Community Wisdom: The Best Makeup For Acne, Rosacea and Pigmentation

Makeup is a personal subject, and lots of us love it – it can give you confidence to face the day ahead, to get your glow on before a party or just to make you feel good. However, there comes a point when you might find yourself reaching for a concealer to cover a few blemishes, or swapping that skin tint for something more full coverage.

Whether you use makeup to cover or enhance, finding the right product can be a minefield. That’s why we’ve brought in the experts – YOU! The Skin + Me Collective is our supportive community hub of beauty wisdom, so we asked you for your holy grail makeup products, why you use it and how you feel about makeup. 

The best makeup for acne

Elsa: I love a “no makeup” makeup look, and the Beauty Blender Foundation works best for me. It’s not thick or heavy, so I get that light and dewy glow. When I get spots, I reach for Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer – it’s heavy-duty and covers up great. 

Amber: I switch between a few foundations depending on what I need: Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Foundation, MAC Face & Body or NARS Sheer Glow Foundation. I don’t like too much coverage (in my mind less is always more) as I prefer a natural look. 

For spot concealing, I LOVE the NARS Radiant Creamy concealer, or the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer. I’ll only use a small amount on spots and under eyes, and it blends really well with the base I already have on. For powder, it’s got to be Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Powder – I only use this to set my T-zone but my makeup will not budge after I use this, LOVE IT!

Grace: Sunscreen is an amazing primer for makeup! Plus it’s the best protection for your skin. I love La Roche Posay’s SPF products, have used them for years. Jane Iredale Pure Pressed Base – this stuff is literally the best mineral powder foundation! Never looks dry or cakey when you’ve got a good base underneath. 

It gave me a lot of coverage and relief when my skin was at its worst! Now I just use it to set my concealer as it gives a very natural satin finish. I love it so much, and I only wear makeup to enhance my features.

Lee: Revolution’s Mattify Primer doesn’t feel too heavy and doesn’t cause a breakout. Revlon Age Defying Foundation covers well and builds up nicely if you want more coverage. Rimmel Lasting Radiance Concealer covers well too, it’s long lasting and colour match is good. 

Sarah: The Sheglam Full Coverage Concealer from Shein is genuinely the best concealer I’ve ever used and it doesn’t break me out. I also use a green colour correcting primer and Rimmel London Wake Me Up Foundation.

Rebekkah: I use No. 7 Hydraluminous Foundation to enhance my natural skin and to cover spots and blemishes – really natural, good price and coverage, buildable and not cakey. It also matches fair skin tones well. The NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer blends so well into the skin and looks really natural – a little goes a long way! 

The best makeup for rosacea 

Louise: I prefer a medium and buildable foundation, so for every day makeup, I always reach for Fenty Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint, really good coverage but not too heavy.

Katy: I like makeup from Rosalique because it combats redness and has SPF 50. I switch it up depending on the event/situation, so for long-lasting, even coverage it’s got to be MaxFactor FaceFinity, it goes on so nicely.

Denise: My skin goals do affect how I wear makeup because I like to allow my skin to breathe. As a result, I wear very natural and light products and I prefer to enhance my skin(glow) rather than covering my natural features up. My go-to is The Body Shop Hydrating Foundation.

Angela: I like Dr Jart’s Cicapair Tigergrass Cream and the Stila One Step Correct – both colour correct my rosy cheeks from rosacea and provide a good base for my makeup. I like that Dr Jart has SPF, but I’ll always use a separate sunscreen, especially as I’m using tretinoin in my Daily Doser. 

The best makeup for pigmentation

Grace: I’ve started using Vichy’s Dermablend Fluid Foundation and really really love it so far! I’m lucky as my shade matches me so perfectly, it looks like my skin but better (especially as I still have a few PIE marks I prefer to cover up).

Shimona: Absolute holy grail is the Too Faced Born This Way Concealer. It has amazing coverage and you don’t need a lot of the product at all to cover redness or pigmentation, and under eye circles. I’ve been using it for years now and haven’t switched to anything else. It also has incredible lasting power. 

Angela: I use IT Cosmetics CC Cream – a product of many talents! It provides even coverage for my melasma, it doesn’t aggravate my rosacea, it’s good for my dry skin and lasts through a night shift! For something more full coverage, I reach for Il Makiage Woke Up Like This Foundation.

The best makeup for fine lines and pores

Rebekkah: The Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder is great! It lasts a long time, and you only need a small amount to give you an airbrush finish on pores.

Louise: I love the YSL Touche Eclat Foundation, it’s got lovely, buildable coverage and really blurs my pores!

Shimona: I love the Smashbox Pore-Filling Primer as it does a really good job of minimising my pores. Plus, a little goes a long way so it’s lasted me for ages. 

Paula: My skin goals do affect how I wear makeup, as I find it sits in my fine lines. I like Beauty Pie’s All-In-Wonder Illuminating Primer, the One Powder Wonder and their Fresh Glow Setting Spray, as they give me a very natural look. I also really like e.l.f. makeup – works with my budget!

Denise: I was introduced to Daniel Sanders makeup line a few years ago and it’s the best I’ve ever used on my skin. I suffer with visible pores – his primer is absolutely amazing. Pores appear less visible, my makeup applies beautifully and it smooths everything out, my foundation stays put all day.

The best makeup for dry skin and texture

Amanda: I use the Laura Mercier Smoothing Primer to even out my skin tone, I really like wearing it. I also rotate between foundations: Ciaté Extraordinary, Colourpop Pretty Fresh and Rare Beauty. I don’t feel I have to wear it when my skin looks good and I can achieve a healthier look.

Rosie: I really like Yves Saint Laurent Touch Éclat – I have dry skin and foundation can highlight this, but with a good skincare routine I can keep the scaly skin at bay. I also love the Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray, it feels so refreshing on my skin which can be dry.

Brogan: I love Fenty, NARS Sheer Glow, Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk, MAC Studio Fix (I tend to switch it up!) and love the e.l.f Camo Concealer. If I feel like I’ve been wearing more makeup or full coverage looks, I will take more time to focus on skincare in the evening, or have a few days off to let my skin breathe. I enjoy wearing makeup, but as I work towards my skin goals I also enjoy wearing less, and focusing more on a skincare routine so I can feel more confident without it. 

Amber: To prime and set my makeup, it’s got to be MAC Fix+. I use this before, during and after my makeup and it never looks cakey and lasts all day, it’s the best! I love cream products for my skin goal as I find powder products stick to texture more – if I do use powder, I’ll layer it on the cream VERY lightly, I won’t use it on its own.

Tia: I tend to go for ultra-hydrating, illuminating and colour correcting primers, such as the MUA Primer Oil or Dr Pawpaw Original Balm – both amazing for dry skin and looks great under foundation (especially in winter).

Emily: I really like wearing makeup, but I’ll usually switch it up depending on where I’m going. My skin is dry so I look for hydrating products, like the YSL Hydrating Foundation. I also love a refreshing setting spray. 

The best makeup for oily and combination skin

Katie: I have combination skin and get acne from time to time. I don’t love the feeling of foundation on my skin, so I opt for really light coverage, regardless of my spots. Glossier’s Skin Tint is a perfect water-based foundation – it’s barely there. 

If I need a little more coverage, Rare Beauty’s Tinted Moisturiser. I rely heavily on pressed powder to stop shine – No7 Perfect Light Pressed Powder Translucent is my holy grail! I also recently discovered Lacura’s eye primer – GAME. CHANGER.

Shimona: At the moment I use Fenty Beauty Pro Filter Foundation, it’s great for my oily skin and it has a medium coverage and it has amazing lasting power. I also really like the Charlotte Tilbury Pressed Powder as it’s a great compact that you can keep with you to touch up if you get a little shiny. It also has a very luxe feel to it which I love!

Final drops of wisdom

Lauren: My recent makeup wisdom is L’Oreal Infallible – it’s amazing! I don’t use foundation any more as I don’t feel I need it but I like to use a concealer where I get redness around my nose and to disguise dark circles. I find it blends really well after moisturising and you only need the tiniest amount.

Denise: One of my absolute favourite makeup products I’ve been using for nearly a decade is Benefit High Beam Satiny Pink Complexion Highlighter. I apply a little to the top of my cheek bones, a little applied in a line down my nose and a tiny amount in the middle of my Cupid’s bow. I’ve had SO many compliments over the years when I’m wearing this especially as it gives a beautiful natural glow.

Grace: Olena Beley is an amazing source of skincare and makeup wisdom! She got me into Jane Iredale! Of course, having a great base of moisturiser and sunscreen makes all the difference. My work’s Christmas party is this weekend and I can’t wait to get fully glammed up!

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N.B Thanks for all of your contributions. Some of the quotes above have been edited for clarity and brevity. Head over to The Collective for more.

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