Makeup help-- acne and blemished skin?

[Calico_Star]

Let me start off by saying that I know absolutely nothing about makeup. I never wear it-- no desire to. Which is probably just as well, because I'm one of those lucky individuals whose acne stuck with them even after those awkward high school days, and I know makeup isn't the best thing for acne. I'm in my mid-20's now and still have terrible skin.

 While I don't appreciate it at all, I can live with it, EXCEPT for three days a year when I'm cosplaying at my favorite anime convention. I do want to hide my blemishes and acne scars as much as I can while I'm parading around dressed as princesses and such. My skin also gets oily and shiny very quickly, so I'd also like to cut down on that as well.

In the past, I've used a mineral foundation that I got at Costco a couple years back. It works a little bit-- evens out my skin tone a little, but doesn't help tons. If I put much on, then I just look powdery, and all those little fine, nearly-invisible facial hairs are suddenly skin-toned and much more visible. But if I put less on, it doesn't do much to cover blemishes.

I know there are plenty of makeup-savvy ladies on this forum. Does anyone have any recommendations? Brands to try? As specific as possible would be great because I'm very very makeup-inept. I know you usually get what you pay for, but I'm hoping to find something that's not very expensive, as I'll only wear it, literally, 3 days a year. Help, I have no idea what I'm doing!

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Try a steam cleanse with coconut oil to cut back on the amount of oil your body is producing in order to cleanse itself.  Rub your face with coconut oil - a little goes a long way.  I don't more than a dime-sized bit.  Let it stay there and rub like lotion for about 2-5 minutes, then get a steamy hot wet towel (not too hot though!) and place it on your face for 1 minute.  There will be a little oil left but that's fine - it's good for you. 

[Icecrystalline]

I'd recommend a nice, dewy finish foundation. I'm a beauty blogger myself and test a lot of products, my personal favourite is Rimmel Match Perfection. It's light and dewy with perfect coverage and evens out skin tone and redness. It's a drugstore company too, so not too pricey! Test some shades on the back of your hand and on your neck to see which shade best suits your it has a great range of colours.

I'd also recommend a concealer, for extra coverage, it helps even out the areas that are 'worst'. I would say to avoid rimmel wake me up, it's very muddy orange based, and suits very few skin tones. The brand I would recommend is a Uk only brand, so I can't promote that one, but I would say that if you can afford it, MAC, it the best brand I've ever spent money on, that, and it lasts FOREVER. They do wonderful concealer so especially the creamy pot concealer, but I would also recommend trying Max Factor for concealer, they're pretty good.

Also, if you want a perfect finish, I would not recommend using hands to apply, getting yourself a good makeup brush is very important. My favourite is the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush, and to get an airbrush finish, I Use their blending sponge. Fantastic.

Hopes his helps, if you would like anymore beauty ideas, please see my blog http://www.thegirlcriedbeauty.blogspot.co.uk or alternatively, PM me,and I'd be happy to help you out!

[Radiance]

I'm right there with you! I'm 35 and while my acne isn't too bad anymore I still have scars and super oily skin. These 2 products work, seriously! I was sure nothing could keep my face from shining and even my skin tone without looking caked on:

http://www.dhccare.com/DHC/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=22137  This is like a primer that I use on my oily zones. It shrinks up my pores and keeps me oil free for about 5 or 6 hours. Not a super long time but better than anything else I've tried and it's really light.

http://www.dhccare.com/DHC/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=22052   This is a really light cream foundation that evens out my skin tone without making me break out and it feels really good on my skin. My skin has a more even tone & texture with this stuff.

I use a loose mineral powder over those 2 products and use those oil blotting sheets throughout the day and it's such a huge help. I rarely wear makeup, but I do when I have a horse show or something fancy to do. If that stuff can keep me looking matte during a sweltering hot day lugging horses around I'm sure it would work for cosplay in a hot outfit, too! Good luck

[Prideth]

I'd recommend a nice, dewy finish foundation.

...

I'd also recommend a concealer, for extra coverage, it helps even out the areas that are 'worst'.

I'll agree here, a dewy finish foundation.  I also have oily skin.  I recommend Skin79 VIP Gold.  It's a BB cream, so you just pump out a little, gently spread it on your face, and then you can tap a little extra on to any areas that need a little more coverage.  This stuff has been wonderful for me; You don't have to try to match a color to your face.  It comes in a nude sort of color and adjusts (oxidizes) to your skin color.  Seriously!  I love it.  You don't need to use powder or anything else on top of it, so it's great if you don't want to spend a whole lot of time on your face.

The only downside is that it's a Korean product, and I order it off of Amazon (as it's the only place I can find it).

[kaoskat]

Looks like you've gotten some excellent advice! I hope it helps!

[Calico_Star]

Thanks so much for all the suggestions so far, ladies! You've been very helpful! I guess another thing I should mention is that I hadn't thought of this well enough ahead of time to have time to wait for shipping online-- I leave for the convention in 3 days. So I'll need something I can get at a common brick-and-mortar store. But I will look into the online-only products for next year!

LBS- Sorry for my ignorance, but wouldn't putting oil on oily skin make it more likely to break out? I do moisturize my skin, but I use oil-free moisturizers. I do have coconut oil hanging around here somewhere, though...

IceCrystalline- Thanks for the great advice! I will check for those brands on my next shopping trip

Radiance- Thanks! Nice to hear input from someone with similar type skin. Are those products available in stores, or only through their website?

Prideth- I definitely like the idea of not having to try to match a skin tone, especially if it's something that's only available online, lol. I did an Amazon search and found several products with that name- which one is the one you're referring to?

[MiRaja]

You could try Clinique.  Their formulas are formulated for sensitivity.  It's more expensive, but when it comes to the stuff you put on your skin, you do get what you pay for.  You can also get help from the representative who can help you pick out something that will work for your skin specifically, including the color whether you're neutral, cool, or warm complected. 

I have to ask; what is your skin cleaning regimen?  I used to be riddled with acne myself, and very oily skinned, but I found out it was caused by using soap and cleansers.  It can be heck going off of them for a few weeks, but after that, your skin adjusts, and stops making so much oil which then prevents acne.  I know it sounds terribly counterintuitive to say, 'hey, stop washing your face,' but most people's skin is really fine with just water alone.  A super light cleanser may be good to use every week or two weeks, but man, I just use a little bit of my shampoo suds just to skim off the very top layer of oil.  You go beyond that, and you tear up the layer of oil that is actually protecting your skin, which causes irritation and also excess oil production because your skin is overcompensating to reproduce that oil you just took off to protect your skin. 

[Gloomygirl777]

If I want to go for a lighter makeup that doesn't make my face feel greasy after wearing it for awhile I use Almay Smart Shade. Its light but has decent coverage....its also easy to pick out because it adjusts to your skin tone..so you literally only have to choose between light, medium or dark. It actually works..I don't know how! I believe its somewhere between 8 and 14 bucks.

[Dawn]

You could try Clinique.  Their formulas are formulated for sensitivity.  It's more expensive, but when it comes to the stuff you put on your skin, you do get what you pay for.  You can also get help from the representative who can help you pick out something that will work for your skin specifically, including the color whether you're neutral, cool, or warm complected.

I definitely second using Clinique. I'm also in my mid 20s with oily, acne prone skin, but I'm able to use Clinique anti blemish solutions liquid makeup almost every day and my skin is muuucchh clearer than when I used to use other, cheaper products. The coverage is also excellent and the "fresh alabaster" tone matches my skin perfectly, so for me the Clinique stuff is definitely worth the 25€ (ca. 30 dollars) I paid for it. I hope you find something just as good and have fun cosplaying!

[Starfall]

May I ask what form of contraception you use? Different types of methods that use hormones can totally clear up adult acne.

Make sure you're drinking 2 litres of water every day, and read your food labels for hidden sugars and additives.

Make sure you still use a moisturizer, my fave is the Nivea young skin one.  Dirt cheap, and fabulous.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

[Prideth]

Prideth- I definitely like the idea of not having to try to match a skin tone, especially if it's something that's only available online, lol. I did an Amazon search and found several products with that name- which one is the one you're referring to?

Yeah, if you don't have time for shipping... this one could take awhile.

The one I like is Skin79 VIP Gold.  Hee's a link!  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004R6HIR6/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I've tried the hot pink and the other versions, but the one that comes in the gold bottle looks and feels really good.  It's wonderful!!

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Thanks so much for all the suggestions so far, ladies! You've been very helpful! I guess another thing I should mention is that I hadn't thought of this well enough ahead of time to have time to wait for shipping online-- I leave for the convention in 3 days. So I'll need something I can get at a common brick-and-mortar store. But I will look into the online-only products for next year!

LBS- Sorry for my ignorance, but wouldn't putting oil on oily skin make it more likely to break out? I do moisturize my skin, but I use oil-free moisturizers. I do have coconut oil hanging around here somewhere, though...

It's not as big of a problem as you think.  Like MiRaja said, your skin NEEDS a layer of oil to keep it elastic and healthy.  That's why your body produces oils to begin with.  This is supposed to be why people are "glowing and radiant" when happy - those are supposed to be perceived as healthy traits.  The reason pores get blocked up is because at some level of your skin, the oil has thickened and no longer can move throughout your facial skin in a healthy way. 

Oil and water do not mix - you won't get as clean if you just rinse with water.  Soaps rely on more powerful chemical reactions to pull oil from your face.  Oil mixes best with... oil!  So even though it sounds absolutely crazy... scientifically, if you open up your pores with heat and a massage, then transfuse your skin's natural oils with another light oil, you are helping your skin "breathe" without other forms of cleansers that can cause reactions and breakouts.  I definitely don't recommend every day, but whenever you feel like you need to do something about your face.

[Rainfeather]

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I allways use this one the day before. But I don't know if they have these in the U.S.A. And I mean specifically this one, not the other ones from the brand.
gross story following:
When I put it on, you literally see little bubbles appearing. This stuff just sucks the pores and pimples empty of that white stuff thas inside. It also works with blackheads.
The next two/three days my acne is way less. But you can only use it once in two weeks, otherwise it can damage your skin moreand give you more acne.

I think maybe to get the best results, you can use this the day before you are going to put make-up on.

[Sarahlacewing]

I recommend clean and clear oil absorbing sheets.  They come in packs, the sheet itself is blue.  You basically just wipe it over your face and it absorbs the oil.  I've had a lot of success with them without them smudging or messing up my makeup.  It's been a life safer for me because I always get that shiny oily face in pictures.  I'd say get some and do a trial run with them to make sure they aren't going to smudge the makeup, but they aren't a makeup remover so it shouldn't take it off.

I'm sure it won't help long term, but it's great for those picture heavy days.

Also, I'm sure you already know, but try to avoid showers or baths that are too hot because they will irritate your skin and make it look swollen/blotchy.  Also try to pat your face dry instead of wiping or scrubbing for the same reasons. 

I also recommend never popping blemishes, but if you have a tough pore I recommend a pore cleaner like this one...
http://shop.avon.com/product.aspx?newdept=&s=AV_GGL_PLA&c=iProspect&otc=03423380_Skincare_problemSolvers&bnd=&pf_id=39268&level1_id=300&level2_id=302&pdept_id=324
http://www.fancypocket.sg/pore-cleaning-stick.html