Breakouts are unavoidable. Everyone has had at least one in their lives. (Some more than others, unfortunately.) But I have a secret for you that I wish I knew during my particularly pimpley years. You can hide annoying breakouts in plain sight!

There are 3 basic rules to follow that will help hide acne. This easy trick is for those days when you wake up a little volcano on your face, and you don’t want the world staring at it.

I’ll be honest, our minds don’t pick up on blemishes as much as we think they do. When you look in the mirror, that’s all you see. When people look at us, it’s usually not the first thing they see. I know, that probably doesn’t make you feel any better, because it stands out to you. That’s what these next tips are for!

Rule #1 – Speed Up The Healing

The first thought everyone has is Eek! I must cover it up! and yes, we’re going to do that. But its important not to cake makeup onto those blemishes. This will only make them stick around longer – and we definitely don’t want that! Pressing layers of foundation and concealer into your breakout is continually clogging a pore (and often an open wound if you picked it like I always do…)

That pimple was caused by a clogged pore in the first place. Your best strategy is to clean your face well, add some good-for-your-skin products to your face, and let it breathe. These skincare products have cleared up my face like no other!

Another personal favorite is this pimple treatment. It’s more of a nighttime treatment – it has calamine lotion in it, so you look a tad diseased with pink spots all over your face! Not cute, but it works.

Rule #2 – Less is More

Apply your foundation everywhere else like you normally would, but go easy on the blemish. Our eyes are drawn to anomalies. This includes heavily caked up foundation in one particular spot on the face, as well as that red inflamed pimple. The task at hand is to create an illusion.

Same with concealer. I find that using a sponge (I’m currently loving this one) helps diffuse the product and give the maximum airbrushed finish. Sponges are great for avoiding cake-face because they absorb the excess product. Be sure to blend out the circle around the breakout. An unusual light cast in random places of your face is sure to draw the eye.

Rule #3 – Trick the Eye

For some reason, our brains don’t pick up on beauty marks or freckles as much as they do blemishes. Maybe it’s because of the color. Either way, we’re going to use this to our advantage and hide breakouts like a pro.

Once you’ve created a nice light base, (and before you apply powder,) you’re going to give yourself a subtle beauty mark! The best way to do this is with an eyebrow pencil or some brown eyeshadow. Place a small dot in the center of your pimple. Now the eye looks at this as a small mole or something more cohesive with the rest of the face. This even works with raised blemishes.

Next, take that beauty sponge or brush and lightly pounce over the mark to blend into the makeup. All you have to do is lightly dust with powder and you’re good to go! It might look a little weird to you at first because that’s definitely a foreign spot on your face.

Disclaimer – I want to emphasize that this trick only works for an occasional pimple. If you suffer from constant acne, adding beauty marks all over will make matters worse. They would constantly move around your face and people would notice!

This second trick is great for if your skin is acting up or you regularly deal with texture, add freckles. Freckles are “trending” this spring and summer, so if you’ve got them, flaunt them! If you don’t freckle, don’t freak. You can quickly fake them. All you need is a brown eyeshadow (that you don’t mind getting a little messy) and a wet toothbrush.

Take your wet toothbrush and swirl it in the brown eyeshadow. Now take yourself back to kindergarten and splatter paint your face! Focus on your nose and cheek area, and please don’t overdo it! It’s really that simple. Be sure you’re not wearing a shirt during this process, just in case you get a little overspray. Follow up with your sponge and powder just like you did with the previous trick.

This look is particularly great for days when you’re wearing a no-makeup makeup look or a BB cream. Anything lightweight that shows a little of your skin peeking through is ideal for achieving the most natural effect.

If you need a little more explanation (or just a little more visual) – this video from Desi Perkins demonstrates exactly what you need to do. Plus you can see for yourself how flawless your skin will look!

Comment below if you try this out, and let me know how it worked for you, or if you have other tips to hide breakouts!