Concealer is like a loyal, lifelong friend you can’t live without. It’s literally been there for you through it all—from the first time you needed to cover a zit to the new, under-eye circles that remind you that, nope, you’re def not in college anymore.
But even the closest of friendships can be a bit complicated. Your concealer may have a great formula and be a perfect match for your skin tone, but you’ve gotta know how to apply it properly if you want natural-looking coverage.
Need a few pointers? Here, a makeup artist shares foolproof ways to diminish the look of dark circles and blur out pesky blemishes.
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If you have dark circles...
๐ Try a tricked-out formula: If your under eye area needs a little extra TLC to depuff, reach for a concealer that contains Haloxyl. The peptide promotes the release of bilirubin and iron from the skin, which helps minimize the look of bags. We like
Maybelline Instant Age Rewind because it's affordable, comes in a ton of shades, and has awesome coverage without looking cakey.
๐ Only put product where it's actually needed: The tendency might be to cover your entire under-eye area, but instead, focus on putting product where you actually need it.
“Honestly, look at your under eye,” says Maybelline makeup artist, Grace Lee. “You should only apply to where there’s discoloration or swelling.”
๐ If all else fails, use color corrector: When your dark circles are particularly dramatic, you might need to use
a color corrector before you swipe on concealer.
In general, the deeper your skin tone, the more orange you need to cancel out the purple. For example, if you have light-skin reach for a pale pink color corrector. If you have darker skin, use an orange or even reddish corrector. To give you a visual…
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๐ Dot on some green color corrector: Before you put on any makeup, press a clean washcloth or compress to your blemish and apply an oil-free spot treatment. Then dot on a little
green color corrector to take out redness. After those steps, dot on a *tiny* bit of concealer.
๐ Use a shade as close to your skin tone as possible: The concealer used underneath your eyes should be a shade or two lighter than your skin tone, but for blemishes, you should be going for a perfect match.
Look for an affordable concealer that offers great, natural-looking coverage (like
Maybelline Instant Age Rewind) so you can stock up on a few shades without breaking the bank.
๐ Don't pile on product: Concealer will take out the redness, but it will not reduce the size of your blemish, Lee says. "Instead of putting on a ton of makeup, I suggest using a very small, very-fine brush to do micro-strokes or dots and then blur with a couple pats of your ring finger."
๐ Apply product below your zit: If you rather not put product on your blemish, apply a tiny bit of concealer thats slightly lighter than your skin tone directly below it. This tricks the eye, making your zit less noticeable.
