How can something so small be so significant? Even having just one can be so spirit-crushing and can negate any confidence you had. It may sound like an exaggeration, but when you wake up in the morning with one popped up in the middle of your face, all those negative thoughts come to mind.

Pimples, breakouts, acne – these words that relate to blemishes on our faces disrupted our teenage years and for some, their adult years. It’s extra frustrating when a few pop up just days before a big event. What do you do then? Not all of us are princesses-to-be like Ms. Meghan Markle, who would have all the resources made available to her at her beck and call if she were to have some skincare fiasco happening 48 hours before her big day.

Us commoners go straight to Google. You’ve probably seen all those “How to get rid of a pimple overnight” posts – ice the pimple to reduce swelling (which can only do so much), put toothpaste on it, create an at-home face mask using ingredients from your kitchen, etc.

For someone who has suffered from acne and consistent breakouts, I’m very meticulous when it comes to prepping my skin for a big event. After various experimentations with products and trial-and-error with certain methods, I’ve finally crafted the perfect recipe that worked for me.

Recently, I got my university grad pictures taken and I wanted my skin to look immaculate. From my trusted skincare army to a plethora of face masks here is how I prep my skin for special occasions. Hopefully, this will help you too!

1. Be consistent with your skincare routine

This is probably the most important tip here. If you already have a skincare routine created, great! Make sure to always be consistent with it. If you’re lying on your bed with makeup on and you have absolutely no energy to get up and remove your makeup, start praying for some strength. You need to remove all the dirt on your face before you sleep that way your pores won’t get clogged, thus no breakouts. It’s as simple as that.

2. Wear a face mask every night before the big day

It’s best to begin this preparation period a few days before the event. For me, I prep for about a week – that’s because my skin is extremely unpredictable. If you don’t suffer from consistent breakouts or acne, you can start prepping three days before. For three nights straight, wear a face mask to sleep. I wore a face mask every day for almost a week and it made such a HUGE difference. My skin was even and it had such a beautiful glow. Putting on makeup was effortless.

3. Minimize the amount of makeup you wear

It’s best to allow your skin to breath during this preparation period. During this time if, wear something light like a BB Cream. A BB Cream would double as a skin treatment since many formulations help treat blemishes, sun spots and it has anti-inflammatory and soothing effects.

The worst case scenario is that a pimple pops up during your prep period and that can definitely happen, regardless of how careful you are. It happens. It happened to me. However, getting rid of pimples is a whole different ball game. Let me know if you’d like a post on how I get rid of pimples fast!