Drugstore Cover Ups

If you've been reading me for  a while now you will know that over the past 18 months or so I've been having real issues with my skin. Up until about 2 years ago I'd always been really lucky with my skin. Yeah it was a little bit sensitive, and very occasionally prone to a blackhead or two but mostly normal and - most importantly - clear. Now, however, it's an entirely different kettle of fish. Breakouts, on my cheeks and chin mostly, are a daily occurrence. After nearly 2 years of trying everything and nothing working, I decided enough was enough and I headed to my GP, where I was diagnosed with adult acne (yay!) caused by a hormone imbalance (double yay!). Unfortunately the medication I'm on is known for taking a while to get to work and also for making things worse before making it better. So I'm at a bit of a stalemate at the moment, my skin is still looking awful, really awful, but all I can do is wait for my medication to kick in and balance my hormones - apparently they're rubbish at balancing as I am! -  Luckily I am a dab hand with the concealer, so I thought I would share some of my top tips and tricks and favourite products, mostly drugstore, for covering up those pesky pimples for anyone else who has problem skin.

Seventeen Phwoarr Paint Under Eye Concealer in Fair -  on offer £5.49 from boots.com

A heavy duty under-eye concealer designed to cover serious under eye baggage. It's thick, creamy consistency makes it ideal for concealing redness or particularly angry looking spots. I like to apply this before my foundation to conceal any of my nastier blemishes, using my finger tips to warm up the product, before dotting on and then patting it in  I think this technique is called 'the Kardashian method' either way it works wonders.

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 10 - £5.99 from boots.com

Another fabulous concealer from the drugstore. This offering from Maybelline was one of my favourites last month (read it here) and that's because it's awesome. The formulation is lighter and more liquid than the Seventeen concealer but still gives really good coverage, that is also lightweight and comfortable on the skin. It doesn't cake at all, it doesn't crease, it blends flawlessly  It's a cracking concealer. I use this after my foundation, and on top of the Seventeen concealer, to add extra coverage. I just dot it on with the applicator and blend it in with my Real Techniques Setting Brush. Done.

So for foundations I have two absolute loves that you guys need to know about, (the first will come as no surprise to anyone.)

L'Oréal True Match Foundation in C2 Rose Vanilla - £9.99 from boots.com

I'm still using the original formula, I know it's recently been re-formulated I haven't had a chance to try out the new formula yet but I've heard good things. Anyway last year I crowned this foundation as my all time favourite and pretty much a year later it still is. I love it. It gives decent coverage but is still quite glowy. The finish it gives is seriously beautiful. I find that sometimes with high coverage foundations can be quite matte and give you what I call creepy mask face, which is exactly what it sounds like. True Match doesn't do that it covers what you want to cover but in a your skin but better kinda way. It still looks natural but radiant at the same time. This is more of my going out foundation but, as you can probably tell, I just love it so much.

L'Oréal Infallible 24HR-Matte in 12 Natural Rose -£7.99 from boots.com

 This I was quite skeptical of when I first tried it, but it's actually really good.  It's high coverage but the formula in very lightweight and whilst it's a matte finish it's not too matte. The formulation is actually similar to the True Match, it's very natural looking but covering at the same time and again it's really not cakey. This has been my sort of everyday foundation, even though Natural Rose is more of my summer shade but I'm making it work... luckily my tanned is everyone else's pale. Anyway it's a very good foundation and I am really impressed because I wasn't expecting it to be good and it really is.

When I get ready, after I've showered and washed my face and everything. The first thing I do is moisturise. Then, using my fingertips, I apply Seventeens Phwoarr Paint. After that it's time for foundation, L'Oreal's Infallible 24 HR Matte for daytime or L'Oreal True Match if I'm going out, before dotting on Maybelline's Fit Me Concealer on the places where I need a bit more coverage. I find this mostly hides everything I want to hide. Now I'm not a make up artist, but any make up artist will tell you that pigmentation is an easier issue to solve than texture. This method does cover up redness really well. BUT you can still see, due to the texture of my skin, that underneath isn't great. It gives the appearance that it is but it isn't and the texture of it is a dead giveaway. This is what I do everyday to make me feel better about the state of my skin. I know that slapping a ton of make up on probably isn't helping, but it makes me feel better to do it and it makes me feel a bit more confident. Nothing, I think, knocks your confidence more than when your skin is being sh*t. If you don't want to do this that's fine, and  honestly I'm really jealous, but I just thought I'd tell  you lovely people what I do, in case and of you are struggling with your skin too.

Let me know if you try it and how you get on; by commenting below, on twitter, or dropping me an email at lolarocknroses@gmail.com. Also check out my instagram, facebook, bloglovin', snapchat - search lolarocknroses - & pinterest for updates.

Love love love xxx