This summer was pretty special. For one thing, a lot of us spent more time than ever outdoors, meeting up with loved ones in parks and backyards, developing a new appreciation for nature’s wonders (anyone else get into hiking?). It was amazing. But if, like me, you’re someone who’s prone to hyperpigmentation, it could also mean your melasma or dark spots are seriously acting up right now. 

I try not to beat myself up about it. Like dermatologist Dr. Jennifer Salsberg of AvenueMD told me, for people with hyperpigmentation “sunscreen alone is not going to be enough, so they need to really be mindful of protecting themselves with hats and seeking shade from every angle because any little bit of sunlight that gets through will worsen the pigmentation.” I wear an obnoxious hat and reapply SPF 50 every two hours, but I refuse to stay cooped up inside or give up top-down road trips and dips in the lake because that’s just no way to live. Instead, I asked three makeup artist pals for their best tips—and favourite product picks—for covering up my “summer souvenirs.” 

M.A.C CosmeticsM.A.C Cosmetics Studio Finish SPF 35 Concealer, $26, maccosmetics.ca
 

It’s all about texture

For the most part, all three pros I reached out to had a marked preference for pan formulas, which tend to be more pigmented and thus higher coverage than liquids. But because they’re so dense, you have to be mindful of warming them up beforehand to ensure the product melts into your skin. Ronnie Tremblay likes to clutch M.A.C Cosmetics’s Studio Finish SPF 35 Concealer in her palm for a minute or so before applying. “Once that’s done, the buttery texture can cover anything from a dark spot to a tattoo,” she says. 

 

Bobbi Brown/span>Bobbi Brown Corrector, $38, bobbibrowncosmetics.ca
 

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Try colour correcting

“I like to start with colour correcting on moisturized and primed skin to neutralize the hyperpigmentation before perfecting with concealer and foundation,” says Mayillah Ezekiel. She’s been loyal to Bobbi Brown’s correctors for nine years now, using them in every single look she does. “They’re designed to cover even the most stubborn dark spots or discolouration,” she says, recommending a peach shade to accomplish this. 

 

Laura MercierLaura Mercier Secret Camouflage, $46, sephora.ca
 

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You might need more than one colour

Both Tremblay and Ezekiel cited Laura Mercier’s cult-classic Secret Camouflage as a favourite. “It’s a silky, high-coverage product that comes with two colours, which is ideal for pigmentation variations,” says Tremblay. “One shade should match your skin’s depth of colour, while the other should match your skin’s undertone, making it easy to blend your own shade depending on your needs,” explains Ezekiel. “I usually use this to perfect after the foundation is applied because you really need very little product to hide the imperfections.”

 

Cover FXCover FX Total Cover Cream Foundation, $55, coverfx.ca
 

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The right tools are key

This comes down to preference. “I like to use a small detailer brush to push the product directly onto the dark spots, and gently blend the edges without disturbing the spot you just covered,” explains Wendy Rorong, whose must-have concealer isn’t technically a concealer. “Cover FX Total Cover Cream Foundation is a full-coverage foundation that works great as a concealer. A little goes a long way since it’s a highly pigmented cream product.” Tremblay, on the other hand, is team damp sponge. “The trick is to stipple the product multiple times on the area, sometimes dipping into the product more than once,” she explains. “This is what builds up the coverage. Once the coverage is how you want it, sheer the edges with strokes of the sponge, rather than the stipple motion, to blend with the rest of the skin.”

 

Fenty BeautyFenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Concealer, $35, sephora.ca
 

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Make it last

The order goes: foundation (if you choose to wear it), colour corrector (also optional), concealer and, last but certainly not least, powder. “It’s important to set the concealer with some powder to ensure the product doesn’t move,” says Tremblay. This is especially true now that we’re often wearing masks. “I find that with hard-to-cover hyperpigmentation, you will need to do a few necessary steps to make sure it stays on all day and doesn’t move under the mask,” says Rorong, also stressing the need for a layer of translucent powder. Picking a concealer that won’t budge can also help, says Ezekiel, who’s a fan of Fenty Beauty’s Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Concealer. “It’s long-wear, sweat-resistant and crease-proof,” she explains. “Definitely a makeup kit must-have.”

 

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