Concealer can be a life saver (in the make-up world obviously); it can hide a multitude of sins and be more hard working than a foundation. The important thing though is make sure you’re using the right concealer. There are many on the market, all with different textures and colours giving them different uses. When choosing one think about what it is and where you’re concealing.
The skin under the eyes is very delicate and a lot finer than the rest of the face, therefore needs something a bit lighter and creamier in texture. Anything dry can end up making things look worse by sitting in any dehydration lines, that perhaps weren’t obvious with no make-up on. You can make a concealer more fluid by mixing in a little eye cream.
A lot of under-eye concealers can be quite peachy or pink, this is great for counteracting dark circles. Darker skin tones can benefit from an orange tone which can be used on its own under eyes to brighten then a relevant skin toned concealer over the top if needed. Many also have light reflectors which can help to brighten under eyes too. Be careful not to apply too much, especially with things like wedding season upon us; camera flash can create flashback which means white rings around eyes in pictures.
Really look at your eyes, where do they need concealing? Don’t get caught in the trap of just whacking it on everywhere. If you’re covering a shadow, look at where the shadow is. A lot of the time it is in the inner corners and not the whole way under the eye, try putting concealer just where the shadow is, concentrating along the bottom edge. Do a few fine layers rather than one thick one. Our faces move so creasing can occur – minimal product on the outer edges can help with this, as can a light dusting of powder to set. When choosing your colour, you can go a little bit lighter under the eyes to help brighten.
If you have puffy under eyes, then you want to stay away from concealers with light reflectors as these will only make the problem worse. Also don’t go for anything lighter in colour for the same reason.
If you’re covering a blemish or scar then choose a concealer that has a slightly drier texture as this will help it to stay on longer. If you have dry flaky blemishes than beware of anything too dry though as this could make it look worse. Concealers with yellow tones are great for covering redness. Choose colours that match the rest of your skin, don’t go lighter as this can highlight what you are trying to conceal. Likewise don’t use anything with a brightener to cover a spot, however these can be good in areas like around the nose and corners of mouth to help lift.
I find that people with problematic skin for example acne prone, can tend to reach for maximum coverage foundations. This often ends up getting used on areas where the skin is actually good, but this good skin gets hidden and the whole face can look quite caked. I like to use a lightweight foundation or tinted moisturiser everywhere and then go in with a good concealer for coverage where needed.
It has been tricky to find great, hard working natural concealers for my kit. I’ve found that maybe the textures aren’t quite right, or the coverage isn’t enough. Many of the natural ones of course contain minerals, however those such as mica can give the product a sheen which as I’ve said above, isn’t always suitable for a concealer.
My professional concealer bag is now looking a lot healthier I’m pleased to say. W3LL PEOPLE’s Bio Correct Multi-Action Concealer was SUCH a welcome addition. This contains no mica so is matt 🙂 🙂 and has great coverage – just need more colour choices…. I also have their Narcissist Stick Foundation which does contain mica so does have a sheen. However it is great for giving skin a nice glowy coverage. I have Vapour’s Illusionist Concealer which I love for under the eyes, around the nose and chin – this does contain brighteners so not good for a spot. It is nice and creamy and will brighten the complexion – try using as a subtle highlighter. I’ve been using 015 under my eyes, its almost a yellowy/peach so helps to counteract darkness. If you are very dark under the eyes you could try layering this over the W3LL PEOPLE Bio Correct Concealer. These are all better for lighter skin tones though which is a real shame, more work definitely needs to be done for darker skin tones. RMS Beauty have just launched a darker tone in their ‘Un’ Cover Up – I haven’t actually tried it yet but am keen to as I love these concealers. These are nice and creamy; they contain lots of coconut oil so great for helping skin to heal. Use these under the eyes and on the rest of the face too – powder to help them last.
What are your favourite concealers? Has anyone tried the new RMS shade yet?
