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Concealer 101 – A Guide | Makeup by Nancy

Previously in this Makeup 101 series, I created a basic guide to foundation. Today, we’ll be talking about concealer. This topic definitely isn’t as complex as foundation, but it can still be tricky for makeup amateurs (or even experts!)

So, without further ado, let’s dive in.

Concealer is an important step in makeup. Personally, if you’re going to be wearing makeup at all, I recommend concealer. Not only does it look great with foundation, but small dots under the eyes of a foundation-less face look amazing, as well. Concealer adds depth and dimension to the face, but also helps to make you look more “awake” and can even provide a temporary/’false’ appearance of an eye lift. Additionally, certain shades of concealer can be used to assist in covering blemishes and giving the skin an overall even tone. Sounds dreamy, right?

Here’s a great demo video by Eman!

The most important thing to take into consideration with concealer is the color. If your skin is light, I don’t recommend getting the darkest shade available, and vice versa. I like to use noticeable concealer on my clients and myself, but nothing that will look clownish or distract from the look we are trying to achieve. This goes for both skin and under eye concealer. A common “rule”/tip for concealer is to select one that is no more than 1-2 shades lighter than your skin tone for under eyes; and for skin, to match your concealer to your foundation exactly (if not nearly exactly).

Now that you know how to select your color, next step is formula.

There are generally two formulas to choose from: liquid-like in a tube, or more “clay”-like and matte in a pan or lipstick-esque container. It may take some experimenting to find the right concealer for you; some of my favorite brands are Senegence, DNI Cosmetics and MAC Cosmetics Finally, you may want to ‘set’ your concealer. I only recommend doing this if you’re doing a heavier or more “glam” face that day. Setting your concealer with natural makeup may look a bit cakey, but looks AMAZING with glam looks. You may be wondering why you might want to consider setting your concealer under the eyes…this can basically assist in helping it to last longer, and stop it from creasing.

BONUS: How to Cover Dark Circles Effectively with Concealer.

Do you genetically have dark circles, or maybe you just didn’t get enough sleep last night? (Or recently?) If so, I’m here to help. To cover your dark circles effectively with concealer, use these steps:

1. Prime Your Skin
2. Apply Concealer
3. Set, and you’re done!
4. EXTRA TIP: For those with very dark circles, you can consider using a reddish-pink contour color, or even red lipstick (though I personally don’t advise this, unless it doubles as a lip and eye color. You can check out this article for more info).

Hopefully this gives you a little more of an idea behind choosing, applying, and wearing your FAVORITE flawless concealer! If you have any questions that weren’t answered here, let me know in the comments and I’ll be sure to get back to you. Thanks for reading! XOXO, ~ Nancy