What is the #stickymethod?
The viral makeup method for concealing acne explained
Acne and pimples are something that affects all of us at some point in our lives.
Some of us get the occasional outbreak of hormonal pimples on our chin before that time of the month, while some of us have dealt with severe acne since our teens.
Having an arsenal of serums for acne and pimples at the ready is a no-brainer, and a few pimple patches won’t hurt either, but knowing how to conceal them is a handy trick to know too.
That’s why TikToker Mikayla Nogueira developed something called the #stickymethod.
The viral makeup application technique helps to conceal blemishes and dark spots so well that most people who’ve met Nogueira don’t actually know she has acne. Colour us impressed.
Lucky for us, she shared the technique with her followers and we’ve broken it down below.
How to cover acne using the sticky method
1/
Start with a sticky serum
“It’s called the sticky method because our face is about to get really sticky,” joked the makeup artist. “We’re going to start with a sticky serum.”
“Any serum that leaves the face feeling a little bit tacky after you apply is going to work out,” she explained. “I’m going to use the Glow Recipe Hyaluronic Plum Plump Serum ($66 at MECCA).”
Once you’ve applied your sticky serum you need to let it dry and become tacky to the touch. “You see there’s a little bit of tackiness when I touch my skin,” said Nogueira as she lightly tapped her finger onto her face.
2/
Get a grippin’ primer
“Now, I’m going to go in with the e.l.f Cosmetics Power Grip Primer ($24 at e.l.f Cosmetics),” said the makeup artist.
“This is a very sticky, grippin’ primer that grips makeup to the skin,” she continued. “There are tons and tons of grippin’ primers out there, but the e.l.f one is affordable and one of the best.” “Once we’ve done this our face is going to be very, very tacky, and that is what we need,” Nogueira explained. “That’s going to adhere to our matte concealer like glue.”
3/
Apply a matte concealer
In order to cover her blemishes, Nogueira opts for a matte concealer. Why? “A matte concealer is the best option because it’s going to have a higher chance of drying down,” she explained. “I’m going to use the NARS Soft Matte [Complete] Concealer ($45 at MECCA).”
Nogueira highly recommends using a concealer brush; “take a decent amount of concealer on your brush and you’re going to apply right on top of the blemish. We’re going to do this for the entire face, where it’s needed,” she instructed as she dabbed the concealer onto her blemishes.
“It’s important with this step that you let the concealer dry,” she advised. “Give it two to five minutes to dry completely.”
“That dry down time is super important with the sticky method, and I would even recommend using a fan if you have one,” she continued.
“At no point in the process do we blend the concealer,” she warned.
4/
Layer with a medium coverage foundation
“Now it’s time to apply foundation, and I highly recommend using a sponge for application,” said Nogueira.
According to the makeup artist a sponge is less likely to “interrupt the dried down concealer underneath.”
She also recommends using a medium to full coverage foundation for best results and beautiful skin.
Once you’ve applied foundation, go ahead and finish up the rest of your makeup as per usual.
Watch the full tutorial below:
Acne is the great equaliser; even celebrities aren’t safe. These models have come clean about their struggle with acne.
Main image credit: @mikaylanogueira
Briar Clark got her start in the media industry in 2017, as an intern for Marie Claire and InStyle. Since then, her keen interest in fashion and beauty has landed her gigs as a Digital Content Producer and Beauty Editor with titles like Girlfriend, Refinery29, BEAUTYcrew and beautyheaven. She loves the way seemingly innocuous topics like skin care and style have the ability to put a smile on people’s faces or make them think about themselves a little differently. A big believer in self love and experimentation, Briar has made a point of becoming the Australian beauty industry’s unofficial guinea pig for unusual treatments and daring hair trends. When she’s not testing out the latest beauty launches, Briar is big on broadening her horizons, mostly in the form of food but she’s also partial to travelling to new destinations both near and far (and of course, allocating an extra bag to bring their best beauty offerings home with her).
