How to Apply Concealer to Flawlessly Disguise Dark Circles, Acne and More
Acne, age spots and hyperpigmentation and dark circles are normal part of life and having skin, and they're nothing to be ashamed of. But for when you're looking for even-toned, flawless coverage, the right concealer can feel like a magic wand that can cancel out discoloration and glide over uneven texture.
Great concealers come in a myriad of consistencies, forms and finishes, from liquid to cream to stick and beyond. The key is to find the right formula and tone for whatever issue you're trying to hide.
Start by choosing the right concealer
Finding the right tone and the right colour for the task at hand is crucial. For under eyes, you'll want to opt for a colour that's a shade lighter than your natural skin tone. This will brighten up the under eye area and disguise the dark circles. For age spots, scars and hyperpigmentation, choose a concealer shade that matches your foundation colour.
When it comes to tone, professionals say peach shades cancel out blueish under eye circles and dark spots from sun or aging. Green tones hide red blemishes — follow up with a concealer that matches your skin tone exactly for ultimate camouflaging. Yellow-toned concealers help to correct uneven skin tone from redness or hyperpigmentation. For mature skin and under eye puffiness, pick a luminizing formula that will reflect light and add a glow to the skin, but make sure it's not shimmery, which will settle into fine lines and wind up accentuating what you're trying to disguise.
Apply skincare and foundation first
Apply any moisturizer, primer and foundationbefore reaching for concealer. If you apply your foundation first, you're blurring the look of imperfections and likely won't need to use as much concealer. If you don't use foundation at all and just spot-conceal, be sure to hydrate your skin first!
Hide dark circles and under eye discoloration
If you want to brighten dark under eye circles, grab a concealer that has a radiant or luminizing formula. Use liquid formulas for the thin skin around the eyes, since creams and thicker formulas can settle into fine lines and wrinkles.
Instead of sweeping over the discoloration in a semi-circle shape, draw an inverted triangle which highlights the front area of your face and creates a lifted illusion. For best results, "dot the concealer under the eye and tap the product into place with your ring finger or a small fluffy eye shadow brush.
Cover up blemishes and acne
If you've already addressed acne with your skincare routine but are looking to hide any bumps or redness in the interim, choose a heavier cream formula like a stick concealer and apply with a fine pointed brush to place the concealer exactly where you want it to go. Gently blend the edges of the concealer with a brush, edge of sponge, or finger to blend into the skin for a seamless blend.
Camouflage dark spots and hyperpigmentation
Choose a heavier cream formula to cover sun/age spots,It should be dense enough to fully camouflage the darkness. Apply foundation first to even out the skin tone, then apply concealer to the spot for maximum coverage.
Cover up scars and pockmarks
For a small scar, a crayon or pencil formula is great; simply trace or fill in the mark with the fine point. For larger scars, liquid wouldn't be a good choice because it moves around on the face and its formula isn't heavy enough to conceal.
Stop cakey concealer in its tracks
Prevent concealer from getting cakey or settling in the creases around your eyes by blotting the excess product after application. Split a tissue into two layers, and press one of the sheets against skin to remove excess oil or too-thick product.
