Makeup Recommendation: Almay Blemish Reducer

In cosplay, a lot of people look at you and take your picture. So while you may not even care about how your face looks in everyday life, you may care while you're in costume. (Or you may not care what anyone thinks at all, kudos to you!) So every now and again, I might post some makeup info, but I may start a blog specifically for makeup tips and recommendations, in which case any makeup posts from here will be copied to the other blog (and deleted from here).

Unfortunately, I couldn't find a site, or even part of a site, specifically for the product I'm recommending, so here's the Official Almay Site.

I honestly didn't think this stuff would work at all. It's a compact powder that doubles as a cover-up and an acne / blemish reducer (it of course comes in a wide variety of skin tones). Liquid acne reducers (such as benzoyl peroxide) actually don't do much for me. Things like Clean & Clear work, but they usually stop working after a while as though I build up an immunity. I don't know if that's even possible. Also, Clean & Clear and other benzoyl peroxide-besed products dry out my skin like you wouldn't believe.

I actually didn't even notice much of a change when I first started using Almay
s Blemish Reducer either. I actually broke out a little more than usual first, but that happens sometimes. (For those that don't know, acne cleansers will usually bring out acne hiding beneath the surface of the skin before getting rid of it.)

After maybe a week or so, I noticed a significant reduction in not only acne, but also redness, blackheads, and enlarged pores. I've been having issues with my Godzilla-sized pores for a while now, so I was extremely happy to see those reduced.

I apply the makeup / blemish reducer two to three times a day. Once before putting on my makeup in the morning, I then put my regular makeup over it, but that's optional as it is also a cover-up; I do touch-ups during the day if I see a lot has come off; and then once after washing my face before I go to bed. Yes, you can leave this product on overnight, and it does say to use two to three times a day.

I'm not impressed with it's application method though, a cheap, fabric-y / sponge-y... Thing. I don't even know what it's called. You can apply it with a brush, but you'll need a rather high-quality brush, as anything low-quality will just cut through the compact powder and fling it into the air. Using a brush also doesn't cover the redness as well and the sponge-wannabe that comes with it.

The compact case that it comes in is rather convenient, as it has a mirror in it and is nicely sized, but it doesn't really have anywhere to keep the sponge-wannabe. (I just end up putting it on top of the makeup and closing the case, but it's not like there's a lot of extra room in there for it.) The case isn't small enough to fit in a pocket (it's about 2 X 2 X 0.5), but it would probably fit nicely in a purse or backpack and wouldn't get damaged or accidentally opened up other stuff.

On a side-note, I also use Almay eyeliner and mascara (too lazy to check what types right now), and normally I'm not one too be picky about makeup other than concealer, but Almay has yet to fail me. Their twist-up eyeliner is the only black eyeliner I'll ever use.

I definitely recommend Almay Blemish Reducer or Clear Complexion (yeah, there's two, might be wrong on the exact names though). It's convenient, useful, and actually works.

Special thanks to my cousin Katie (aka MoE) for recommending it to me. ♥