Forget contouring and fancy winged eyeliner tricks, when it comes to make-up most of us are eager to know how to cover up those irritating spots and blemishes.
Now, help is at hand from celebrity make-up artist Elizabeth Rita who has worked with stars such as Rita Ora and Sam Smith, and is well practiced at making any flaws disappear to get her subjects camera-ready.
Elizabeth Rita is NIVEA’s backstage celebrity makeup artist at The Voice UK and ahead of this Saturday’s live final, she shared her top cover-up hacks with Femail.
Of course, prevention is better than cure and she recommends tricks such as massaging around your eyes with moisturiser morning and night to stave off dark circles.
But if you do run into trouble with issues such as spots or the inevitable fine lines we all get, there are foolproof ways to cover them up – and you might be surprised by how little concealer is involved.
The Voice UK’s celebrity make-up artist has revealed the tricks you need to cover up any blemish, including angry spots (stock image)
ACNE
I get asked about spots a lot, but before you cover them you need to give your makeup the best start, which is to cleanse your skin.
I like to finish my foundation and then mix in a little bit of concealer – one of my favourites is Mac’s Pro Longwear – and using my finger dab onto the blemish and fade it out onto the clear skin around it, about a 1 or 2mm to be exact.
The art is to blend it in, so it tricks the eye into thinking its smooth skin.
DARK SPOTS
These days you get so much more for your money with foundations. If you are someone who suffers with dark spots, find a foundation that has slightly heavier coverage, then you won’t even need to use concealer.
Elizabeth Rita is NIVEA’s backstage celebrity makeup artist at The Voice UK and has worked with stars such as Sam Smith and Rita Ora
These two are great; Cover Fix Power Play Foundation ( £38.00) or The Ordinary Coverage Foundation ( £5.99) which are both buildable so perfect to cover dark spots.
SCARS
I like to finish my foundation first, as if the scars were not there and then mix in a bit of concealer, one of my favourites for this job is Mac’s Pro Longwear. It is wonderful for concealing scar pigment and raised skin.
I use my finger to dab the concealer onto the scars and fade it out onto the clear skin, about a mm to be exact. The art is to blend it in, so it tricks the eye, very simple when you know how.
FINE LINES
Work with your fine lines not against them. Don’t get a heavy foundation to cover them, that will do the opposite effect, it will sit in those fine lines and turn them to deep set wrinkles.
The question is do you even need it a foundation? The answer is no. I love using Bobbie Browns CC cream or Liz Earl’s Sheer Skin Tint.
Both have SPF and are lovely and lightweight, which means they won’t sit in your smile lines.
Instead it will become part of your skin and will move with it, so you will look beautifully fresh faced and far more youthful.
BLACKHEADS
Blackheads are a pain but if you cleanse your skin morning and night it really makes a massive difference.
Benefit’s Pore-Fessional Primer ( £26.00) is still my number one favourite to minimise and hide blackheads.
Once you have popped this on, continue your foundation as usual and here will be no blackheads in sight.
A lighter concealer is ideal for covering up dark circles, rather than piling on heavy foundation (stock image)
DARK CIRCLES
My quick tip for dark circles is to massage around your eyes with your moisturiser morning and night, it really does work wonders for me.
I do it every day with NIVEA’s Daily Essentials Light Moisturising Cream, enriched with vitamin E, which is an excellent antioxidant.
It is capable of protecting your skin cells from oxidation and helps rejuvenate damaged skin, and it also helps guard against UV skin damage.
When it comes to covering the dark circles I approach it the same way as covering spots, except I choose a warmer tone and a lighter consistence of concealer so it doesn’t sit in any smile lines. I love Laura Mercier’s Secret Camouflage.