Make Up For Acne Scar

Updated 11/10/20 Meet Ashley Landry! Ashley is a makeup artist from New Jersey who learned how to expertly cover acne after she started experiencing breakouts herself. I first met Ashley when she reached out via email to share the amazing results she’d gotten by using our products. After that, we set up a call so I could learn more about her skincare journey. As a makeup artist, Ashley understands the inherent relationship between good makeup and proper skincare. She struggled with breakouts for over a year before finally finding a routine that helped clear her skin.

“I hated the way zits made my skin look when I put on makeup, to the point where I didn’t want to leave the house. The acne was affecting me so much and started to break me down.”

While Ashley has since cleared up most of her breakouts (more on that in a minute!), finding the best makeup to cover her acne allowed her to feel more confident in the meantime. Ashley kindly took the time to talk with me about her journey so I could pass along some of her wisdom to my readers. I loved hearing Ashley’s story and learning some new makeup tips from her—hopefully you will too!

How To Hide Acne Scars With Makeup

During our call, I asked Ashley a few questions about her breakouts to better understand what had gotten her to this point. We spoke about acne treatments she’d tried (including microneedling for acne scars), the routine that finally cleared her skin and which Renée Rouleau product she considers her holy grail.

“I started getting regular breakouts about a year ago. It was the first full year of my business, so I think stress was definitely a factor. I had a few cystic breakouts on my right cheek almost all the time. Because I’ve always been a makeup person, I’ve also always been a huge skincare person—the two really go hand in hand. If your skin doesn’t look good, your makeup won’t either.”

“Yeah, I tried out an ‘all-natural’ line after I bought a bunch of stuff during their Black Friday sale. That was kind of a turning point for me. The products really didn’t agree with my skin, and between that and the hormonal acne I was already having, my breakouts ended up getting worse than ever. I tried using Proactive to fix it, but that made my skin so, so dry to the point where it hurt. That’s when I decided to start trying Renée Rouleau products.”

How To Get Rid Of Acne Scars Fast

“I had already used the Anti Bump solution after hearing about it from an influencer and really liked the results. So I booked a virtual consultation with Polina and it was the BEST decision I ever made! She diagnosed me as a Skin Type 3 and put me on a personalized Renée Rouleau routine. With her guidance, I was able to clear my skin and get it under control again. I used to break out one to two times a day and now I only get one to two blemishes a week, which is huge for me!”

“Rapid Response Detox Masque! I use it almost every day for five to ten minutes, and it has been a total game-changer. Even after just a week, I remember my mom looked at me and was like, ‘Okay, you’re doing something different because your skin looks a lot better.’ This masque really helps keep my pores clear when I’ve been wearing a lot of foundation makeup for work.”

Once Ashley’s blemishes were under control, she started looking for a solution to the scars her pimples had left behind.  She tried microneedling on June 25, a day after taking the final “after” photo in her skincare journey. Although Ashley didn’t experience any negative side effects from her treatment, she also didn’t see much of a positive change.

The Best Ways To Get Rid Of Acne Scars

“My skin felt a little bit tighter afterwards, but I didn’t really see a massive difference and wasn’t over the moon about the results, ”

While microneedling is a great treatment for indented or pitted acne scars, I wouldn’t generally recommend it for the dark marks pimples often leave behind. The reason is because PIH (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation—a fancy word for these dark marks) is already caused by overactive pigment cells that have been “woken up” by the trauma of a zit. Microneedling could potentially keep those pigments cells activated longer by inflicting even more trauma on already injured skin. The goal is to get pigment cells to settle down and go to sleep, so it’s not ideal to keep them stimulated. Learn more about my thoughts on if microneedling for acne scars is worth it.

Ashley is a full-time makeup artist and spends most weekends doing bridal makeup for wedding parties. She’s most known for doing natural looks that accentuate her clients’ features instead of covering them up. This was the philosophy she applied to her own makeup when she was perfecting the art of concealing acne and acne scars.

Is There Anything I Can Do To Improve My Makeup Look? Also, Can I Do Anything To Make My Acne Scars On My Cheeks Less Apparent?

“I’m the only person in my business, so I do everything. I feel like if I don’t look good and my skin doesn’t look good, it’s a reflection of me, because my face is basically a billboard for my business.”

While Ashley was still in the process of clearing up her skin, she started testing out a lot of different makeup products to figure out the best way to cover up her blemishes. Her goal was to find a way to maintain a natural look while still hiding unwanted acne and dark acne scars. From prepping your skin to applying foundation, here are Ashley’s top tips for how to cover acne with makeup (

Before you can apply seamless makeup, you have to have a seamless canvas. Ashley’s suggestions include cutting primer out of your makeup routine, diligently applying a spot treatment to active pimples and using a moisturizer with glycerin.

How To Cover Pimples And Scars With A Combination Of Concealers

As far as makeup goes, primers are one of the products most likely to cause clogged pores. Keep in mind that everyone’s skin is different, so some people may be able to use certain primers without a problem. But if you’re noticing a lot of clogged pores (small bumps giving your skin an uneven texture under foundation), try cutting primer out of your routine to see if this improves.

“I decided to try it out after reading in this post about bumpy skin that primers can clog pores. I feel like this has really helped. I actually did an experiment a few months ago where I tried introducing primers back into my routine, but I started noticing clogged pores and breakouts again so I’ve cut them out all together.”

If you have active blemishes, it’s best to use a spot treatment like Daytime Blemish Gel or Anti Bump Solution before applying your daily makeup. These spot treatments create a seal over blemishes, almost like a liquid band aid. This keeps dirt and bacteria away from pimples, which will allow them to heal faster. The addition of soothing ingredients is beneficial for combating redness and swelling so that blemishes appear less noticeable under makeup.

Skincare Makeup Hybrids That Pair Complexion And Skin Friendly Benefits

“I let that sit a little bit so that it dries before I put on my moisturizer. I love this stuff—when I apply it faithfully, my cystic blemishes go down within 2-3 days instead of hanging around for a week or more.”

Glycerin is a humectant, which means it helps your skin retain moisture. The idea behind using glycerin is that it will help soften dry, dead skin cells left behind by blemishes. Most everyone has experienced this—you finally get that annoying pimple to come to a head, but now you’re left with a crusty scab that looks awful under makeup. Moistening these areas will make those dead skin cells more pliable so that they lie flatter and look better under concealer or foundation. Ashley also likes glycerin because it helps makeup stay in place longer.

“If I’m doing a full makeup look or feel a little dry, I like to go in with another moisturizer on top. My go-to is Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Moisturizer. I like using this because it has glycerin, which is found in some primers to help your makeup stay in place longer. Since I cut out primers, this is a nice alternative.”

Beautiful Pictures Of Acne Scars

Pro Tip: Struggling to conceal flaky blemishes? Try flattening them with a spoon! Start by applying Daytime Blemish Gel to the affected area. Think of this as an antiseptic “glue” that will hold down some of those crusty cells that are lifting up. Then, in order to direct the skin cells into a flat position, take the curved side of the spoon and rock it back and forth on top of the blemish for about thirty seconds. This will allow you to mold them into the shape you want so they appear less noticeable under concealer and foundation.

If you wrestle with breakouts, chances are you’re also interested in learning how to cover those dark marks acne can leave behind. In order to conceal these annoying acne scars and even out your complexion, Ashley suggests using a concealer like Maybelline Dark Spot Corrector.

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How To Cover Acne Scars With Makeup