A makeup artist has shared a simple and effective hack for ‘perfectly’ covering up acne – revealing why making your skin as ‘sticky’ as possible is the key to concealing blemishes.
Mikayla Nogueira, 24, from Massachusetts, is a renowned makeup artist, who has earned viral fame – and 13.4 million followers – on TikTok by sharing top beauty tips and product recommendations.
In one of her latest videos, the beauty pro laid bare what she calls the ‘sticky method’ – a process through which she completely conceals her acne.
‘Here’s how to perfectly cover acne using the sticky method,’ she says at the start of her video. ‘We’re going to make these [blemishes] look like they don’t even exist on the face.
‘It’s called the sticky method because our face is about to get really sticky.’
A makeup artist has revealed a genius hack for concealing acne, which she has named the ‘sticky method’ because it involves making your skin as ‘tacky’ as possible
Mikayla Nogueira, 24, from Massachusetts, shared the hack in a video posted to TikTok, where it earned more than 3.1 million views
STEP ONE: PREP YOUR FACE WITH A ‘STICKY’ SERUM
The method begins by prepping the skin with a hydrating serum, with Mikayla revealing that she favors the $44 Glow Recipe Plum Plump Hyaluronic Acid Serum
According to Mikayla, whose video about the so-called sticky method racked up more than 3.1 million views in just 21 hours, the process begins with a hydrating serum that will leave a slightly ‘tacky’ layer on your skin.
While the influencer opted to use the $44 Glow Recipe Plum Plump Hyaluronic Acid Serum, she notes that ‘any serum that leaves the face feeling a little bit tacky after it’s applied is going to work out… any serum that gives a tacky, sticky finish’.
After applying the product all over her clean face, she bounces her finger on her skin, revealing the slightly sticky finish.
‘Let that dry. See there’s a little bit of tackiness when I touch my skin?’ she says while tapping her finger on her cheek.
She notes that your skin should feel ‘tacky’ after you have applied the serum to your face
STEP TWO: LAYER ON A ‘GRIPPING’ PRIMER
Next up, she layers on a ‘gripping primer’. Mikayla suggests the budget-friendly $10 E.l.f. Power Grip Primer
The next step in the process is applying a ‘gripping’ primer – essentially any product that is meant to prime the skin while also helping to adhere any makeup to your face.
‘I’m going to go in with the E.l.f. Power Grip Primer. This is a very sticky, gripping primer that grips makeup to the skin,’ Mikayla explains, noting that there are ‘tons and tons of gripping primers out there’, she favors the $10 E.l.f. option because it is ‘affordable and one of the best’.
‘After we’ve done this, our face is going to be very, very tacky and that is what we need, because that is going to adhere our matte concealer like glue,’ the beauty pro goes on, once again touching her fingers to the surface of her skin to reveal the sticky finish.
‘After we’ve done this, our face is going to be very, very tacky and that is what we need, because that is going to adhere our matte concealer like glue,’ the beauty pro goes on
STEP THREE: APPLY A MATTE CONCEALER WITH A BRUSH
Step three is applying a matte concealer with a brush; the beauty pro opted for the $30 NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer, but notes that any matte option will work
After the complexion has been given a tacky layer of product, it’s time to apply the concealer, with Mikayla noting that a matte option is the best kind of product for the sticky method – in her case, the $30 NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer.
‘We are going to take care of every single one of these blemishes,’ she says, while dotting the concealer on with a brush and letting it sit on top of each of her pimples.
‘I highly recommend using a concealer brush,’ she advises. ‘Take a decent amount of concealer on your brush and you’re going to put it right on top of the blemish. We’re going to do this for the entire face wherever it’s needed.’
The key aspects of this step are making sure that all of your blemishes have been given a good dose of the concealer – with Mikayla noting that you do not need to blend the product in
STEP FOUR: LET THE CONCEALER DRY
One of the most important steps in the sticky method, Mikayla then notes, is to allow your concealer to dry down for at least two minutes.
‘You need to let this concealer dry,’ she warns. ‘That’s why a matte concealer is going to be the best option because it’s going to have a higher chance of drying down.
‘Give it two to five minutes to dry completely. That dry down time is super important with the sticky method. I even recommend using a fan if you have one.’
She adds: ‘At no point in the process do we blend the concealer.’
Another key step is allowing your concealer to dry for at least two minutes. The influencer admitted that she even used a fan to ensure that hers was completely dry
STEP FIVE: APPLY A MEDIUM- TO FULL-COVERAGE FOUNDATION WITH A SPONGE
Once your concealer has been allowed to dry for several minutes, you then go in and add your foundation on top of it.
‘I highly recommend using a sponge for application, that is going to make sure it doesn’t interrupt the dried down concealer underneath,’ Mikayla suggests.
‘Apply your foundation as usual; a medium to full coverage [product] is probably best with this method.
‘You can already see how beautiful the skin is going to look with this method.’
Mikayla suggests using a medium- to full-coverage foundation, which should be applied with a sponge so as not to ‘interrupt’ the dried down concealer
STEP SIX: CONTINUE THE REST OF YORU MAKEUP ROUTINE AS NORMAL
The beauty pro then explains that you can go ahead and apply the rest of your makeup as you would normally, before cutting to a clip of herself sporting a full face of glamour, without a single blemish in sight.
‘Don’t let acne dull your shine,’ she tells her viewers. ‘The amount of people that didn’t even realize I had acne because of this method…!’
Within seconds of posting the beauty hack, Mikayla’s comments section had been flooded with praise from delighted viewers, with one writing: ‘Okay but this is one of the best methods I’ve witnessed.’
Another chimed in: ‘I do this all the time it really does work. is great for texture and not letting makeup separate.’
Many others piped up to say that they ‘can’t wait to try this’, while others thanked the beauty influencer for being so candid and open about her own acne struggles.
After you have applied your foundation, you can continue with the rest of your makeup routine as normal – with Mikayla revealing flawless results after applying her own cosmetics