Concealer. Oohhh concealer. I think if I had to choose one beauty product for the rest of my life, it would be concealer.
The thing is though, it can be tricky to find the right one for you. Colors, formulas, to color correct or not?
Believe me honey, I know your pain. I have a drawer (yes, a whole drawer) dedicated to concealers. No really, look.
Despite the seemingly excessive number of concealers I own, I’m always on the hunt for the “perfect” concealer. A site called ‘Into The Gloss‘ has a fantastic list in which they’ve compiled some of the best concealers around, and I was inspired to pull together a list of my own faves, including color correctors, and how to use them!
So if you want to learn how to find the right one, as well as see some of my personal faves, just keep reading!
WHY DO WE NEED/USE CONCEALER?
Aside from doing the obvious, which is concealing flaws, concealers are great at other things! I personally use concealer to prime my eyelids for shadow, clean up my brows, winged liner, or lips, highlight, and even cream contour and highlight! Some are thicker, some are thinner, sheer to full coverage; there is literally a formula for every situation!
HOW DO I CHOOSE THE RIGHT FORMULA?
Choosing the right formula all depends on what you’re looking to do; if you’re working on concealing dark circles or discoloration, you’ll want a gel or serum formula. Especially under the eyes, you want something hydrating, but not too thick so it doesn’t crease.
Similarly, if you’re trying to conceal blemishes, you want something a bit hydrating that doesn’t cling to dry patches or that dry, flaky skin that accompanies a healing blemish (you know what I’m talking about), but is thick enough to actually cover said blemish. And trust me, if there’s one thing I know, it’s covering blemishes, honey! I promise you!
HOW DO I APPLY IT? FINGERS/BRUSHES/SPONGES??
Applying different formulas depends on the look you’re going for, where you’re applying it and why, and the formula you’re working with.
If you’re applying concealer to the under eye area, I generally like to apply it with a damp sponge. It helps to blend it seamlessly, absorb excess product (which helps avoid cake face), and adds a little extra hydration to a typically delicate, drier area, versus tugging at it with a brush. No matter the formula you’re working with, I always recommend patting motions with your sponge, pouncing it up and down, while moving back and forth from the inner corner of the eye to the outer corner, and back again. This ensure that the concealer isn’t applied in just one direction, and will aid in keeping it from settling into those tiny little fine lines hiding under the lashes; you know, the ones that seem to be especially highlighted with concealer. One of my favorite sponges, besides the beautyblender, is the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. I love it for it’s flat edge that really allows you to get up under the lashes.
If you’re working to conceal a blemish, particularly spot concealing, I like to first apply the product with a fine tip brush, like the Real Techniques Fine Liner Brush, and blend it out either with my ring finger (clean, of course!) or a dense, synthetic brush like the Morphe M173 or the e.l.f. Flawless Concealer Brush. Again, regardless of whether you choose to use a brush or your finger, I recommend patting motions with light pressure. The only advantage to using a brush over your finger, I’ve found, is that the bristles of the brush help to push the product into your skin and give it a very skin like finish, whereas the heat of your finger can actually warm up the product too much, to where it starts to slip and slide around.
No matter what tools you choose to apply your concealer, always set it with a powder! This ensures that your hard work wasn’t for nothing!
WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH COLOR CORRECTING?
Color Correcting can seem intimidating, but it’s actually a very necessary step in properly concealing, well, anything. A lot of brands are starting to introduce color correctors as a regular part of their product lineup, including Urban Decay and even the Sephora collection. They too, like concealers, come in varying formulas from cream palettes to more fluid consistencies in tubes.
For a comprehensive look at color correcting, refer to the color wheel below. Yes, the color wheel. That thing that your art teacher used to teach you color theory; the idea is to use the opposite color of the one you’re trying to conceal, or correct. Under eye bags with a purple tint? Use a yellow based corrector. Are they more blue? Try something orange. Need to cover a stubborn red blemish? Green will be your new best friend. Basically the shade you want to correct with is the shade opposite of what you’re trying to cover.
I know, it seems tricky, but a little practice makes perfect!
WHAT ARE SOME OF MY FAVES?
Oh, here comes the fun part! Like I said, concealer is one of, if not my absolute, must-have beauty item.
If I had to choose just one go-t0 concealer for everything and anything, it would be the Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer. It’s hydrating, it covers redness, blemishes, hyper-pigmentation, it looks like skin, it’s demi-matte, and it stays on all day.
One that I find myself reaching for when I have a particularly stubborn blemish, or when I need something thicker to clean up my brows or winged liner, is the Hard Candy Glamoflague Concealer. This one is super full coverage, and you literally only need the a pin-head sized amount to cover just about anything on your face. A word of caution though; this is incredibly thick, creamy, and richly pigmented, so I don’t recommend using this under the eyes.
Something that is great for under the eyes, however, as well as cream contouring and highlighting, is the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer. With a standard drugstore shade range of six shades, the lightweight, gel-like consistency and buildable formula makes this my most reached for drugstore concealer on a regular basis! Another great under-eye concealer (that I feel is highly underrated) is the Garnier Anti-Dark Circle Concealer, which is a sheer formula with a roller ball applicator and skin care ingredients! Does it get better?!
What are some of your concealer tips and tricks? What about your faves? Leave me a comment and let me know!
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I filled in my brows using the 
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