Natural acne concealer suggestions?
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free skin care · Fri Jul 20, 2007 5:35 pm

I got such great help and feedback when I asked EDS folks what the best lip stain would be, so I'm hoping I can get some more awesome advice. I'd like to try a new acne concealer that doesn't totally exacerbate my breakouts - I've used Dr. Hauschka stick ones in the past, but I found that the stick started smelling funky and off really fast, plus their colors are never quite for me. I also tried the Burt's Bees concealer, but they seem to have discontinued it (at least I can't see it online) and I was never wild about it anyway.

I'm very picky about formulation - I like to avoid all acne triggers like mineral oil, shea butter, and dimethicone, among others. So many nice natural brands don't seem to list the ingredients online, which I find crazy frustrating. But many of the ones that do still use stuff that freaks me out.

And I'm also picky about application - I don't think that wands or sponge-tips are hygienic, since combating acne is a bacteria-fighting action - those applicators usually seem like they have the potential to get really gunked up! I prefer a stick or pot that I can scrape a layer or two off of to try and keep it clean. I also try to use a clean concealer brush instead of using my fingers or applying it directly on my face (I'm bad about the finger thing but I'm trying to be better) and with a pot/stick I can swab the exposed surfaces with tea tree oil to help chill out any bacterial festering that might be going on.

Lastly, I'm picky about shade - so many companies only offer one or two shades - I find this to be particularly common with small natural brands, but it's so frustrating because I think concealer is something that really has to match your skin tone well, especially since I don't wear foundation. So it's hard to find a line with a decent selection that meets all my above criteria, too!

Does anyone have any suggestions? I've glanced at Lavera, Logona, Ecco Bella, Gabriel and the new Hauschka, but none seem to have a wide enough shade range, and I wasn't wowed by any. I've read some good things about Bobbi Brown's, but I can't find an ingredients list anywhere - so infuriating! I'd be totally open to new brands I haven't mentioned if they have happy ingredients, or if I just find a listing of them somewhere.

TIA, and sorry I'm so darn picky - but I figure if anyone will understand that, it's you EDS folks! Smile

Sat Jul 21, 2007 12:16 am

Had you tried a mineral powder foundation? Since you said you are picky about formulation, try mineral makeup also. If you are new to this kind of makeup try searching "The Mineral Makeup Shoppe" look at the link to benefits, they have a concise info on mineral makeup that I had not seen or hard to find in other online makeup shop.

Oh, a reminder. If ever you get into mineral makeup, it's always a good thing to look if its 100% natural, no fillers or expanders. This is to make sure you get no hidden ingredients.

Have a nice day:)

free skin care · Sat Jul 21, 2007 11:21 am

I love this pencil for covering and healing blemishes. It is the perfect shade for me (medium yellow undertone). I prefer pencils over wands too. It may not work for your skin tone, but it lasts and has healing ingredients in it.

http://www.bebeautiful.com/product/312055.aspx

I also agree that mineral makeup would be a good option. I like Cory because it's matte and doesn't contain mica, but there are tons of brands out there. You can usually try samples for cheap before buying a full-size.

free skin care · Sat Jul 21, 2007 11:35 am

Ginnilizz, you MUST try Alima's concealer! it is my favorite EVER and the only one I will use. I was slow to convert at first because I have acne issues and I didn't think that a mineral concealer could cover like a cream, but boy was I mistaken! This covers better, looks more natural, and best of all, helps my acne to heal! The range of colors is really great too, and you can try a really huge sample for only $1. My advice, though, is to try a few shades first to make sure you get your perfect match. I'm so pale I usually wear the lightest color available, but Alima's color range is so wide that the lightest was too light for me, so now I wear Beige and I'm in love with it. Just re-ordered it! I apply it with an Alima eyeliner brush which works out well because I can thoroughly wash/disinfect it.

free skin care · Sat Jul 21, 2007 11:49 am

ginnie, I use 2 different kinds of concealers, depending... My Dr. Hauschka stick of concealer - I bought this last November and it's still great for concealing spots on neck and chin. Hasn't developed any kind of funky smell either. I'll occasionally lop off the top to prevent the spread of any bacteria.

The other concealer I use more often is by Everyday Minerals. You can get it in a lot of different shades and it's 100% mineral based. I apply this right after sunblock on discolorations and also use it as a primer on my eyelids. The staying power is incredible.

Good luck!

free skin care · Sat Jul 21, 2007 2:09 pm

boski wrote:

I love this pencil for covering and healing blemishes. It is the perfect shade for me (medium yellow undertone). I prefer pencils over wands too. It may not work for your skin tone, but it lasts and has healing ingredients in it.

http://www.bebeautiful.com/product/312055.aspx

I also agree that mineral makeup would be a good option. I like Cory because it's matte and doesn't contain mica, but there are tons of brands out there. You can usually try samples for cheap before buying a full-size.

I was doing a search and found the Judith August website. The Everything Pencil actually comes in several shades, which I wasn't aware of. So you can pick the shade best for your skintone. The EraseZit Everything Pencil (which is the pencil I have) also has camphor oil and tea tea in addition to the aloe and vitamin E, but that pencil only comes in the one color.

http://www.judithaugustcosmetics.com/pencil2.htm

free skin care · Sat Jul 21, 2007 6:51 pm

I personally find my LM MMU works fine as a concealer for me but when I need something more I turn to Lauress' concealers and correctors - I use Neutralize (green corrector to counteract redness) and Vanilla (the concealer shade for my skin color). I prefer this to other MMU concealers (EDM, Alima, JI) because it seems to blend better with your natural skin color and for concealers I think Lauress as a slightly better color selection. I couldn't find the right colors with EDM or Alima plus EDM didn't last and Alima gave me bumps. I don't have this problem with Lauress and when I buff my MMU over it it does NOT move, it stays where you put it and this has never happened with any other concealers before cream, liquid, powder, mineral, pencil (I've tried all types already from various brands).

free skin care · Mon Jul 23, 2007 10:06 am

Wow, thanks guys, for all the suggestions! I am totally boggled by some of these, so I have a couple questions:

Boski, do you know what the ingredients are for those pencils? I couldn't find a list on any website but they do look interesting, I just have to make sure there are no irritants.

As for the other suggestions - so I take it these are all powder formulations, and not creams? Wow. That actually sounds much smarter for acne, since emollients make me break out so easily, but I've never used any kind of powdery/MMU/mineral formula before - I only use a translucent oil-blotting powder like Jurlique on my face, but I've never done powder for coverage.

-Would you guys say it's a pretty light/natural coverage, or is it super thick?

-Will I be able to blend into bare skin without it being obvious, or would I need a general foundation/etc. to make it look okay? (I never wear foundation and I don't really want to have to start!)

-Lastly, do you have to apply with a brush, or can you do it directly with your fingers in a pinch?\

-Do you have to get it wet to apply? If not, how does it stick?

Sorry for sounding like such a goof - I could probably look up some of this in the MMU threads, but since I'm really not interested in whole-face coverage, I figure I can get some concealer-specific tips from y'all. TIA and thanks again for the suggestions, I wish more of these were available in real life so I could test shades! I think I'm gonna order a bunch of samples from Alima but the bummer is that I have to spend more on shipping than I do on product, I hate that! Confused

Worth it to get the right color, though.

free skin care · Mon Jul 23, 2007 10:28 am

I like the Jurlique acne treatment. It's kind of pinkish in color and blends fairly well underneath foundation (I use Alima these days). HTH

free skin care · Mon Jul 23, 2007 10:37 am

Yep, concealer from Everyday Minerals only consists of mica, titanium dioxide, iron oxide [for color] and zinc oxide. She offers the concealers in a lot of different shades and the staying power for small areas is pretty incredible. I just use a small brush to apply it, then use a light coat of MMU all over for coverage that really looks like I'm not wearing makeup at all. http://www.everydayminerals.com/g?t=concealers

Samples are available for the cost of postage so you can try it for very little $$

free skin care · Mon Jul 23, 2007 10:43 am

Ooh, cool, I'm going to order Alima and Everyday Minerals samples. I imagine with that broad a range, there must be something that works for me color-wise. I'll let you guys know how it goes! I also wonder if I could apply this stuff over an acne cream like Jurlique or something, I may have to try that.

free skin care · Mon Jul 23, 2007 10:56 am

ginnielizz wrote:

Ooh, cool, I'm going to order Alima and Everyday Minerals samples. I imagine with that broad a range, there must be something that works for me color-wise. I'll let you guys know how it goes! I also wonder if I could apply this stuff over an acne cream like Jurlique or something, I may have to try that.

Yes you can, but if the serum if overly drying, the powder on top of it will look like elephant skin! Laughing

I do, however, use it on top of either tea-tree oil or silken pearl pate, the spot treatments I use for the occasional blemish with no problems.

free skin care · Mon Jul 23, 2007 10:59 am

P.S: Uglogirl has lovely concealers. They are creamy and easier to apply than Alima (which is powder).

free skin care · Mon Jul 23, 2007 11:04 am

Ah cool, more good tips! This is totally going to wind up like my lip stain adventure, where I now have seven different new shades instead of the one or two I was planning on. And not in a bad way, haha - these are all surprisingly affordable so far! Thanks!

free skin care · Thu Jul 26, 2007 3:13 pm

So I have several Alima samples on the way, but EverydayMinerals wouldn't send me more than one concealer sample (they have a "sampler kit" they'll do for free, but it's three foundations, one blush, and one concealer - still hopefully that'll help). I like the idea of a creamier option too, but UgloGirl didn't seem to have any samples available so I'll have to wait and see what their stuff is like in person sometime. Any idea where it's sold?

Thanks to all of you for your suggestions! Liz, you said you use an eyeliner brush to apply your concealer - have you ever used a "concealer" brush? Sephora has them, and I've always wondered if this would be appropriate, or just too big. I'll play around once my samples come, but I was just curious. Do you think you can also apply the powder with just your fingers?

Thanks again, looking forward to trying out all my goodies - I'll update as soon as they arrive!

free skin care · Thu Jul 26, 2007 4:59 pm

ginnielizz wrote:

So I have several Alima samples on the way, but EverydayMinerals wouldn't send me more than one concealer sample (they have a "sampler kit" they'll do for free, but it's three foundations, one blush, and one concealer - still hopefully that'll help). I like the idea of a creamier option too, but UgloGirl didn't seem to have any samples available so I'll have to wait and see what their stuff is like in person sometime. Any idea where it's sold?

Thanks to all of you for your suggestions! Liz, you said you use an eyeliner brush to apply your concealer - have you ever used a "concealer" brush? Sephora has them, and I've always wondered if this would be appropriate, or just too big. I'll play around once my samples come, but I was just curious. Do you think you can also apply the powder with just your fingers?

Thanks again, looking forward to trying out all my goodies - I'll update as soon as they arrive!

Ginnielizz--- The absolute best brush to use when applying the mineral concealer IMO is Alima's eyeliner brush--- it's got a rounded tip and is the perfect size for covering those pesky blemishes! I would advise against using traditional concealer brushes with mineral concealer because they will be too flat, and too hard--- in order to get good coverage and blending you're going to need one rounded, small, and a soft. Alima's Eyeliner brush is the BEST and it's dirt cheap, unfortunately it's currently sold out, so I found a couple of other good options:
http://www.lumierecosmetics.com/index.php?p=product&id=430&parent=25
(cut n paste the link and it will work)

This one is ideal since the small end can be used for precise placement of the powder, and then you can blend with the larger end. Great price, too! Don't forget to use the code LF15 for a 15% discount.

If you prefer something you can buy at a brick-and-mortar store, this looks to be a pretty good option:
http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P93606&shouldPaginate=true&categoryId=3902

It's softer than a traditional concealer brush and it's rounded too so it's good for blending. I don't have this brush, however, I do have Sephora's Platinum blush brush and it is top of the line.

You can always blend with your fingers, however, I think that the right brush for initial powder placement will help you get the most even, natural coverage. HTH!

free skin care · Fri Jul 27, 2007 10:38 am

Thank you liz! I asked because I saw that Alima was sold out of their eyeliner brush, so I really appreciate the alternatives. Stupid, impatient me went to Sephora last night and left with a "concealer" brush that's the cheaper model of the one you linked to, but I actually think it might work better for eye shadow anyway, haha. I will pick up an eyeliner brush soon - however, the Lumiere link you sent didn't work (I hate sites that redirect you to the main page when you post a link, pet peeve). Do you think you could post which one you meant so I can look it up manually?

My Alima samples came last night and I tried them out for the first time today. I have a job interview at lunch so I hope they do a good job of covering my zits so I look "mature" and professional! Laughing

I tried Porcelain and also found it to be too pale, so Sand was the best bet for me as well. Looks like we might be twins, skin-tone wise! Still not sure about this whole "powder concealer" thing, haha, but I'm going to use it for a few days, until my Everyday Minerals samples show up. Thanks again for all this info, gals!

free skin care · Fri Jul 27, 2007 10:50 am

ginnielizz wrote:

Thank you liz! I asked because I saw that Alima was sold out of their eyeliner brush, so I really appreciate the alternatives. Stupid, impatient me went to Sephora last night and left with a "concealer" brush that's the cheaper model of the one you linked to, but I actually think it might work better for eye shadow anyway, haha. I will pick up an eyeliner brush soon - however, the Lumiere link you sent didn't work (I hate sites that redirect you to the main page when you post a link, pet peeve). Do you think you could post which one you meant so I can look it up manually?

My Alima samples came last night and I tried them out for the first time today. I have a job interview at lunch so I hope they do a good job of covering my zits so I look "mature" and professional! Laughing

I tried Porcelain and also found it to be too pale, so Sand was the best bet for me as well. Looks like we might be twins, skin-tone wise! Still not sure about this whole "powder concealer" thing, haha, but I'm going to use it for a few days, until my Everyday Minerals samples show up. Thanks again for all this info, gals!

Let us know how the concealer works out for you, Ginnie! The Lumiere brush I was talking about was the Dual Eye/Smudger Brush for $9. It looks absolutely perfect for MMU concealer. HTH!

free skin care · Fri Jul 27, 2007 10:59 am

Thank you, Liz! I'm probably going to make do with my existing brushes until I decide whether I want to go the mineral route or not, but I'll eventually need to invest in a good concealer brush anyway. I've used my fingers for years but I know that whenever I bother to actually use a brush, I get better and more precise application even with creamy concealers. Plus it's more sanitary for the product - I really just need to take the plunge. Smile

Do you think that Lumiere brush is stiff and small enough to work well with a creamy concealer too, just in case I wind up sticking with that?

free skin care · Fri Jul 27, 2007 1:14 pm

Suki has a new color line - includes tinted moisturizer and also a liquid concealer. Don't know anything about them though - but they do look nice.

free skin care · Fri Jul 27, 2007 2:01 pm

ginnielizz wrote:

Thank you, Liz! I'm probably going to make do with my existing brushes until I decide whether I want to go the mineral route or not, but I'll eventually need to invest in a good concealer brush anyway. I've used my fingers for years but I know that whenever I bother to actually use a brush, I get better and more precise application even with creamy concealers. Plus it's more sanitary for the product - I really just need to take the plunge. Smile

Do you think that Lumiere brush is stiff and small enough to work well with a creamy concealer too, just in case I wind up sticking with that?

Ginnie-- I think that it would be fine to use the Lumiere brush with cream concealers as well, however, I really believe that once you find the right color/formulation of mineral concealer you won't want to go back--- my break outs heal soooo much more quickly now that I use MMU concealer instead of that nasty petro-based stuff I used to use.

free skin care · Fri Jul 27, 2007 2:45 pm

Yeah, I've never thought that creamy concealers could possibly be good for acne. It's been years since I had a truly petro-based concealer, but even the natural waxes, butters and oils they use to make those formulations are generally pretty comedogenic IMO. Hoping this helps! I'm DEFINITELY still struggling with the mineral application, but the fact that I'm using a loose-bristled eyeshadow brush (with remnants of my morning deep grey eye shadow on it!) to cover a zit probably doesn't help. I think I'm gonna buy that Lumiere brush now either way.

And curse you for making me go broke! I did, however, just get the job over my lunch break, so that's a good guaranteed salary to subsidize my EDS * spam alert *, haha. Yay!

free skin care · Fri Jul 27, 2007 3:01 pm

ginnielizz wrote:

Yeah, I've never thought that creamy concealers could possibly be good for acne. It's been years since I had a truly petro-based concealer, but even the natural waxes, butters and oils they use to make those formulations are generally pretty comedogenic IMO. Hoping this helps! I'm DEFINITELY still struggling with the mineral application, but the fact that I'm using a loose-bristled eyeshadow brush (with remnants of my morning deep grey eye shadow on it!) to cover a zit probably doesn't help. I think I'm gonna buy that Lumiere brush now either way.

And curse you for making me go broke! I did, however, just get the job over my lunch break, so that's a good guaranteed salary to subsidize my EDS * spam alert *, haha. Yay!

Congrats on getting that job, Ginnie! And yes, the brush does make ALL the difference. I hope you end up liking the Lumiere brush--- it's a heck of a deal, so I plan on getting it too if Alima doesn't get more eyeliner brushes back in before too long. Please keep us updated!

free skin care · Sun Jul 29, 2007 10:04 pm

Hi ginnielizz,

I am also searching for a good concealer. I don't use powdered mineral concealers that much compared to liquid/cream b/c it just doesn't seem to cover some spots as well. For my under eyes, I tend to prefer a liquid/cream for some reason. I need to do some more practicing with the mineral. I have both the sand and beige in the Alima concealer and they both don't seem to be a good match for my skin even though I have very light skin. They tend to brighten my spots such that I look like I have whitish spots on my face. Like I said, I need to do some practicing and maybe I'll get the hang of it.

I thought I might suggest a website for you where you can order samples:www.allnaturalcosmetics.com. I have ordered the Lavera Concealer and Real Purity's Disguise System Concealer. The Lavera is too dark and orangey on me and the jury is still out on the Real Purity, at least for covering blemishes (the light shade is a bit pink). Combining the medium and the light shades actually helps with covering my dark circles. (The medium is sort of peachy).

I have UGG's Concealer and it's good but a hassle. I ordered it before Melissa re-formulated it so mine is so tacky and I have to mix a bit of it with my Zenbiotic Moisture Enrich in the palm of my hand in order to get a workable product. But I only occasionally use it and only use it around my eyes. I don't think it's suitable for blemishes, IMO. Agent-OO-CAT- when did you get yours? I am wondering if you have the newer formula...

Anyway, ginnie, keep us updated on your pursuit to find a good blemish concealer. (And no fair that you don't have to wear a foundation! Razz

Nah, good for you, lucky girl!)

---------

Has anyone heard anything about Lumiere's Healing Concealer? I was just doing a forum search for it and found this thread.

free skin care · Sun Jul 29, 2007 10:07 pm

manslayerliz wrote:

I would advise against using traditional concealer brushes with mineral concealer because they will be too flat, and too hard--- in order to get good coverage and blending you're going to need one rounded, small, and a soft.

Maybe that's my problem! Rolling Eyes

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