Hi Miss Liz! I have a birthmark on the face and while I know that sometimes, confidence is the key, people looking all the time can get to you. And I want to try going birthmark free for the first time! How do I cover it? What do I buy? Heavy concealer? Heavy foundation? I'm pretty much willing to go until the MAC budget, but no high-ends such as Chanel, etc. Thank you! :) - Hannah

Hi Hannah! Thanks for your question. I know how debilitating it is to walk around with marks on the face. We want to tell ourselves that it shouldn't affect our self-esteem, but they still exist and people look at them. I've been struggling with blemishes most of my life. They're not quite the same thing as a birth mark, but the principle of concealing them should apply.

The trick is concealing only the problem spot/s instead of your whole face. The finished look would be more natural, showing more skin than makeup! You also have to be careful about the concealers you use. They should be able to stick for hours, even after a lot of oil and swear - maybe even water if you're out for a swim. 

In this tutorial, I used a light foundation (actually, it's just a cc cream) as a base, applied a thick, opaque concealer to completely cover the blemishes, and then applied a thinner concealer to blend in the thick concealer. Then, I set the whole thing with powder to seal the makeup in place.

Oh, if we all woke up with perfect skin then the beauty industry would be out of business. We'd be cleansing our faces with only water, wearing only sunlight and a smile when we go out. But that's not meant to be, at least for me. I have several blemishes that need to be covered up while they're fading to oblivion. 

Blemishes? What blemishes, you ask? Well, you can't see them because I am somewhat of a camouflage expert. Teehee. Modesty aside I know quite a few tricks about faking flawless skin so today I'm going to share them with you! You'll find them useful if you have rough and uneven skin that may have acne/blemishes. Also, if you need heavy and long-lasting coverage.

If you already have good skin, go on your way and put my envy in your pocket!

What type of foundation should you use for maximum coverage and comfort?

Invest in a good liquid foundation that matches your skin and your skin type perfectly. Not BB cream, powder, or cream foundation. Liquid foundation. Out of all the foundation types I've tried, liquid has the best, more natural looking coverage that has a version for all skin types (dry to oily). 

Read my top six foundation picks to see recommendations!

How to apply the foundation

With a stippling brush (I'm using the one from Charm), dot or pat the foundation on the outer sides of your face moving inwards.  You can swipe the brush to blend it better. Apply a heavy layer (as needed) on the outer area of your face, not on the T-zone as most people would recommend. Why? Because the fringes of our face like the sides of the cheeks and chin tend to break out/ blemish more.