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Foundation does a great job at evening out your skin tone, but sometimes it’s not enough. Using a top-notch concealer is key to achieving a flawless appearing makeup application. The best concealers cover discolorations, lighten dark areas, disguise blemishes, and work in tandem with your foundation to achieve the appearance of an even skin tone.
Concealer is one of those things when you get it right it looks really good and if you get it wrong it looks worse than if you hadn’t use any at all. But don’t worry, there are only a few things to know about it, and concealer will become your makeup bag staple!
As you probably know, concealers come in many different forms. So how do you know which one to buy?
Start with the question what do you want to conceal, and read our recommendations below.
Cover up your under eye circles
For dark circles around your eyes, you want to use light reflective concealers. Light reflective concealers are much thinner than normal concealers so they won’t crease under your eyes.
Our recommendation: Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Concealer + Treatment by Maybelline. The sponge applicator of Maybelline‘s concealer makes it breeze to blend it into the skin for a natural finish that won’t pill around your eyes. Not to mention it’s packed with goji berry which prevents puffiness and dark circles.
How to apply concealer under eyes
- You can either use a brush or your fingertips to dab concealer under your eyes.
- If you can’t find an exact color shade of your skin tone, opt for a shade lighter than your skin tone is.
- Never rub the concealer in around your eyes, as the skin here is very sensitive. Simply pat or dab the concealer with the tips of your finger or brush in order to blend it. It will also give you lots more coverage than rubbing because this way you set it instead of just moving it around.
- Be sure to apply your concealer all the way to the very base of your lash line, directly under your waterline.
- Work the concealer up on the inside of your nose. This area is often neglected by concealer application and will leave you still looking sleepy.
- They come in a liquid form so you can build them up. Always start with a small amount.
- Apply to any shadowy area like around your nose or use it as a highlighter.
Apply your concealer to acne and spots
If you have any acne, dark spots, sun spots, scars, or birthmarks, now is the time to cover them up. For this, opaque concealers work best. They come as sticks, compacts, or palettes. Our recommendation: M·A·C Studio Conceal and Correct Palette. A palette with four concealers and two corrector shades to match any skin tone so you can mix them to achieve your skin tone exactly as it is any time of the year.
Related: These Are The Best Products For Super-Clear Skin
- Getting the color right is the most important thing. You need to match your skin tone exactly. It can’t be a shade lighter like for under eyes area because it will only accentuate the spot.
- Go over larger areas first if you have a case of pigmentation or redness and use a regular concealer brush or fingers.
- Then with a tiny pointed brush (like the one for eyeliner) cover blemishes and any smaller marks.
- Tap on your concealer and press with your finger or a sponge to blend it in around the edges.
- Don’t forget your neck or back if you are wearing something backless and cover any spots you might have.
