This is a 2-in-1 tutorial showing how to apply makeup on acne prone skin. You will learn how to use makeup to cover acne bumps and scars using products available in India.

The “makeup for acne” trick is to downplay the pimples and bring attention to other parts of the face such as eyebrows, eyes and lips. Apart from covering up with foundation and concealer, filling in eyebrows and applying light eye makeup and lipstick makes a ton of difference, as you will see in the videos.

This makeup tutorial is for women. You can find a similar makeup for acne tutorial for men here.

Makeup products for acne prone skin in India

Foundations

Compact powders

Concealers

Everyday makeup tutorial to hide acne & scars

This is a medium coverage makeup tutorial for daily use. You can use it for college, office wear and weekend outings.

1. Use a full coverage concealer over bumps and marks.
2. Use a light coverage foundation or BB cream on the rest of the face. Only using light coverage for the rest of the face ensures you don’t get a heavy, cakey look.

Note: contouring as the model does in the video is not a necessary part of the makeup routine.

Indian product recommendations for light to medium coverage:

Revlon New Complexion Foundation or one of the light coverage foundations from here.

Colorbar Full Cover Concealer pot / MAC Studio Finish Concealer

For daytime, casual look, you can mix a medium / full coverage foundation with a moisturizer to thin out the coverage.

Full coverage makeup tutorial

This is a full coverage makeup tutorial for parties, festivals, weddings or wherever a lot of photos will be taken.

You will notice that the model in the video uses 3 layers (concealer → foundation → concealer) to achieve opaque coverage of acne bumps and scarring. You do not have to layer on unless you feel the need for greater coverage.

Note: As shown in the video, a primer helps makeup to go on easily and stay put, but primers often cause breakouts. If you choose to use a primer, make sure to use a non-comedogenic one. Also, although a dense, flat brush helps with foundation application, you do not need a brush to apply foundation. You can use your fingers.

Indian product recommendations for heavy coverage:

Revlon Colorstay Foundation for Oily/Combination Skin or  one of the heavy coverage foundations from here

Colorbar Full Cover Concealer pot / MAC Studio Finish Concealer

Makeup for acne: myths busted

The same reasons apply for both men and women when it comes to deciding if you should use makeup for acne or not.

1. If you have been told that makeup can cause more acne, it is true to some extent. But it is only true when you pick pore-clogging makeup products instead of non-comedogenic formulas. Even with non-comedogenic makeup, you do need to cleanse thoroughly. Double cleansing is an effective way to remove all traces of makeup.
2. If you fear not being able to apply makeup like a pro, it is justified to some extent. But for daily wear, you do not need professional tricks under your belt. Anyone can learn quick, subtle makeup application techniques.
3. If you have never tried makeup and you fear getting “funny looks” from your use of makeup, it is kind of justified. But if that ever happens, it will not be because makeup is bad, but because of choosing wrong shades or lack of practice. You’ll have to experiment a little until you find your Holy Grail (HG) products.