concealers

Besides concealing, it’s wonderful to learn that concealer is also the key to get eye-shadow to stay in place all day long, making it a ‘must have item’ in everybody’s make-up bag.

Selecting your shade Concealers are available in a range of skin-tone colours and depending on your skin colour, are selected as a shade slightly lighter than the foundation or matched exactly to the foundation colour. On light skin tones, if the concealer is too dark it makes blemishes more noticeable, so choose a concealer slightly lighter than the skin tone.

To successfully disguise dark circles under the eye also requires concealer lighter than the skin’s colour, to give the eye a fresher and brighter appearance. On tanned to dark skin tones, it is best to match the concealer exactly to the foundation colour, as a shade lighter may make the area of skin appear dull or grey. If the concealer is not offering adequate disguise, you may want to invest in a colour corrector.

A Mint Corrector is ideal for fair to medium skin tones to combat red areas on the skin, as well as blemishes. For very yellow-toned skins, a Yellow Corrector can be used to counteract the red blemishes and still blend with the skin’s natural colouring. An Orange Corrector is ideal for counteracting blue (if you’re bruised) and is often the make-up artist’s choice for under eye circles on dark skins. Colour correctors can look rather intimidating as stand-alone products, so there’s generally not a wide range at the retail cosmetic counters. Follow these simple steps to get the most from your concealer.

Concealer is applied after liquid foundation and crème foundation, but always before powder foundation. If you’re using a colour corrector, apply this first, then your foundation.

Step 1 – Provide a base for your eye-shadow Apply to the entire upper eye-lid, from the lashes and extending up outside the crease of the eye. Use a synthetic hair make-up brush or a wedge shaped latex sponge. Blend away any edges using a dry latex wedge.

Step 2 – Disguise dark rings Using a brush or a wedge shaped latex sponge, carefully apply a small amount of concealer on the darkest area closer to the nose and blend with your ring finger. Don’t apply any concealer to the outside of the under-eye area where expression lines develop (as concealer emphasises the lines).

Step 3 – Disguise areas of pigmented skin For larger areas, fingers work well, but products need to be applied with a very light patting motion to avoid reaching into the skin’s pores – it’s not Polly Filler! With very little on your ring finger, pat onto a tissue (to get rid of excess product) and then gently pat on to cover the discoloured surface, gradually build up the desired amount of cover, but miss the dents of the fine lines and pores. Apply and blend with the same stroke.

Step 4 – Disguise blemishes Apply with a brush to the prominent area, avoiding the skin around the blemish which is usually the give-away that you’ve used concealer. Pat with your wedge sponge or fingertip until blended. Don’t wipe as this will remove the product from the area you wish to conceal.