Wedding Day Makeup - Acne Scars
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free skin care · Mon Oct 16, 2006 7:20 pm

Hi, i'm getting married May of 2007... i have acne scars on both cheeks (near hairline) that i think are called hill & valley (indented scars), its not pitted,
I'm really worried if my scars will be hard to cover and show-up in pictures. Embarassed

Can anyone suggest any good makeup that can fill in the scars but wouldnt be cakey?
coz i have oily & extremely sensitive skin. I tend to get really sensitive in the summer, even spraying avene / evian water will sting my face... its reli red, and all i can use is a tinted moisturizer (laura mercier), if i use a foundation, it'll just melt and the reddness is just scary... similar to rosacea but i dont have dry patches...

my wedding is in may, so i might still have to worry about my makeup melting..

i'm looking for a makeup that could fill in the scars, but still look natural...

has anyone tried dermablend? it looks reli cakey and extreme, and i'm afraid to try it.

thanks, LMV

free skin care · Mon Oct 16, 2006 7:50 pm

I don't have makeup advice, but check with your photographer. He/she should be able to remove those easily from any photos they show in. Blemishes and uneven skin texture and color are very easily corrected in digital photos.
For the money you pay for wedding photos, this should be part of the processing costs that you're already paying.

free skin care · Mon Oct 16, 2006 7:53 pm

altho i'm aware photos can be touched up afterwards, i still wanna look as flawless as possible... thx

free skin care · Mon Oct 16, 2006 9:35 pm

lmv, i know how u feel about piling on makeup to cover flaws but your photos will look much better if u let the photographer touch them up later, versus having the makeup artist pile on tons of stuff and yr whole face will look cakey and terrible.
it is far easier for a photographer to retouch certains spots n scars than to fix a whole face of cakey makeup.
i am a photo retoucher and i have seen many people ruin their pictures like that. good luck.

free skin care · Mon Oct 16, 2006 9:40 pm

I would definitely use a primer, like Smashbox, under your foundation to help fill in any imperfections.

free skin care · Mon Oct 16, 2006 9:54 pm

jellytot: i guess it wouldnt be hard for the photographer to touch up... thanks for your advice...

free skin care · Mon Oct 16, 2006 10:43 pm

I've used dermablend but it was to cover a tattoo. Didn't do the job and it was extremely cakey. I've tried CoverFX, it's better than dermablend. It did a good job w/ covering that tattoo, more natural than dermablend. Took forever to find the right color to somewhat match my skin tone. But I tried the CoverFX concealer on my face it was good with covering but made my face oily. Probably because I have combo/oily skin. It didn't feel cakey. But I agree with using a primer before applying.

free skin care · Tue Oct 17, 2006 4:39 am

Definantly some sort of primer to help smooth out your skin before you even apply your make up (there are a few posts about different make-up primers you can search for!) (I wonder if any of those collagen wrinkle-plumping creams would work... at least temporarily?)

and I was watching "what not to wear" yesterday, and they advised that if you have scars or any indents in your skin that you want to hide, wear a matte finish over that area!

I have also heard good things about cover fx and it is now readily available at the huge shoppers drug marts in Canada (if that's where you are from!)

hth!

free skin care · Tue Oct 17, 2006 6:05 am

lmv, I feel your pain! I've got a face full of acne scars now and this past weekend I had to go to this fancy wedding out in LA. Here's what I did: First, used DHC's primer. Not only does this stuff kind of fill in rough spots like spackle, but it also somehow diffuses your imperfections so they are less noticeable. Also, it makes your make up last longer and go on more smoothly-- very key for times like this when you're going to have to use quite a bit of it, LOL!!! Anyway, next, I used concealer on all of my scars. I use L'Oreal's Airwear as the colors are good and it's waterproof/sweatproof in a BIG way. After that, I buffed my whole face with mineral makeup. (BTW, for times like this when you need full coverage, forget about using a brush with your mineral make up and go straight to the flocked sponge!) I use Alima, so you might try to get some of their samples as they are not shiny, the coverage is good, and the colors are the best. However, because Everyday minerals offers free samples you might also want to try those as it is VERY full coverage. Finally, I "set" everything with a dusting of Jurlique's Rose Silk Dust. After this, my face looked amazingly even, and my make up stayed on all night. HTH, and good luck!

free skin care · Tue Oct 17, 2006 6:17 am

qisme615: thx, i've tried coverfx, and it left my face looking dry & somewhat cakey...altho i have oily & sensitive skin. =)

free skin care · Tue Oct 17, 2006 6:20 am

manslayerliz: i cant wait to order alima & jurlique rose dust~ i'm a big fan of jurlique but had never tried their rose dust~ have u tried the jurlique lavender dust? is it as good as the rose?
btw, what is DHC? and what kinda concealer do u use?
thx~ Wink

free skin care · Tue Oct 17, 2006 6:44 am

LMV, I think you'll love the Silk Dust, it was totally made for oily, sensitive gals like us. I've only tried the rose (LOVE rose-scented stuff) but I've heard the lavender version is identical except for the scent. Let us know how you like the Silk Dust and the Alima as they have a lot of fans here on the EDS board.^-^ As for DHC, it's a really great Japanese company. You can check out their stuff at DHCcare.com. If you sign up for a catalogue they will send you a bunch of samples, including their primer which is hands down the best I've used and quite frankly a god-send, and I think they will also send you a sample of their Cleansing Oil which is also a fabulous product--- it removes every last trace of primer, make up, etc. As for concealer, like I said in my previous post, I swear by L'Oreal's Air Wear. It has NEVER clogged my pores or given me a reaction, and it is so darn waterproof/sweatproof, sometimes even soap doesn't take it off!! (I use DHC's Cleansing Oil to take it off.) Aromaleigh also has a very gentle concealer but unfortunately the staying power is not as good. HTH!

free skin care · Tue Oct 17, 2006 7:21 am

thx every1! i'm absolutely loving this forum~~ i'm so glad i found this forum, thanks for all your wonderful advices~ i'm so addicted now

thanks manslayerliz! Wink

free skin care · Wed Oct 18, 2006 12:16 pm

OMG... there was me feeling all smug about being a 'senior member' but
'As for DHC, it's a really great Japanese company.
I've seen people mention DHC and thought they meant... Dr Hauschka...!

So much to learn...

free skin care · Wed Oct 18, 2006 1:48 pm

LMV, I'm sure you're going to, but try some trial runs and take photos of them to find out what's going to look best.

free skin care · Wed Oct 18, 2006 2:23 pm

lmv,

Since it's still several months away, there are ointments out there that's suppose to help reduce scar marks so they're less visible and give a smoother feel. Not sure if you've tried them, but I'd give it a whirl.

free skin care · Wed Oct 18, 2006 8:43 pm

thanks alot for every1's wonderful advice~ i'm stressing myself too much~ *sigh*

Thu Oct 19, 2006 11:49 am

I am not too fond of Dermablend. I purchased it to cover a tattoo and it did not do the trick.

free skin care · Mon Jan 01, 2007 4:38 pm

Hi lmv
I also have acne scars and I found that Shiseido's Cle du peau (not sure of the spelling Confused

) for pores is great. I use it to on top of my foundation and powder on my scars and in some lights my scars looks completely invisible and made my skin looked flawless. Give it a try!

free skin care · Mon Jan 01, 2007 4:46 pm

lmv wrote:

thanks alot for every1's wonderful advice~ i'm stressing myself too much~ *sigh*

lmv before now and then you can try neutrogena's post acne fading peel. it works on me. good luck!

free skin care · Mon Jan 01, 2007 6:06 pm

I HAD a very bad problem with acne scars, but thanks to this forum my acne/scar problems are near a thing of the past. But, I can relate to your dilemma as I had to do alot of concealing in the past.

I would suggest definitely doing some peels from now until your wedding day. I'm not sure if your skin's sensitive, so you may want to stick with gentler exfoliants, ie. Juice Apple Peel &/or Neutrogena's acne fading mask. I do them once a week. I'm also using Epidermx II on a daily basis & feel that this has definitely helped.

Use of a primer is a must to fill in acne pots/holes. I'm acne prone so tend to shy away from the silicone based ones, ie. Smashbox, but that is a good one if your skin can tolerate it. Think of it as spackle for your face. It fills in lines & holes.

I tried the Dermablend & CoverFx, but found that Shiseido's Optimal Cover Concealer is the MOST industrial strength concealer. It's thicker & more dense than the Dermablend & CoverFx. However, they did discontinue the original formula. But, I heard they came out with a new formulation in September. You may still be able to find the Optimal Cover at small Shiseido boutiques.

I would also use mineral makeup over the concealer as it gives the most buildable coverage & with proper technique can give you full coverage without looking cakey. For the heaviest coverage I've found the flocked sponge to work best, then polish w/the kabuki brush. Just make sure you use a finishing spray to avoid the cakey look.

I have also heard that it is best to use a more matte formula when trying to conceal scars. For a matte mmu, Alima is a good one.

free skin care · Tue Jan 02, 2007 1:21 am

I also have a few acne scars on my cheeks & I find the best way to cover mine is with mineral makeup. At the moment I'm using Everday Minerals & I find the foundation makes my skin look almost flawless...& they are quite cheap too! Razz

But you have to be careful not to use too much otherwise it looks really heavy & cakey like leidon said. Apart from that I would have to agree that the JB Green Apple Peel also helped my skin too.

Good Luck! Wink

free skin care · Wed Jan 03, 2007 2:04 am

I got married in June 06, and i did previously have a few acne scars but managed to be fantastically clear on my wedding day (i posted a pic of me at my wedding on "face behind the screen name, p.20). My acne was always a problem, but never went beyond the "mild" case. The scars did bother me though. I resorted to getting them laser-removed. There are so many advancements in lasers these days, that the treatments are less painful (mine didn't hurt at all), and recovery is minimal (i had minor redness for 2 hrs). I have also noticed that prices are going down. You and a friend could even split a package. It's worth it!

Many medi-spas or clinics have sales, so check your local papers or online. We have a local paper here in Vancouver called The Georgia Straight, and it lists pages and pages of clinic specials and packages available. It doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. But why not banish the scars for good? I only needed 3 treatments. It helped other things too, such as broken capillaries, and it also reduced pore size. Loved the results!

Next best plan would be mineral makeup, i think. Good luck!

free skin care · Wed Jan 03, 2007 2:56 am

Hi!

You could certainly attack your scars with a laser, but I think you might need more time for that than you have at this point.

I recently did a friend's makeup for her wedding, and she had acne scars, and we did indeed cover them with a primer and a heavy-duty concealer. I STRONGLY, STRONGLY suggest you go to http://www.colortration.com/ and buy their trial kit, which is affordable and will last you so long. You can then begin to experiment with their fabulous, total cover concealers on your scars with primer. The colortration mimics skin, so you can literally cover your scars and they will not be noticeable. In my opinion, this product outperforms all others, including joe blasco, dermalogica, etc. And since you have to choose I think seven different shades in the trail kit for $14--you CANNOT go wrong, and the little vials are so portable, they can fit anywhere. The size of a pinhead will cover about an inch-wide space. It's really amazing stuff.

So, here is what I recommend. You are, I presume, going to get a facial beforehand? This is a quandary because facials sometimes cause imperfections to surface--so you should maybe get a full facial a few days beforehand, OR get a face treatment that lightly exfoliates and then plumps up the face the day of your wedding. If you want to do it yourself, I'd get a light scrub (Lorac's Gentle Resurfacer is great) and then use a really wonderful re-plumping mask like Valmont Renewing Pack or Osea's White Algae Mask. You can save a lot of money this way, and then have these for future use. I can't say enough about how important it is to prepare your skin before you use, say, a primer. Even if your acne scars end up being noticeable, everyone will gush at how gorgeous your skin looks--they won't focus on the scars, just your radiance, seemingly, emanating from within!
After the primer, use a flat edged concealer brush to literally 'pat' in the concealer, always working form the center outwards to blend. Then, I'd highly recommend LM's regular foundation, which dries to a dewy matte without causing lines (maybe not on really dry skin). A light dusting of non-shimmery powder, like Lorac's transluscent powder, would be the finishing touch. Again, shop well in advance and try several different products out, analyze them in different lights, get opinions, etc. And then, choose the ones you really like and make sure, if you are getting your makeup done, to bring your own products.

If you want to look super-gorgeous, I'd recommend that application of individual fake lashes (the outer 3/4 of your lash line only) is a MUST. It will open up your eyes and give you a glamorous look, and it will be completely unnoticeable. If you are wearing white, I always think that a deep navy eyeliner right against the lash line looks gorgeous, esp. for brown or green eyes.
Wedding makeup is an industry and I've seen too many gorgeous girls walk down the aisle with too much makeup on, too much randomly applied eye makeup, when it should really all be about applying the face makeup in such a way that you look effortlessly contoured, glowing, and slightly flushed, and your eyes should "pop," rather than be shrouded in a mish-mash of color or shimmers. Remember, you are supposed to resemble a virgin that daddy is giving away! Just KIDDING.
My last two scents: avoid shimmer!

--avalange

free skin care · Wed Jan 03, 2007 8:11 am

My friend says Crème de la Mer Face Cream works on acne scars. Yeah, it's a bit expensive, but worth a try, for your wedding.

Good luck!

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