Hello peeps! How is your day so far? Mine is not bad I am sick but still cannot help myself from writing this post. So after I had published the How To Find The Right Foundation post I started getting messages from readers asking for a similar post for concealer. I take it that you are all or at least most of you are enjoying “The Ultimate Makeup Guide” series so far. Without further ado let’s jump right in.

concealer2

Concealer is definitely a crucial product for any makeup look because it hides and conceals the imperfections like no other. I have even tried concealing my tattoos with concealers and they worked really well but before getting into all that I need to explain a few things that you need to keep in mind before buying a concealer. I own quite a few concealers myself and I don’t like them all equally because if it worked for your friend might not necessarily work for you. I’m not a liquid or cream foundation girl and my go to foundations are either powder or mineral foundation which goes undetectable on the skin.

What A Concealer Is Used For?

A concealer is used to cover imperfections on the face that a foundation cannot hide because concealers are powder packed with pigments which can even cover scars and tattoos. That is how hardcore a good concealer can be. There are concealers with different textures, finishes and coverages on the market these days and you can choose them according to your needs.

Concealer Or Foundation First?

This is the most asked question when it comes to application of concealer. Less is more with makeup but it is also a personal preference. I try not to cake up lots of makeup on my face. Even if I apply very little liquid foundation it starts to cake up after a couple of hours because my skin is super oily and it hates liquid foundations. But for special occasions I do use liquid foundations on top of a good mattifying primer and then apply foundation using a beauty blender sponge for a natural finish. If I am using a medium to full coverage foundation this will more or less even out my skin except for my dark under-eye circles which can only be covered with a good concealer. So this way I’m using less product and I’ll not end up looking like a cake face. If I have to start with concealing my imperfections first and apply foundation afterwards then it will be a whole different story. Because I’ll anyway apply foundation to my full face whether or not I use a concealer and on top of that I use concealer on my face which will start to cake up and look terrible after wearing it for an hour or two.

What are the Types Of Concealers?

We live in a lucky era where there are endless options when it comes to makeup. There are so many kinds of concealers and I’ll list them all below:

concealer1

Stick concealer– Thick concealer with medium to full coverage
Cream concealer– Semi thick concealer with medium to full coverage
Liquid concealer– Thin concealer with light to medium coverage
Serum concealer– Very thin and lightweight concealer with medium to full coverage
Mineral concealer– Powder that is super lightweight and undetectable with medium to full coverage
Airbrush concealer– Thin and weightless concealer with medium to full coverage

Concealers suitable for dry skin– Cream, liquid and serum concealers work best with dry skin as they have emollients that moisturizes the skin and hydrates the dry patches without making them even more drier.

Concealers suitable for normal skin– This is the most lucky skin type as they can experiment with all sorts of makeup because mostly all of them suits this skin type pretty well.

Concealers suitable for combination skin– Stick, cream, serum, mineral and airbrush concealers work pretty well with this skin type.

Concealers suitable for oily skin– Cream, serum, mineral and airbrush concealers look great on people with oily skin. Make sure you set the cream or serum concealers with powder so they don’t crease or slide off the face.

Concealers suitable for sensitive/acne prone skin– Mineral and airbrush concealers are pretty safe to use on people with sensitive acne prone skin. But I have seen people use cream concealers too which work really well. Just make sure to know what ingredients break you out and stay away from them.

Choosing The Perfect Colour Correcting Concealer?

Some flaws peek through even if you use the toughest concealer on the market that is when color correcting concealers come into play. These concealers as their name suggests corrects and neutralizes the imperfections that peek through makeup for a more even and flawless appearance. There are different shades of color correctors that are used for different purposes.

colored_concealers

  • Orange corrector is used to neutralize blue tones on the skin and under eye circles for people with medium to deep complexion.
  • Yellow corrector is used to neutralize purple tones on the skin and brightens under eye circles suitable for warm skin tones.
  • Green corrector is used to neutralize redness on the skin suitable for all skin tones.
  • Lavender corrector is used to neutralize yellow tones on the skin for people with cool skin tones.
  • Peach/salmon corrector is used to neutralize green tones on the skin suitable for all skin tones.
  • Pastel pink corrector is used to neutralize blue tones on the skin and dark under eye circles for people with cool skin tones.
  • Where To Apply Concealer?

    If you just want to hide any imperfection like a pimple or a dark spot use a concealer that perfectly matches your skin tone or foundation shade this way it will look even and seamless. If you want to brighten any particular area like under eye area conceal them with normal skin tone concealer blend it out. Then apply a light layer of highlighting concealer or a concealer that is a shade or two lighter to get the brightening effect.

    How To Apply Concealer?

    It is again personal preference but it also depends on the texture of any particular concealer that you are using. I like to use clean fingers, small synthetic brushes or even damp a Beauty Blender sponge to blend out the concealer if I am doing it on myself. On clients I stick with only brushes or sponges as it is more hygienic. Also experiment with different tools to see which one works best for you.

    1. How To Cover Dark Circles

    Concealers are mainly used to cover the dark under eye circles that a foundation cannot hide. A little goes a long way with concealers because they are super pigmented and are meant to cover small areas and not the whole face.

    2. Applying Under Eye Concealer

    I like to personally use a damp beauty blender because they smooth out the product beautifully and takes off excess concealer that might cake up later. Also it covers a large perimeter of the face at a time so it is less time consuming.

    3. What Color Concealer For Dark Spots?

    If you want to cover dark spots then use a concealer color that is the same as your skin tone. This way it matches your actual complexion and looks even on the skin.

    4. Applying Concealer For Dark Spots

    Dark spots are usually small so I like to use a teeny tiny precision eye brush like the Zoeva 230 Luxe Pencil brush with very little concealer on and blend it out. I also set it with powder because I have super oily skin and most concealers crease on me no matter what.

    Can I use concealer without foundation or how about using concealer as foundation?

    Yes you can use concealer without using a foundation but do not overdo it and use it all over the face instead of foundation. Because concealers are usually very thicker in consistency and they might cake up and look too heavy on the skin after a couple of hours. So use it only on the problem areas and blend them out for a seamless look.

     

    Image Sources- 1,2,3

    Hope you found this post useful!
    Also share it with your friends as it might help them out.
    Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.
    Also please subscribe. 🙂
    See you in my next post. Until then, stay beautiful.

    Yours truly,

    Makeup Martini CEO

    Leave a Reply