It always happens when you have something important coming up. When you wake up all excited for your first date, or you have an important meeting or presentation at work, a pimple will appear in the most conspicuous place. You never know whom you are going to run into or meet, so you always want to look your best and cover up and get rid of imperfections.So what are some tips and tricks to cover up an existing blemish and keep your skin clear and blemish free for the future?

Don’t pick at it. Your first natural instinct when you wake up with a pimple is to mess with it. Squeezing it and picking at it will irritate it more and can cause scarring and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation to occur (which will make the pimple appear to last longer). If you must mess with your zit, do it the right way. If the pimple has already broken the surface of your skin, you can put a hot towel or compress on it, and then pop it. However, make sure you push up because you don’t want to force the bacteria down deeper to cause a bigger zit!

Use a Concealer. Everyone has imperfections on your skin, so a good concealer will become one of your key makeup tools. Even if I am too lazy or time constrained to apply any other makeup, I usually dab on some concealer on my imperfections before leaving the house. The key to applying concealer on pimples and other small imperfections is to use a small brush. Also, I have found that for blemishes, a concealer that is not as creamy works best. If you are applying concealer on a bigger area such as your under eye circles, then you would use a bigger brush and a concealer with a creamier consistency. So use a small brush, and pat the concealer onto the blemish, and blend it in to the surrounding area. Then pat on some powder to help keep the makeup in place and you’re done!

Prevention. Not having breakouts to cover up in the first place would be anyone’s wish, so don’t forget to focus on prevention as well. Try to figure out what your triggers for breakouts are (soda, chocolate, caffeine, etc.) and stay away from them! If you know you are going to break out at a certain time, you can also visit your facial plastic surgeon’s office for a chemical or glycolic peel. I know when I am prone to breakouts each month, so I always get a peel right before to minimize the damage. A peel has anti-microbial action, helps to fight acne, as well as remove fine lines, wrinkles, and acne scars!

What are your tips and trips for keeping your skin breakout free? What concealer works best for you? Share your comments below!