# zits vs. gothica



## iusedtoberuby (Oct 1, 2006)

My whole life I have been really interested in gothic makeup, and about 2 years ago when I was 12 I decided that I wanted to start using gothic makeup. Of coarse, there was a problem, I knew that if you have lots of zits, the gothic look can look painfully stupid, so I thought that if I just took really good care of my skin, than before too long I would be wearing gothic makeup. Now here I am, 2 years later. I have been washing my face 3 times a day with oil free soap, using masks used to soak up extra oil every day and still, nothing. Concealer and foundation never fully covers up zits for me, it just makes them look a little les red than they already are. Does anybody have any tips about being able to wear gothic makeup and have zits at the same time, with out having to spend a fortion on cover up makeup? If you do, I would appreciate you to let me know...
zoe


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## Simply Elegant (Oct 2, 2006)

Maybe you should see your dermatologist if nothing over the counter is working for you. Even cleansers have ingredients that irritate and will cause acne. Or maybe you're allergic to your makeup and have cosmetic acne. Anyway I suggest focusing on your skin rather than having a good coverup, because that's all that it'll be, just like a coverup for the day. If you have insurance it won't be expensive and it'll be less in the long term rather than trying all all sorts of different makeup.

I've tried Differin and it works very well and now my skin is pretty clear all the time. Also, for makeup, I find that Make Up Forever's lift concealer and Physician's Formula's liquid mineral makeup is good too. Neither of them irritated my skin and both cover well.


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## Selene (Oct 2, 2006)

I don't have any tips about gothic makeup, but I do have some tips about getting rid of zits.  I have had much better results for acne treatments with dermatologist prescribed stuff than over the counter stuff, so I would recommend that you see a dermatologist about this, if you haven't already. 

I use clyndamycin pledgets, azelaic acid cream, and retin-a cream, which all work well for me.  I also use the Zeno acne clearing device, in the rare event that a zit does pop up.  It doesn't make zits go away instantly, but it helps get rid of them faster.  I have heard good things about Clean & Clear's Invisible Acne Treatment Patch, although I haven't tried it yet.   

I hope this helps, and good luck.


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## MarniMac (Oct 4, 2006)

IMHO, the best way to get rid of zits is to let your skin breath...so remove all makeup before you go to bed and try to have one day a week where you don't wear any makeup at all. Don't forget to drink tons of water...working out and eating healthy will give you gorgeous skin and hair also. And make sure that your pillowcases are washed frequently...same goes for your hair and makeup brushes...basically anything that comes into frequent contact with your face. I do like Clinique skincare and foundations...they seem to work better for keeping zits at bay, for me. Good luck!


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## lara (Oct 4, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *iusedtoberuby* 

 
_I have been washing my face 3 times a day with oil free soap, using masks used to soak up extra oil every day and still, nothing._

 
You are majorly, _majorly _over-washing your skin. Twice a day with a mild cleanser is more than sufficient, and masks should only be used once a week. It may be beneficial to look into a gentle oil-based face cleanser as well, as nothing removes oil better than oil.

As for gothic make-up, look more at sheer to medium coverage foundations in natrual tones rather than whiteface. I work a lot of Suicidegirls and general alternative softcore girly shoots, and the current trend for goth is sheer foundation, contoured plummy blush, really sexy smudgy eyes (think Captain Jack from POTC) and kissed-off deep wine or berry lipstick. The whole Brandon Lee/'The Crow' thing is really not a good look, and it's generally advised that you _don't_ go and draw all over your face with eyeliner.


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## kimmy (Oct 5, 2006)

have you been exfoliating? alot of times, overwashing and overmedicating the facial area (like with numerous products) without exfoliating will cause the excess product to build up on your skin and that itself can cause acne 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





i suggest St. Ive's Apricot Scrub, ever since i've been using it i've generally had baby smooth skin (except for periods of EXTREME stress or forgetting to exfoliate once or twice, those are the only times i've ever had an acne problem since using this) try exfoliating with that 3-4 times a week and see how that works for you.

you might also want to pick up some toner


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## angeldust (Oct 13, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *THE ANTHEM* 

 
_i suggest St. Ive's Apricot Scrub, ever since i've been using it i've generally had baby smooth skin (except for periods of EXTREME stress or forgetting to exfoliate once or twice, those are the only times i've ever had an acne problem since using this) try exfoliating with that 3-4 times a week and see how that works for you._

 
be careful with st. ive's please !! i would probably only exfoliate once or twice a week (twice at the VERY most). its really coarse and can tear your skin up. when doing facials, i can always tell who uses st. ives and who doesn't. :C


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## fairytale22 (Oct 14, 2006)

A regimen that cleared up my skin super well was Paula's Choice 2% BHA Liquid and Avene Diacneal, the former used twice a day and the latter used every night. Make sure you moisturize and use sunscreen to  protect your skin.


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## Kim. (Oct 17, 2006)

Isn't this on the wrong board, I thought this one was just for skincare *reviews*


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## ElectroCute (Jan 3, 2007)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *angeldust* 

 
_be careful with st. ive's please !! i would probably only exfoliate once or twice a week (twice at the VERY most). its really coarse and can tear your skin up. when doing facials, i can always tell who uses st. ives and who doesn't. :C_

 
Apparently this is because it is made of crushed apricot seeds/kernels (?) which are rough and irritate the face. A scrub with small round beads is supposed to be better. (On this note, I have been using the St Ives blemish control scrub and my face is always rough and flaky afterwards so I've stopped using it.)


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## m4dswine (Jan 3, 2007)

You need to sloooow down with the cleansing. Over washing will cause overproduction of sebum and therefore cause more spots. 

Am I right in thinking you're 14? There is more than likely a hormonal element to your acne, but the overwashing won't help. 

The best thing I have found to help my adult acne is Neals Yard Remedies, gentle, effective cleansing, and a kick ass antiseptic cream to kill spots on the rise. Also Lush's Ultrabland is my saviour, along with tea tree oil. But be cautious with the tea tree oil. 

Ultrabland is an oil based gentle cleanser that will really help shift acne. 

As for the gothic makeup.. if you mean dark eyes dark lips, I don't find that spots hold me back on that one. Drawing more attention to your eyes and mouth means less focus on the rest of your face and everything else fades into the background. 

Lara's right... the Brandon Lee look is so over!


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## jessiekins1 (Jan 7, 2007)

gothic chick here, as well as an esthetician. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




here's a few tips:

 lay off the oil-based pancake make-up. you don't need a white face to wear gothic make-up. wear an oil-free foundation in your normal skin color and just do up your eyes and lips dark. that's enough contrast for anyone and using blush is nice too. 

also, only cleanse, tone and moisturize twice a day. use a moisturizer that is suitable for oily skin.

use make-up remover to remove eye make-up. and remove your make-up every night before bed. don't sleep in your make-up for the love of all that is undead! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




exfoliate once or twice a week to freshen your face and get rid of built up dead cells. 

use a clay-based mask once a week to help control excess oil.

hth


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## lipshock (Jan 8, 2007)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *Kim.* 

 
_Isn't this on the wrong board, I thought this one was just for skincare *reviews*_

 

At the very top of the topic forum it reads: "_Join us in discussion ranging from bath products to clearing your skin._"  I do not think that limits discussions solely pertaining to reviews on skincare products.


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## aeni (Jan 8, 2007)

I got into makeup when I was your age and can relate.  I got started on creme/oil products first with Mehron and Ben Nye.

There's no way to prevent breakouts with cremes/oils when you already have oily skin.  I'd recommend water based formulas or cake makeup if you're looking for heavy pigmentation.

After awhile I simply gave up and waited out the teenage acne years w/o makeup until I got to college.  I don't know if that's an option for you really but the one thing that I admired from all the goth girls at my old HS was the fact that they didn't really give a flying f*ck about how they looked to others and had the personality for it.

Here's another idea if you're trying to get paler: bleaching cream.  The cons to it is that it is oily, takes awhile to do, and you'll have to be a sunblock fan.  It's not the best idea and probably many will bash me for mentioning it, but I'm throwing it out there.


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## jessiekins1 (Jan 8, 2007)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *aeni* 

 
_Here's another idea if you're trying to get paler: bleaching cream.  The cons to it is that it is oily, takes awhile to do, and you'll have to be a sunblock fan.  It's not the best idea and probably many will bash me for mentioning it, but I'm throwing it out there._

 


well, that's also extremely permanent and irreversable. once that pigment is gone, it's gone forever. it's not exactly something a 14 year old should consider doing. *skin bleaching is not reccomended.*


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## little teaser (Jan 8, 2007)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *jessiekins1* 

 
_well, that's also extremely permanent and irreversable. once that pigment is gone, it's gone forever. it's not exactly something a 14 year old should consider doing. *skin bleaching is not reccomended.*_

 
agree with this^^^ please dont bleach your skin


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## m4dswine (Jan 9, 2007)

Do not bleach your skin!! 

Be happy with the skin you were born with, whatever colour that may be. You don't have to be ghostly pale to be gothy!!


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## Painkiller (Jan 9, 2007)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *lara* 

 
_You are majorly, majorly over-washing your skin. Twice a day with a mild cleanser is more than sufficient, and masks should only be used once a week. It may be beneficial to look into a gentle oil-based face cleanser as well, as nothing removes oil better than oil._

 
I could not agree more. Fellow oily, acne-prone speaking; I follow this exact routine, and it's really, really made a difference. 

Also, if you really want to do the whole goth/whiteface thing, I'd suggest Manic Panic products. I do "alternative" makeup pretty frequently, and their stuff seems to work well for nearly every skin type. I'd try the white Dreamtone foundation, or the Goth White foundation if you want to go the corpsepaint route.


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## Showgirl (Jan 10, 2007)

Some quick points here:- 

_"I knew that if you have lots of zits, the gothic look can look painfully stupid"_

- only if you mean heavy-handed lumpy foundation over a less-than-flawless skin. This not only LOOKS bad, but can make your skin even WORSE if you're using certain cheap "gothic brand" white foundations, as they're mainly not great quality, and oil-based.

Foundation wise, look for something that's oil-free and non-comogenic (non pore-clogging). And consider the advice that others have already given: heavy white white white foundations are kinda out in the goth scene ANYWAY at the moment, and really aren't flattering - if you want a ghostly pallor, try white powder on top of more "normal" foundation.

Another tip I'd give for doing the goth look if you have pimples, is to avoid wearing red-toned makeup (lipstick or eyemakeup) near any "problem" area as it will bring attention to the redness of the pimples: I think blood reds are great on lips for a gothic look, but try wearing something else, like a darkened plum or a metallic shade, if you 've zits near the mouth area. 

And once more as other folk have said, another great tip is to use dramatic gothic makeup to draw attention AWAY from the worst bits of your face: if your chin is spottiest, wear REALLY dark eyemakeup and lots of smudgy liner... if you've blemishes on your forehead that you want to hide, but your chin and cheeks are clear, try a really dramatic gothic lip instead.

Good luck, and my sympathies with your skin troubles. I'm in my thirties and still suffer from oily skin, but remember well the skin of my teens and it was HELLISH, so I know where you're coming from babe! Just persevere with decent skincare (though AGAIN as others have said, be gentler on your face! Don't wash too much!!!) and remember to try drinking as much water as you can: it's a great way to balance out an oily skin, and is the cheapest skincare tip around!

Finally: remember that an oily skin now = FAR less wrinkles and much glowier, younger looking skin when you get a bit older, you will age better than other girls your age! I know that doesn't help much right now, but you'll get to be beautifully smug later on I promise!!!!


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## m4dswine (Jan 12, 2007)

Oh and eat as much fruit and veg as you can. The skin on your face often is the first place to show any changes to the health of your body, so if your diet and exercise regimes are poor, you skin will be too. 

My NY's resolution was to get at least my 5 a day fruit and veg, and I have been making myself smoothies to manage this easily (you can easily get 5 fruits in a big glass of smoothie) and my skin is soooo much better. You can see the improvement. 

With oily, spot prone skin, you also need to be extra careful about keeping your tools clean. Wash your brushes regularly (i do mine about once a month, doing my foundation and concealer brushes more often - basically anything that you use with cream or liquid products should be washed often) with a gentle antibac shampoo, something natural like Faith in Nature Tea Tree shampoo is ideal. 

I find having a towel specifically for drying my face helps, I keep a hand towel seperately and change it every couple of days. Make sure you change your bedclothes regularly, you sleep on your pillow for on average 7-8 hours a night... yeuch!

All this, with gentle cleansing of your face should really help things.


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