Cosmetics can instantly improve the look of your skin and boost your self-confidence about your appearance. Here are some tips to help you look and feel your best.

The best offense against a common skin problem such as rosacea is a strong defense, according to Charla Krupp, noted beauty expert and best-selling author, in offering some "makeup makeover" tips and other advice to help rosacea sufferers look their best.

One of the first and most important steps a rosacea patient should take is to ask his or her dermatologist for help in formulating a skin-care plan as early in treatment as possible, Ms. Krupp said. "The average woman spends $100 on beauty products each month, and trial and error is just too expensive."

"Makeup! Makeup!" Do shouts of a movie director yelling for a fresh powdering echo through your mind when you look in the mirror?

Facing the redness and blemishes of rosacea can be difficult, but the knowledgeable and creative use of cosmetics can help conceal the rosy glow, pimples and visible blood vessels often caused by the condition.

A traffic stoplight may just be the visual reminder people with rosacea keep in mind when visiting the cosmetic counter, as green-tone and yellow-based makeup often help stop the redness of rosacea from showing through, according to a new survey by the National Rosacea Society.

Green makeup is not only appropriate for Halloween. Rosacea sufferers may find it effective in camouflaging their facial redness, pimples and visible blood vessels, according to Dr. Diane M. Thiboutot, assistant professor, Division of Dermatology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, during a presentation on difficult rosacea cases at a recent meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.