7 ways to use concealer for better results

For a tired girl like me, concealer is a girl’s best friend, but it isn’t always the easiest makeup product to apply. From using the wrong colour to applying it incorrectly, we all make a few of concealer mistakes. You can learn how to fake flawless skin by following these concealer tips.

If you use foundation, apply it first, and then apply your concealer

When you apply liquid foundation over concealer, you’re thinning out the concealer you strategically placed over a blemish or other trouble area. If you apply your foundation first, you’ll find that you don’t need to use as much concealer. You want to dab the concealer over liquid foundation where a trouble spot hasn’t been completely covered.

 

 

 

 

 

Use concealer as an eye primer

To prevent your eye shadow from falling off your lid onto your freshly done makeup and settling in the creases, prime your eyelids first with a dab of primer.

If you can’t justify spending extra on eye shadow primer, a dab of concealer works just as well. I use L’Oreal True Match Concealer as it covers any discolouration and veins in the eyelids and isn’t super sticky once applied (£7.99 Superdrug)

 

 

 

 

 

Use a colour corrector for concealing under eye circles

Because under eye circles are dark, you need a different shade than you would use to cover them. For those with lighter skin, the circles tend to have a purple tint to them. Peach toned concealers work best. For darker skin tones whose circles are a darker purple or brown, a concealer with an orange pigment will help to camouflage these areas.

Dab an orange- or peach-colored concealer over dark under-eye circles with your ring finger. The colour corrector’s in my makeup kit and personal makeup bag are Bobbi Brown Correctors in shades light bisque, med-dark bisque and bisque (£19.50 Bobbi Brown)

Your ring finger, which is your weakest, will apply just the right amount of pressure to blend in the concealer without pulling at your delicate eye skin.

Next top your corrector with your foundation and if necessary, a concealer that matches your skin tone. Don’t forget the next step.

To see a more in-depth tutorial on how to cover under eye circles please read the following blog post: How to Conceal Under-Eye Circles and Brighten Your Look

Setting your concealer

Whenever you cover a blemish or your under-eye circles, try to use a concealer that matches your skin tone. To avoid the concealer moving/wearing off during the day, set your concealer with a translucent powder.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  1. First, let your concealer “cook” (or, oxidise and slowly melt) on your face for a minute.
  2. Next, I find it best to use a flocked sponge/pad to apply the powder in a dabbing motion so as to set the powder in place and not wipe away the concealer (as you can do with a brush!)

If you need higher coverage on a blemish, continue to alternate concealer and setting powder until the mark is undetectable.

To see a more in-depth tutorial on how to cover under eye circles please read the following blog post: How to Conceal Under-Eye Circles and Brighten Your Look

Use a concealer to tidy up eyeliner mistakes

Sharpen your wing and cover any eyeliner /eye makeup mistakes with an angled or fine brush brush dipped in concealer. This is much easier than removing it altogether and starting over completely.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Use Green-based Concealers Sparingly or switch to yellow

A few years ago it was all the rage to use green based concealers however, contrary to popular belief, green-based concealers do not cancel out skin redness. This works only in photographs, but in natural light, the green is always slightly visible and only makes the blemish look more obvious or your skin look a bit green/greyish under your makeup!

Instead, you want a concealer almost identical to your skin tone or if an area is very red use white or yellow toned concealer very lightly.

As a general use of thumb, the colour corrector rules are below however please note that if you are using these colours for every day makeup and not for a photo shoot, use very sparingly with a light hand.

Use the correct formula for the job

The thicker the formula, the more caked on it looks. As a makeup artist I only use thicker concealers for covering tattoos and birth marks etc. Generally, I will use a liquid concealer.

 

 

 

 

Use a liquid-based product for concealing under your eyes as it is easier to blend. My 4 current favourites (in no particular order) are:

   

Use a cream or stick concealer for covering pimples and blemishes as it is a much thicker formula than liquid but still blendable. I like the NARS stick concealer £21.00 Nars Cosmetics.

To brighten under eyes and areas of your face, use a pen with a built-in blending brush. These are much lighter in formula and tend to have light reflecting pigments within them. They don’t tend to be great at concealing but do lighten the area which they are applied to. My favourite is Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat £26.00 Look Fantastic

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remember the key to concealing is blend, blend, blend.

As with all my blog posts this is my opinion and is not sponsored or paid by any brand and none of the links are affiliates.

Follow my blog for more tips and tutorials on makeup, hair and beauty. If you have any ideas on what you want me to write about or give tutorials on, please post a comment

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Thank you for reading 💋

Claire xx

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