden and I’m able to apply a light to medium coverage foundation.

This next step is when you would apply your foundation, if you wear any. I’m going to skip this step, although personally I do wear foundation but it’s not always necessary. If you feel the rest of your skin is overall quite good, then skip foundation or just apply a small amount.

The key is using a small amount of a good coverage concealer to hide blemishes, rather than layering on foundation. You will find your skin looks so much more flawless and natural, and you don’t have to deal with your foundation slipping off or looking caked if you’re using less.

I swear by Collections Lasting Perfection concealer, it’s amazing coverage without looking caked and it stays all day. I own quite a few high-end concealers but this one is £3.99 and has never failed me. Apply with your fingers or with a lightweight brush and always make sure your concealer matches your skin tone and/or foundation.

The final step is one that I don’t always find to be essential, but for those days when a massive spot has popped up and you desperately need to cover it, then setting your concealer with a powder is a must. I use the Real Techniques Setting Brush to very, very lightly dust on Laura Mercier Foundation Powder. As it’s a foundation powder, it’s good coverage and it can look cakey if you apply too much. The secret is to apply a small amount to blend in the blemish and set your makeup.

I think it’s important to understand that you can cover blemishes and imperfections without having to layer on heavy coverage foundation and powder, and I think that wearing minimal makeup actually makes my blemishes look a lot less noticeable and helps my skin a lot in the long run too.

What are your tips for hiding blemishes?