The world’s most glamorous women have faced down the challenge of the last minute facial blemish. Now so can you. In your busy life, a zit is bound to pop up in the middle of your day or overnight before a big presentation or a special date.
If you have 20 minutes to get ready, try to get the size of the zit down first. Apply some Visine, which reduces redness and swelling, or some ice for the same effect. In a pinch, a crushed aspirin tablet, moistened with a little water, and slapped directly onto the zit for a few minutes can have a diminishing effect too.
If a whitehead is visible, grab a clean, dry washcloth. Run it under the hottest water from the faucet till it’s soaked, then apply it directly to the whitehead. A minute or two later, the whitehead should be gone. Avoid the urge to squeeze.
Now dab on your regular moisturizer. You don’t want any flakiness at the site of the blemish. (If you have a green-based concealer, apply a tiny bit of that right on top of the zit.) Apply a concealer especially for spots. Go for a thick, opaque formula in a pan or a stick. Avoid the more liquid forms you will find in tubes (those are ideal for undereye circles and for priming eyelids for shadow!). Apply it with a small, firm brush, by dabbing directly onto the spot. Let the concealer sink in for a minute, then apply your foundation very gently over the spot. If you normally use a tinted moisturizer, apply your concealer again, over the tinted moisturizer and the blemish. Remember to blend well with a makeup sponge or a foundation brush. For extra staying power, especially on a warm day, tap on loose translucent powder over the zit, and brush off the excess. Drop a pressed powder compact into your bag for easy touch-ups throughout the day.
Hint: lots of high quality makeup lines of all price points feature foundations with anti-acne ingredients. You can choose one of these, in your regular color, to dab on over zits. Avoid the urge to try a darker tone to cover the redness. Stick with your regular color, or see a makeup consultant in the retail store to get your perfect shade.
If you have only two minutes to get your face ready, you need the concealer and powder noted above. Again, choose a thick, not runny concealer and apply it with a small brush. Cover the concealed spot with a generous amount of translucent loose or pressed powder. Let it sit for a second, then brush off the excess. Alternately, try a mineral concealer for a very red zit. The mineral makeup will cover the redness completely without clogging pores further.
Grab a compact with pressed powder for touch-ups during the day. Don’t overdo the touch-ups, though! You don’t want a cake-y mess.
Now don’t touch your face, don’t overthink it, and go out there and shine.
