Ever since concealer was introduced to the beauty market in 1954, it has been a staple of makeup bags across the world. A saviour for disguising anything and everything on the skin, a great concealer is the difference between good and bad makeup. But what actually is concealer? Keep scrolling to discover everything you need to know about the essential beauty product.
WHAT IS CONCEALER?
Concealer is a pigmented formula that works to cover and disguise imperfections and blemishes on the skin. Concealers are usually thicker than foundation formulas meaning it can be a game-changer for hiding everything from discolouration to dark circles.
WHAT IS IT USED FOR?
There are endless uses for concealer, but it is most commonly used to cover dark circles around the eyes, blemishes, blemish scarring, age spots, scars, and discolouration on the skin. Concealer can also be used to help contour the face, a technique which uses the face’s natural structure to create a sculpted effect. You can find out how to contour here.
HOW DO I USE IT?
Concealer is super versatile and can be applied in different ways depending on the look you want and your skin type, face structure, and concerns. Generally, however, concealer is applied underneath the eyes to disguise dark circles, over imperfections such as breakouts and pigmentation but it can also be used define the cheekbones and sculpt the nose in the contouring process.
It’s really up to you at which point in your routine you apply your concealer, but it is normally applied after foundation, especially when applying around the eye area. This is to stop the application of foundation smudging concealer. With that said, if you’re experiencing a stubborn blemish, a ‘concealer sandwich’ (applying concealer both under and over foundation) can help to hide it.
You can read our tutorial on how to apply concealer here.
WHICH FORMULA SHOULD I USE?
The type of concealer formula you use is completely down to personal preference based on your needs, concerns, and what you generally prefer using. The most common concealer formula is liquid but stick and cream concealers are also super common. But again, finding the right concealer formula for your skin is all about trialling and testing until you find the one.
It’s also super important to consider your skin undertone when picking your concealer. Your skin’s undertone is usually either cool, neutral, and warm. Many concealers do cater to these undertones and finding yours can make your concealer look even more skin-like.
We should also mention colour-correcting concealers. These concealers can look a bit wild at first glance but are actually super smart. Based on the colour-wheel theory, colour-correcting concealers work on the idea that certain colours counteract other colours. For example, you can haul yourself a green concealer to counteract redness or a yellow to counteract purple discolouration.
