Many women suffer from skin pigmentation which can be difficult to cover without creating a mask. I actually have a patch on the cheek I’m showing you in the photo below yet it’s unnoticeable unless you look very closely. It was a large solid patch that darkened with every pregnancy before I had a chemical peel four years ago. The peel broke it down & removed a lot but the deeper pigmentation was harder to shift. I could’ve had a stronger peel but I decided against that at the time although I may look into it again at some point. At the moment I’m happy simply covering my pigmentation with make-up.
However what I don’t particularly like is heavy make-up & contouring. Keeping my make-up natural gives me a youthful glow & is far easier to maintain throughout the day. So how to cover pigmentation without using a tonne of make-up?
The first trick is to buy the perfect colour match of your base & concealor to your skin tone. The second is to only cover the pigmentation itself. By using a good quality brush you can apply your concealor directly to the specific areas it’s needed. Then gently tap with your finger to soften the edges. Try not to move the concealor from its place or rub any of it away. After you’ve done this everywhere you need to, use a soft brush to dust loose powder over your entire face to fix the base in place. Again, the powder must be a perfect match to your skin tone.
I understand this technique requires practice but when you get into the groove it’ll be a very quick routine. Naturally you can follow these steps with as much eye make-up as you like & whatever lip colour takes your fancy! Today I’m demonstrating a very natural every day look…
Products you need to cover pigmentation
You’ll notice in the video that I mixed a white cream with my Chanel CC. This is just my moisturizer by Antipodes. I do this because it makes the CC cream thinner which feels lighter on my skin. I prefer the sheerest coverage although I’m sure you’ll agree it still covers very well. Of course you don’t have to do this if you prefer more coverage however it is worth trying first. You may be surprised by the result plus it effectively gives you twice as much product!
Remember BB creams are lighter than CC so if you go for the Maybelline BB there’s no need to mix it with moisturizer. Another way to go is to mix your existing base with your moisturizer, effectively creating your own CC cream. Don’t forget to make sure it contains sunscreen that’s at least 30+. The sun is another cause of pigmentation so we want to avoid those UV’s at all cost!
Make-up for a Natural Look
Although this is a natural every day make-up I have stencilled my eyebrows to accentuate my eyes. The Beautiful Brows stencil kit is incredibly easy to get the hang of even if you don’t line up the stencil correctly first time. Did you notice in the vlog I was too far back on my second brow? This is not a problem – I simply realigned the stencil & touched up the front part I missed. Also if you accidentally go outside the stencil you can easily clean up your edges using a cotton bud. Beautiful Brows have five colours to choose from & ship to the U.S, EU & U.K. Hopefully the southern hemisphere soon.
Check out this post for a full tutorial of how to use the eyebrow stencil kit. Below is a list of the rest of the products I applied today.
I’m off to Italy next week!
No blog post next week lovelies but lots of updates on my Instagram Stories… I hope you liked my vlog, it was such a lot of fun to make. I finally feel like I’m getting the hang of this vlogging malarkey so do let me know what you’d like to see next. Whoops I almost forgot about that chignon tutorial I promised from this post! O.k so that could be the next one, whatcha think ladies?
Ciao xx
Comments ( 23 )
Nancy Baten
I really enjoyed your blog! I am not very handy with make-up and just bought a highlighting set! This video was very helpfull and inspiring! Thank you.
MT
Yay thanks Nancy! That’s so great to hear x
No Fear of Fashion
That was a good tutorial. Watched it closely. I think I am doing pretty much what you are showing, only I think my make-up, conceiler and powder are not an exact match with my skin tone. In summer it doesn’t matter much (plus I don’t use foundation in summer, just conceiler and powder). But I will look into this.
HAVE A LOVELY HOLIDAY!
Greetje
MT
Ah that’s excellent, so all you really need to do is replace your products with the correct match & you’re good to go! xx
Maria | passion fruit, paws and peonies
This was great and it was nice to see you ‘for real’. Thanks for all the tips! I wanted to buy an eyebrow template, if you could add an affiliate link, I’d prefer to buy it through you. xx
MT
Thanks Maria. The Beautiful Brow kit really is excellent, unfortunately they don’t have an affiliate program. You’re very thoughtful to consider me in this, I do appreciate it very much xx
ABby@Midlifecrisisnut
That’s such a pleasure to watch a PRO like you at work! Love the professional video transitions and music as well! Plus I would never guess that you have any pigmentation at all by looking at your skin Michelle. You always look perfectly flawless. Lots of love! xx Abby
sequinist
Super video, lady! I never knew you had pigmentation on your cheek. You do an amazing job of concealing it AND looking natural and lightly-made up. I enjoy seeing that you don’t have a video full of gadgets like beauty blenders and fancy brushes. The makeup looks fab; and I love that pale nude lippie on you. xx
MT
Thanks honey! Actually I deliberately keep my make up regime simple so it can be done on the fly. Us busy ladies need to be able to get up & go without hours of laborious prep right? xx
Gail
I was over like a shot when I saw the word “pigmentation.” It’s getting so bad I’m considering laser treatment. Great tutorial. I found a good foundation from Darphin, Melaperfect, which covers pigmentation pretty well without looking too heavy.
MT
Hi Gail, sorry for my late reply the internet was sporadic in Italy where we were on holiday so it was impossible to log on to my site. I also considered the laser treatment before I had the chemical peel. After researching both I decided to go with the peel because it was a complete re-fresh of my entire skin surface. It was pretty amazing I have to say, even though the deeper pigmentation remained it was a lot lighter & therefore absolutely fine to cover with a little concealor.
Cathy Vollbrecht
I really enjoyed this video! I love how you used your makeup to create a natural look. I recently went to a popular makeup retailer and had a makeover. They plastered on the foundation and concealer so heavily that it looked like I was wearing a mask! I could not wait to get home and take it all off. I prefer the natural look so much more. Do you ever use spray at the end to set your makeup? The store tried to sell me that too, but I didn’t buy it. I’m wondering how effective it would be. Thank you for sharing your tips with us!
MT
Hi Cathy! Ugh I know what you mean about piling on the make up at those store counters, why do they do that? It’s not going to make you buy more! As for the spray at the end, I wouldn’t bother unless you like a fresh spritz. Actually you can try just an evian face spray at the end which will do pretty much the same thing & be cheaper. Personally I believe it’s a bit of a con for “setting” your make up however it does feel lovely 😉
Suzy Turner
You’re a total natural, Michelle! LOVE LOVE LOVE the video… I’m going to follow all your videos from now on, definitely. And I’m going to try doing my make-up like this. To be honest, I’ve always been terrified of base, concealer, etc, etc. I do have some and I use it occasionally but I’m always frightened of looking like a doll lol. I guess it’s because I’m not used to it. I do have quite a bit of pigmentation – from living in a sunny climate for 30 years I suppose!
Enjoy Italy! I shall look forward to reading all about it!
Hugs,
Suzy xx
Suzy Turner
Yogadocious
MT
Thank you Suzy, I think my vlogs are improving so it’s nice to hear that you enjyed this one. It’s true too much base etc will look doll like, I agree. Don’t be afraid of letting your pigment show through a little, go light on the base by using a BB cream. The over all result is more natural & definitely more you. xx
jacqui
Thanks for sharing this, some fab information that’s much needed I’m afraid. Will be trying my best. x Jacqui
http://www.mummabstylish.com
MT
Oh yay Jacqui I’m so pleased it has been useful! Thanks so much for letting me know xx
Samantha Blair
Love this post Michelle!
I’ve linked to it on my blog because it’s full of “must-have” information for us older (and not-so-perfect) ladies :oP
XXX
Samantha
MT
Samantha!!! Thanks so much gorgeous girl, you’re the best xxx
Christina
I’m so glad to have found this video! I have pigmentation much like yours that is left over from the removal process of a dermatologist. Because I have more wrinkles at the outer corner of my eyes, a make up artist advised I use a mineral water setting spray which helps keep make up & concealer from settling into them. But I loved watching how you brushed the concealer over the necessary spots then blotted with your fingers. Thank you for this much needed demonstration of how to apply products I already have. Bravo!
MT
That’s awesome Christina, thank you for telling me! Personally I don’t rate the sprays for helping wrinkles. You’re better off using less makeup in those areas if you can. Also try not to powder there too much xx
Bella
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Kimono Cover Up’s
Great article.