November 2011 -

You’ll find no shortage of tips that tell you to leave your pimples alone during heavy breakouts. Experts will warn you against the dangers of popping pimples or squeezing out blackheads. Busting open those zits will only spread bacteria on your face and increase the likelihood of further breakouts. Unfortunately, there aren’t many products that will speed up the process to get overnight results. Sometimes you just have to suffer through the embarrassment of acne while having red inflamed pimples on your face. The good news is there are products out there that can help to conceal your acne and make it far less noticeable. In some cases, you might be able to hide it so well that not even your best friend can tell what’s going on underneath.

You might be tempted to use foundation to cover up your acne, but that might complicate matters for the worse. While a thick layer of foundation will certainly cover up blemishes, it can also potentially clog pores and lead to more pimples. It’s far better to find a light concealer that matches your skin tone while refining the look with a powder or tinted moisturizer. You can also apply foundation on top of your concealer, just make sure that you don’t put it on first. In cases of less severe acne, a good concealer is all you need especially if it happens to match your skin tone perfectly.

Applying the concealer properly requires care and a certain degree of restraint. You never want to go overboard with the concealer or rub it into your skin. You can either use a brush to gently cover the affected area, or dab a small amount on your fingers and gently pat it dry. Remember, there’s not much point in over doing it if your concealer is noticeable. People might not be able to see your acne, but that discolored spot on your face will be just as obvious.

It’s important to think about general lighting when you’re applying the concealer as well. Sometimes people think they are covered only to have everything revealed in a different type of lighting such as direct sunlight. Think about what type of lighting you’ll be dealing with when you reach your destination and try to match that as best as possible. Also remember to look at your face from different angles to make sure that your concealer blends properly from the side as well.

You can also find medicated concealers on the market that contain components that help to fight acne while covering up your pimples. Unfortunately, while they are able to do two jobs at once – they are never as effective as something that serves a specific purpose. In other words, a separate acne cream and a straightforward concealer will always be more effective than a product that tries to combine both. But for less severe cases of acne, you can get effective results from a medicated concealer, and some of them don’t cost much at all.

At the end of the day, it’s important to wash your face carefully and make sure you get rid of any excess makeup on your face. And remember, concealing your acne is only a temporary solution for the problem. You should still be on the lookout for effective acne treatment systems that work well with your skin type. Concealers might be able to hide the problem, but to deal with it in a long-term and healthy way you need to find preventative measures. If you find the situation is getting out of control, make sure to visit a dermatologist because you might have a type of acne needs prescribed treatment.

These tips on using acne concealers comes to us from our friends at howtogetridofacnehelp.com, a site dedicated to answering your questions about how to get rid of blackheads and acne.

Disclosures: Beauty and Fashion Tech at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page

About the Author: Carleen Pruess Coulter

Diamonds are timeless, quite literally. They have actually been around since the age of the dinosaurs – most diamonds that are dug from the ground today are hundreds of millions of years old.

But the allure of diamonds is not their age. The allure of diamonds is all about their timeless beauty – the sparkle, the scintillation, the fire.

So how do you go about shopping for diamonds, and making sure that you are getting a fair deal? Here are some tips that will help ensure your next diamond – be it a ring, a pendant, or if you are very lucky, a bracelet – is not only a great stone, but also a good deal.

How To Shop for Diamond Jewelry

The magic of a diamond is a combination of brilliance and fire. Brilliance is the white light that is reflected off the diamond, fire is the flash of colors that is emanating from within the diamond. The best combination of the two is a balance, and it is achieved by careful cutting of the stone. If you are looking at a ring, ask to see a “brilliant” cut, which will give you the best combination of brilliance and fire.
Don’t get too hung up on the clarity grade. Again, this is mostly about diamond rings (or else a gorgeous pendant or earrings). VS1 or VS2 is fine (meaning “very slightly included”). You don’t need a diamond that is internally flawless, or even near flawless. You would pay a huge premium, and most people could never see the difference, even with a jeweler’s loupe.
For color, the J – M range should give you a bright, white diamond that will look fabulous in most lighting situations. The most widely accepted color range is the Gemological Institute of America’s grading system, which runs from D – Z. The top end of the range, D – J, is colorless and near-colorless, which gets really pricey. The K – M range will be so slightly “colored” you probably won’t notice any yellowish color unless you’re a gemologist.
How many carats do you want? Here’s a little secret – the jewelry industry has certain carat weights that they call “magic” weights. They call them magic because the customers’ demand for those weights is so high, the industry can actually increase the price-per-carat at those points. The most common “magic” weight for most of us is the 1 carat mark. A diamond that weighs 0.98 carats may cost $3500 per carat. A diamond that weighs 1.01 carat might cost $4500 per carat. That’s because you’ve crossed the “magic” 1 carat threshold, and the price goes up exponentially. If you can live without the bragging rights of “my diamond is over a carat,” then look for a ring just under the carat, and put the rest of the money to your honeymoon.
For rings and other pieces, consider platinum or white gold settings, rather than yellow gold. The white setting will make the stone look even more brilliant.
Shop from a reputable source. There are many well-known jewelry stores out there. For most of us, they are the best place to go. Department stores are not in the business full time, and you will not get as good a deal as you will from a reputable jeweler. Be really, really wary about buying over the internet.
Tell the jeweler that you want “conflict-free” diamonds only. This means that the stone you purchase is certified as not coming from a region where diamond profits have been used to conduct wars. Not only is this good citizenship, it will help filter the good jewelers from the shady ones. Any jeweler who cannot supply “conflict-free” certification is not someone you want to buy from anyway.
Finally, after you choose your diamond jewelry, make sure to get adequate paperwork before you leave with it. At a minimum, your paperwork should include an accurate description of your jewelry, including its clarity and color grade, along with a full warranty. Better jewelry stores will also provide full return privileges for a period following your purchase.

The best advice of all? Once you have followed these steps, and made sure you are getting a good deal, ask yourself one final question. Do I love this piece of diamond jewelry? If you can instantly say “yes,” then it’s a match made in heaven.

Jennifer Wenger is a freelance writer who writes about fashion, travel, and design. Her most recent article focused on how to make a fashion statement with your umbrella.