Expert Beauty Tips

The dreaded spot is on it’s way; time to get all your ducks in a row ready to conceal that blemish.

Most of us had hoped to leave spots behind in our teens but many women find they get occasional breakouts and blemishes throughout their twenties and onwards. If you have acne, which differs from an occasional spot, you may find our blog on concealing acne helpful too.

We know that a spot has a ‘lifecycle’- sounds a bit off-putting but true. So here is our step-by-step guide to covering and concealing that pesky spot throughout its ‘lifecycle’:

1. The initial stage:

   You’ve noticed something is happening, and you get a tender red area before you get any raised skin. Be gentle here, and just pat some yellow toned concealer over the top of the area.
   
   

2. The raised stage:

   You have well and truly got a spot now, the area is raised, red and inflamed. Choose a dry, waxy concealer to cover the raised area, such as a stick formulation, just warmed with your fingers and smoothed onto the skin with a rolling or patting motion. Finish with a dusting of loose powder.
   
   

3. The squeezable stage:

   A head has formed on your spot, how annoying! Resist the urge to touch or squeeze the area before you apply concealer, as this will just make the area too wet to hold onto product. If you must squeeze, do this at bed time, to allow your skin as much time as possible to heal before morning.
   
   

4. The healing stage:

   The scab has formed, and the area might be dry if you have used any spot treatments. This can make any product used look flaky, drawing attention to the area, so use a concealer with creamy consistency such as a liquid. Never, ever use any concealer with ‘highlighter’ properties on a spot as this will just draw attention to it!
   
   

5. The scar stage:

   If you are unlucky, you might have some deep red tones where your spot has damaged your skin. While this heals, choose a light textured yellow-toned concealer and dust some loose powder over the top.