10 YouTube Tutorials That Will School You on Covering Acne

Few things can destroy a person’s confidence like acne. Painful red bumps and scabby spots are a struggle to treat, let alone deal with on a daily basis. Beauty-lovers have the upper hand when it comes to a bad breakout — not only do they know that their addiction to makeup isn’t to blame for their skin struggles, but they have the skills to hide them. That said, there’s always something new to learn! We combed through YouTube and found the top 10 tutorials on how to conceal acne, so even when your complexion isn’t looking its best, only you have to know.

We were instantly struck by how dewy this vlogger’s skin looked after applying her products. Her trick to a long-wearing look? Apply a setting spray after primer, but before foundation to lock it all down.

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If you’re not already watching Ingrid’s videos, you’re missing out. Her foundation application technique (lightly brushing it into the skin using her fingertips) is perfect for those who are wary of germy brushes.

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MyPaleSkin’s Acne Date-Night Makeup Tutorial

Does this vlogger’s face look familiar? It should — Em shut down her hateful commenters with You Look Disgusting, a viral video about her acne. After completely erasing any sign of blemishes from her complexion, the fair-skinned beauty demonstrates how to add in dimension . . . using eye shadow!

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Stephanie recommends her viewers use a makeup sponge to pat foundation onto acne-prone skin. “You’ll smooth down all those flakes,” she explained, “and if you do have any scabs on your acne — which sounds awful, but I know, I’ve been there — it’s going to smooth those down as well.”

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The stunning BeautyByJJ had some pretty tricks to share! Thanks to her tutorial, we know to use milk of magnesia on our skin for a big night out — it’ll act as a primer and keep oil slicks at bay.

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HeyThereImShannon’s Acne Coverage Pharmacy Foundation Routine

You read it correctly — Shannon uses pharmacy products to make her skin look this flawless! The YouTuber admits to frequently shaving her face, saying it prevents foundation from getting caught in peach fuzz, which can cause makeup to look cakey.

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iheartmakeup92’s Acne Coverage Foundation Routine

Liz swears by Mac Cosmetics Pro Longwear Concealer ($32) and actually uses it as foundation in her video. Just two pumps buffed into her skin hid all of her blemishes!

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ElaineMokk’s Acne Coverage Foundation Routine

Elaine suffered from severe cystic acne as she went through a course of Accutane. While her skin has healed significantly since she made this video, her tips are still excellent for anyone hoping to hide breakouts. Thanks to her, we’ll never dust powder on again — we’ll be patting it on to avoid shifting the foundation beneath.

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Cassandra Bankson’s Acne Foundation Routine

You might remember Cassandra from her viral Dermablend video. In this tutorial, she shows how she applies her foundation in with her fingers for an airbrushed finish, then sets the formulas using two different-toned powders. One product lightly highlights her complexion, while the other locks everything in place.

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The gorgeous Irish YouTuber used to struggle with cystic acne, but now just suffers with occasional blemishes and hyperpigmentation. “I used to be so ashamed of my skin,” she admitted. “I used to straighten my hair and have it hang like two black curtains in front of my face.” In this video, Melanie uses an eye shadow accent brush from the Real Techniques Starter Kit ($45) to precisely apply concealer to her spots.

Watch more of her videos here!