I don't quite know if this goes here, but i'm not one to that bothered about my face for college because if people don't like me how I am then with make-up, it's gonna be fake but for Cosplay i like to look nice for photos and cons so newbies will be more inclined to stick with Cosplay but unfortunately my face and skin in general seems to like looking horrible. So any tips on how to get a clean/smooth etc looking face? i've tried foundation but I just ended up looking like an Orange with a mouth so that failed.

I don't want to have to pile make-up on but does anyone have any tips on how to make my skin and face look smoother etc?

*By skin I mean like arms and legs because I have Eczma and having it on my arms and legs puts me off summer clothes and short leg Cosplay. I'll probably try skin colour tights for my legs but for arms i don't know what I can do.

Thanks in advance guys

Well for face I usually for most cosplays *crossplay or not* use a pale foundation face stick from stargazer and a compact powder that usually improves it about 50 - 60 XD im fairly 100 percent sure someone on here can help you more but that for me is a cheap option ^^

L'Oreal Studio Secrets Smoothing Resurface Primer is fantastic for smoothing imperfections such as spots, acne scarring and even wrinkles. You just apply it where you need it and put foundation over. Just don't use mousse foundation with it; as it's a mousse itself, it will just roll right off.

As for foundation, the best thing that you can do is see a beauty consultant, so that they can match your skintone. Boots usually have at least one around the self-selection makeup(the cheaper brands), the fashion brands (Max Factor, L'Oreal, etc.) always have someone around or you can go to a department store and talk to someone on one of the 'designer' makeup counters. To be perfectly honest, I would go for the 'designer' brands. They tend to have more 'natural' shades than the cheaper brands which I find can be quite orange, especially on pale skin. MAC is great, and their Studio Fix foundations photograph fantastically.
Always set with powder too. It reduces shine and helps makeup stay put a little longer.

And arms/rest of the body. Vichy do a product called 'Dermablend', that is designed to cover up more serious skin flaws (like rosacea and scarring) and people use it to cover tattoos so I think it should work well against Eczema. It's specially forumulated for use on sensitive skin too. It's a two-step product so you'll need to buy both parts, but from what I've heard, it's pretty damn good.

Hope this helps

Thanks! Once I get the money I'll see what it's like and let you know the results

I have eczema too so I know what you mean about hiding skin during the summer. I've had a fair few comments in the past about it.

With regards to make-up I bought (on the recommendation of my lovely friend Miiol) MAC stuff. Go in and talk to them. This stuff is wonderful. I put it on and my skin didn't itch or flare up on my face, and it gave it a nice natural smooth look. I can't remember exactly what I got but I can look it up if you'd like. Seriously though go and talk to them. Explain about your eczema. The woman I spoke to knew a bit about it and was able to find me the right stuff

As for arms and the such, I assume you've got the correct creams? If not speak to your GP about getting an appointment with a dermatologist if you haven't already. There are tons of new treatments out there (I've tried most of them unsuccessfully sadly but they might work for you). For reference I use Dermol emollient to wash with and deal with cuts and scabs, and then Dipbrobase for dry skin and keeping moisturised. Get to Boots and buy some small transportable containers and carry them with you at all times! Keep applying moisturisers all day - I find every 20 minutes is a good gap if you have the time... Be careful with steroid creams - use sparingly and infrequently - the damage they can do your skin isn't good!

Sorry if you already know all this - but if you want some more advice/tips PM me! I've got full body eczema and have done since I was 10 so I've tried pretty much everything there is!

i live with my mum who suffers from psoriasis, so i know what works and doesn't and I'm soon to be studying beauty therapy.

There are products that are great and ones that will make the problem worse. As said by perfectly purple, MAC do products.

But first off I recommend you get Doublebase moisturizer before you try any other makeup products. You can get it prescribed by your doctor or from a pharmacy. It contains no chemicals, perfumes that will cause a reaction. this is what it looks like
double base cream

I only wear full on make-up for cosplay photo shots, so here my advice on experience, how to apply. Quinzel Pretty much nailed the products. If you don't want to pay so much for make-up though, go to boots and look at some, use the testers and find out whats right for you and your skin :3

Start by appying moisturiser [which ever you prefer] i have dry skin so i need to use a cream.

To stop yourself from looking like a 'orange' use a colour correction stick. It comes in a stick shape, almost like Lipstick but is green. When you put it on your face it corrects them red [or spots] to a normal neutral colour [and all the same]..

I then use concealer I only put it under my eyes and on any spots.

a pale foundation [a shade lighter than my skin]. Dabbing it around your face then rubbing it in, but only so theres a little to hide your blemishes.

And need be use face powder, but you have to be careful with it as if you get the wrong colour it will make you go orange. So use a pale colour or one simpler to your skin.

As for your legs. Don't put make-up on them, ever. Some make-up can cause your skin to comeout/break out in rashes and spots. So please don't
INSTEAD. Use skin coloured tights. They work wonders.

I hope this helped. Really all it is for photos is to hide your blemishes. We all have them and the camera doesn't lie. So make-up does the lying for you :3

MAC do a great foundation called Total Coverage. I had it recommended by some crossplaying friends, and its great for getting a flawless base on top of all sorts of blemishes (and the traces of facial hair you get even after a close shave)

The downside is that it's only available in their Pro Shops. But the upside is that if you go into any of their concessions in department stores they can do a skin test with you, to find the right tone for your skin (so you don't end up orange or like a ghost).

Actually, quite a lot of makeup places will help you with a skin test. Tell them its for photography or television if you don't want to explain yourself

Oh man, I totally know where you're coming from with Eczema. I’ve got some advice that will hopefully help. C: (I’m sorry this is so long though! I kept remembering more things as I typed.)

I use two creams. First I apply Cetomacrogol Cream BP 1988 Formula A and then Sudocrem. Both can easily be picked up at the chemist without a prescription. (I have had some chemists try to give me E45 instead of Cetamacrogol though; a cream which you should avoid at all costs with Eczema.) Using both stops the Sudocrem from applying so thickly because of the Cetomacrogol base. C:

I would also suggest seeing someone to try getting something specific to your skin type. I would personally suggest a Homeopath rather than a Dermatologist though. Homeopaths aim to treat YOUR skin and ONLY your skin and don’t just throw any old cream at you like Dermatologists. (Seriously, my friend was given a different cream at each of her 15+ Dermatology appointments and none helped.) I would still go and see both, but… from personal experience, only a Homeopath has helped with my own Eczema.



Besides creams though, you should also check your lifestyle and diet. Stress can be a major cause of Eczema (and it often takes a year or so to fade after the initial stress) and also particular foods. The potato family (potatoes, tomatoes, aubergine, peppers) heat the body and can sometimes be a contributing factor, likewise for citrus fruits which tend to dry out skin.

^ Causes are different for everyone though. Above mentioned friend cut bread out of her diet and the majority of her Eczema disappeared within 3 days.

If there are things you eat a lot of, I would suggest trying to cut them out of your diet one at a time for a week or two and see if there’s any change to your skin. (Obviously, like, if there's no change after 2 weeks, you can once again eat what you tried cutting out, haha.)


Hopefully some of this can help, best of luck! x

I have excema too. Sucks, doesn't it?

Not so much on the make-up side, but there's this amazing cream. Its technical name is "Liquid paraffin 50% in white soft paraffin".

You may have to get it on percreption.

Hope this helps! ^_^

How bad are your legs?? If they're really bad then do not put make-up on them.

Trust me.

I have eczema too. It's horrid. My doctor prescribed me a cream called Dermovate, but it is only prescribed when the eczema is really really bad, and cannot be used on your face (mine was actually bleeding if it was touched, it was that bad).

Wear flesh toned tights. Go for the more expensive brands and they look a lot better.

I've even used flesh coloured dance leggings.

Not sure if it's been said already but for applying makeup anywhere, apply a primer. You can get silicon-based and silicon-free ones, they're usually in small clear tubes and have a slight glossy tint. Smashbox do a great one that I swear by called "Photo Finish", but if you're on a budget GOSH do a pretty good dupe of it in Superdrug. There are also ones from Benefit, MAC, Bourjois, etc though - have a browse around and try a few! It evens out your face and fills your pores, meaning makeup goes on smoother. As long as you don't get anything with ingredients that are going to irritate your face, it's worthwhile investing as primers calm your skin and help makeup last, too.

As for actual products/application, I think that's been covered!

For your skin, do NOT apply makeup to your arms/legs unless totally required as it will only make the condition worse; for your legs, look into investing in some dance tights, or high denier tights at least. Dance tights are usually matte, which makes them look more natural, and they're usually thicker too.

Capezio are a great brand with a lot of different colours of opaque tights usually around £10, and they're excellent quality - I have really sensitive, blotchy legs but I've had a pair for about 3 years now and they're great. They're thick, but not uncomfortable, don't ladder badly and show nicely in photographs. The best place to get them cheap is probably Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Capezio-Hold-Stretch-Footed-Tights/dp/B006TX8SC4

Hope that helps!