As if selecting the most suitable concealer isn’t complicated, applying it is a whole ball game in itself. One tiny mishap, and instead of having that perfect canvas, you’ll get a cakey, creasy mess. To avoid this fate, here are the most common mistakes that you’re probably guilty of:
Not Using the Right Shade for Your Purpose
The number one mistake that people make when they buy concealer is selecting a shade that is too light. Applying a very light concealer under your eyes to hide dark circles will only emphasize the darkness instead of masking it. You need to conceal and brighten, not lighten your under-eye area, and pick a brightening concealer that’s a shade or two darker than your natural coloring so that it will look as natural as possible.
If you’re still uncertain if you got the right shade, or if you find that blending the color of your concealer to the rest of your face is a struggle, then you’ve got the wrong shade. On the other hand, when spotting concealing or covering blemishes, you have to choose a shade that matches your skin tone and foundation exactly. Otherwise, a very dark or light shade will only draw more attention to the blemishes that you are trying to conceal.
Not Moisturizing and Putting on Primer First
For a flawless base, your face needs to be primed to perfection. This means that after applying your moisturizing serum, toner, essence, gel, or cream, you should also apply primer on your face to get rid of any flakiness and help your concealer stay in place throughout the day.
Not Using the Right Formula
Concealers come in cream, mousse, liquid, hydrating, brightening, and mattifying formulas. You need to select a formula that’s most suitable for your skin type and texture to get the best results. For example, if you have dry or mature skin, you want to choose a hydrating liquid or mousse concealer instead of a mattifying cream concealer. Otherwise, your under-eye area or blemishes will end up looking flakey and cakey.
Not Applying Foundation Before Concealer
Foundation is meant to even out the skin tone and give you a flawless base to work on, while concealer is for hiding blemishes left visible after putting on foundation, and not the other way around.
Not Using the Right Application Tools
Although fingers are best for applying concealer under the eyes, especially if you’re going for that no-makeup look, using a flat, dense brush is better for applying concealer to the rest of your face, particularly for spot concealing.
Not Setting Your Concealer
To keep your concealer in place and avoid creasing, apply setting powder over it. For best results and maximum staying power, do as the drag queens do—bake it. Baking involves applying a thick layer or setting powder over your concealer, leaving it on for five or more minutes, and then lightly dusting it off.
Your concealer can be your very best friend if you use it correctly. With that in mind, step up your concealer game by keeping these things in mind.
