How to apply concealer: everything you need to know
If a long day is ahead of you, concealers are a good product to incorporate into your beauty routine. When used correctly they will help you achieve the look you desire, whether you want a matte or a dewy finish.
What is concealer
Concealers are makeup products created for the purpose of disguising, and at the same time, brightening specific areas of your face, especially where blemishes and dark circles appear.
They can come in different forms and textures but one of the things they all have in common is that they are handy: they can easily fit in your handbag and be used during the day to retouch areas of your face.
How to choose concealers
When buying concealer you may spend some time choosing from the various fashion shades they come in.
Since concealers are destined for specific areas of your face you should choose a slightly lighter shade than your skin tone.
While foundation can be tested on your hand or better on different parts of your face, when it comes to concealers the choice is more personal and you will want to try them on specific areas, like around the eye or on those places where you are experiencing some redness. This way you will see which shade and texture work best for you.
How to use concealer
The first thing to do before applying your makeup is to prep your skin by cleansing it and adding your moisturizer. This way you obtain a nice and smooth base for your makeup products.
If you tend to have oily or combination skin, you can also add a primer after your moisturizer.
When this part of your beauty routine is complete, you can apply your foundation.
You will then see on which areas of your face you want to apply your concealer.
Start by applying a few dots or very short lines on the areas you wish to add a bit more coverage or on the areas you want to brighten.
Thanks to their design, whether you will use a creamy concealer stick or a liquid concealer in a tube, you will see that it is easy to apply the right amount of product, as you do it on your skin.
You can then blend it by using a concealer brush (or at least the tip of your ring finger); the important thing is to not drag the product around but to gently tap it on your skin to achieve a natural look.
You can then set your makeup with powder if you want a more matte finish.
How to apply under-eye concealer
Especially around the eye area, it is important to start with a small amount of product and then add more if needed.
Step one consists of applying two dots under the eye (besides the nose) and one dot on the outer corner. With a concealer brush, tap well on these dots to get more coverage, and then with any remaining product left on your brush, you can tap it all around the eye area.
If you wish to cover a bigger area, you can draw a triangle right below where dark circles usually appear. Add a few lines to fill in the triangle and start tapping with either your brush or your finger.
When most of the product is blended you can proceed by also covering dark circles.
By not applying the dots directly on the dark circles you will get a more natural finish.
When to apply concealer? Before or after foundation?
There is no specific rule as to when to apply concealer, and you may ask yourself if it is best to apply it before or after your foundation.
After cleansing your skin and after having applied your everyday serums and moisturizing day cream, you can proceed with your makeup routine by starting with your eyes or, if you want to start with your face, by applying foundation.
Generally, concealer comes after foundation for two main reasons:
1. Foundation provides a nice smooth base for concealer, resulting in a more natural finish. If you start off with the application of concealer, some areas will seem cakey.
2. After having applied foundation, you will have a clearer idea of the areas you want to brighten or cover, and a better idea of how much product to use.
The exception to this is when you use correctors. Color-correcting concealers are products meant to be applied and blended before foundation to camouflage dark areas. Their creamy texture will perfectly blend with your foundation.
Can I use concealer as a foundation?
During the summertime, you may want to show off your natural summer glow, so you may use concealers only on specific areas without applying foundation, and then proceed with bronzer if you wish.
Concealers usually come in a smaller package than foundations, for this reason, if used on your entire face, you may finish the product quicker than you would usually do.
Keep in mind that generally, concealers tend to be thicker and more pigmented than foundations and this is why, if not applied correctly using the right amount, you may end up with a cakey look, especially when followed by setting powder.
If you are looking to obtain the type of coverage that concealers provide, while still benefiting from the texture found in foundations, KIKO MILANO’s Full coverage 2-1 will help you achieve a flawless and natural look.
Concealers will work to cover or brighten the areas of your skin that need a little more care. You don’t need a lot of product to achieve the look you desire, so when using the right amount, concealers can last a long time!