How to apply concealer. The under-eye area needs concealer most because the eye is set back in its socket, which lies in a shadow created by the surrounding bone structure. The skin around the eye also tends to be thinner than the skin on the rest of the face, so pigment discolorations and surface veins show through easily, making the under-eye area look dark and dull. The first thing you need, then, is a lightweight, flesh-tone concealer that is a shade or two lighter than your foundation. If you don’t have dark circles under the eye area, you don’t need a concealer. If your foundation is opaque enough to even out the skin tone under the eyes, you don’t need an extra product for that area. When you shop for an effective concealer, it is critical that the concealer be the same basic, natural skin tone as your foundation, only one or two shades lighter. That way you can be assured that the foundation and concealer will blend together under the eye. If you choose a concealer that is a very different color than your foundation, you will simply end up with a third color where they overlap and intersect. The only time you wouldn’t use a lighter concealer is when the area under the eye is naturally lighter or the same color as the rest of the face. In that case, it’s fine to apply your foundation with no concealer. In fact, it may sometimes be necessary to apply a concealer that is slightly darker than your foundation to reduce having a whitish goggle effect around the eye. Apply the concealer first and then the foundation. If you are using an ultra-matte foundation, the concealer blending on first prevents streaking and staining. (It’s hard to blend anything over ultra-matte foundations.) You can apply your concealer in a small arc around the inside corner of the eye or, for a more involved makeup application, you can apply concealer in a sweep under the entire eye and out on the upper cheekbone. Blend this out evenly, taking care not to spread concealer onto areas where you don’t want it. Be sure to use a pat-and-blend method of application, as this will ensure that the concealer covers where it is supposed to and is not inadvertently wiped away. The foundation is then applied lightly over this area and blended out over the face. You may also want to try applying your foundation first and then sparingly applying concealer to the under-eye area if it is still dark. The trick is to make sure the foundation and concealer edges merge imperceptibly on the skin. The most typical problem with a concealer is applying it smoothly over the under-eye area without making it look too white. It is important to always blend the edge of the concealer away from the eye until it disappears. Also, try to concentrate the concealer along the inside corner of the eye and down, as opposed to out. The less concealer you put at the back corner of the eye (unless that area is dark), the less your chance of looking like you’re wearing a white mask over the eyes. When you wish to wear as little makeup as possible, try using only a minimal amount of concealer that is closer to your true skin tone than the concealer you normally use. Or try a lighter shade of foundation than you normally wear, and apply it only in the under-eye area. This can make a world of difference in making you look rested and polished, but not made up. Again, the trick is to blend extremely well so that there is no discernible edge between the concealer area and the part of the face where there is no makeup. Concealers come in six different forms: stick, creamy liquid, cream, matte-finish, matte-finish cream-to-powder, and ultra-matte liquid concealers, which blend on smoothly and creamily and dry quickly into an unmovable layer. Excerpted from The Complete Beauty Bible: The Ultimate Guide to Smart Beauty (Rodale Inc., 2004) by Paula Begoun with permission of the publisher. [pagebreak]
Stick Concealers
Stick concealers come in swivel-up tubes like lipsticks. Application: Stick concealers are applied to the under-eye area much the way a lipstick is applied to the mouth. Stick concealers can be applied over or under your foundation, depending on how much coverage you want–under the foundation provides less coverage and over the foundation provides more. Dab the stick concealer over the area in dots and then blend with clean fingers or a concealer brush. Avoid wiping it on from the stick in an opaque streak of color. That tends to build up too much makeup and it also pulls the eye area, causing sagging. If the skin under the eye area is dry or wrinkled, it does help to first apply a lightweight moisturizer and then apply the concealer. Be careful the moisturizer isn’t too greasy and that you don’t put it on too heavily, to ensure that the concealer doesn’t slip into facial lines. If you have applied too much moisturizer, use a tissue to dab off any excess before you apply the concealer. Pros: Depending on their consistency, stick concealers can provide more complete coverage and control for very dark circles under the eye. They tend to go on thickly and don’t spread easily, which means you can better control the application. Cons: The texture of many stick concealers is rather dry and thick, which makes them difficult to blend without overpulling the skin under the eye. Stick concealers also go on too heavily, which can create an obviously made-up look. Other stick concealers are quite greasy; they can look less obvious because they blend so easily, but the texture often causes slippage into the lines around the eyes. For these reasons, this is the least common type of concealer you will encounter.
Creamy Liquid Concealers
Creamy liquid concealers generally come in small squeeze-tube containers or long, thin tubes with wand applicators. Application: Use your finger or the wand applicator to transfer the liquid concealer in small dots or to place a light coat of color under the eye area. Blend gently along the under-eye with either your finger or the sponge applicator, concentrating the largest amount of concealer over the darkest areas. If the skin under the eye area is dry or wrinkled, it helps to first apply a lightweight moisturizer and then apply the concealer. Be careful the moisturizer isn’t too greasy and that you don’t put it on too heavily, or it will surely make the concealer slip into facial lines. Pros: Depending on their consistency, creamy liquid concealers provide very light, even coverage and have the least tendency to crease into the eye area. They can also be easily layered if more coverage is needed, and they tend to not cake up on the skin. Cons: Depending on their consistency, creamy liquid concealers can have too much movement and be hard to control. It is important when applying an under-eye concealer to keep the color and coverage just where you want it. If the concealer is too greasy or loose, it can spread too easily, highlighting parts of the face you don’t want highlighted. Some liquid concealers go on too thinly, offering very little coverage, but if you don’t want a lot or don’t mind building coverage, these are the way to go.
Cream Concealers
Cream concealers usually come in small pots and typically have a smooth and creamy texture. Occasionally these may have a dry, thick texture. Application: Depending on their consistency, cream concealers can go on easily with your fingertips, a concealer brush, or a sponge, placing the color in dots under the eye area. Blend the concealer out under the eye area, concentrating the application over the darkest areas. If the cream concealer has a dry, thick texture, it can be very difficult to blend and can look heavy and obvious on the skin. If the skin under the eye area is dry or wrinkled, it does help to first apply a lightweight moisturizer and then the concealer. If the cream concealer is very emollient, use minimal moisturizer under the eye area and dab off the excess. Most moisturizers can make cream-type concealers slip even more easily into facial lines. The emollient cream concealers should be set with loose powder immediately after blending to help promote crease-free wear. Pros: Cream concealers can have a very pleasing creamy and moist consistency, but they can also be rather thick and heavy. Depending on the consistency, they can go on well and provide even, often opaque, coverage. They are especially good for someone with very dry skin who wants more coverage. Cream concealers can also be used as foundations in a pinch. Cons: If the cream concealer is too thick or greasy, it will crease into the lines on your face. If it is dry and thick, it can be difficult to blend and can also easily crease into facial lines. This is never the type of concealer to use over breakouts. [pagebreak]
Matte-Finish Liquid Concealers
Matte-finish liquid concealers typically come in a squeeze tube or a tube with a wand applicator. Application: Use your finger or the wand applicator to transfer the liquid concealer in small dots to the under-eye area, then quickly blend using a soft patting motion. If the skin under the eye area is dry or wrinkled, it helps to first apply a minimal amount of lightweight moisturizer and then apply the concealer. Although these are not as tricky to apply as ultra-matte concealers, they still demand adept blending for the best results. Pros: Depending on their consistency, matte concealers can provide light to full coverage. They typically do not crease or migrate, and they tend to outlast cream and cream-to-powder concealers. They also work well as a base for eyeshadow if you have trouble with your eyeshadows fading or creasing. Matte-finish concealers work well over blemishes. Cons: If you have prominent lines around and under the eyes, matte-finish concealers can make them look more pronounced. Some matte concealers go on quite thick and dry, and are difficult to blend easily or dry too quickly.
Matte-Finish Cream-to-Powder
Matte-finish cream-to-powder concealers usually come in compact form and often look like small versions of cream-to-powder foundation. Application: Use your finger, a concealer brush, or a sponge to dab the concealer onto the undereye area or over other discolorations. Pros: This type of concealer is very easy to apply. It provides the glide and blendability of a cream concealer with the long wear of a matte concealer. Concealers like this work well anywhere on the face, especially if more extensive coverage is needed. Some versions contain effective sunscreens. Cons: Despite the initial matte finish, the ingredients that create the creamy texture tend to cause it to eventually crease–and to keep on creasing. The powder finish can make wrinkles look more pronounced, and this type of concealer is not the best to use over blemishes or dry, flaky skin.
Ultra-Matte Liquid Concealers
Ultra-matte liquid concealers generally come in thin tubes with wand applicators. Although these were once easy to find, many of them have fallen out of favor and have been discontinued because they are so difficult to work with and can make lines under the eye more pronounced; however, they rarely, if ever, crease. Application: Use your finger or the wand applicator to transfer the liquid concealer in small dots to apply a light coat of color in the under-eye area. You must blend these on very quickly and accurately because they dry in seconds. Once these ultra-matte concealers dry in place, they don’t budge, and there is no way to adjust the blending, so you could end up with streaks or patches of color. If the skin under the eye area is dry or wrinkled, it helps to first apply a lightweight moisturizer and then apply the concealer. Concealers like this should always be applied before foundation. Applying them over foundation is just asking for trouble. However, in most cases you don’t have to use an ultra-matte concealer if you’re using an ultra-matte foundation because the foundation usually provides enough opaque coverage to cover just about anything. Pros: Depending on their consistency, ultra-matte concealers provide light-to-medium, even coverage and, if blended correctly, they absolutely will not crease into the lines around the eyes. They are great if you tend to lose makeup during the day or have problems with makeup slipping. They also make excellent, long-lasting eyeshadow bases for those who have a problem with their eyeshadows fading or creasing throughout the day. Cons: Because ultra-matte concealers stay so well and are so matte, they can make lines under the eyes look more noticeable. It doesn’t always help to apply moisturizer underneath because that can sometimes make the concealer streak and look stained. It is important when applying under-eye concealers to keep the color just where you want it and to blend quickly.[pagebreak]
Techniques for Blending Concealer
Regardless of the type of concealer you use, the application remains basically the same: Dab the color on with your fingertips, the wand applicator, or the tube concealer itself in a half-inch crescent from the inside corner of the eye out to approximately one-third of the way under the eye. Apply the concealer only where the eye area is dark. If it’s dark all the way out under the eye, then that’s where the concealer should go. You can apply concealer to the eyelid too if that area is also dark and could use some lightening. Unless you are using a matte or ultra-matte finish concealer, set the concealer with a light dusting of loose or pressed powder. This will ensure a smooth finish and longer wear (but be careful not to overdo powdering under the eye area because this, too, can make lines look more pronounced). If you want a more elaborate makeup application, you can apply the concealer along the flat bridge of the nose, along the laugh lines, out along the entire under-eye area, on the top of the cheekbone, and in the center of the forehead and chin for accent and enhancement. These options tend to be complicated and time-consuming, even for women adept at applying their makeup, and you can get almost the same results by applying the rest of your makeup correctly. If you do choose to highlight these areas, place your highlighter in dots over or under your foundation in these areas and blend well, controlling the color so it does not spread all over your face. Keeping the color contained is the goal if you wish to try this extra step. Whether you apply the concealer first and then the foundation or the foundation first and then the concealer, carefully blend the concealer out and under the eye in a dabbing motion, with either your finger, a concealer brush, or sponge, making sure you cannot see the edge where the concealer stops and the foundation starts. The trick is to keep the concealer blended only over the area where it is needed.
