If you have been experimenting with makeup for a while, you probably have a couple of concealers in your collection. Today I share tips and tricks about concealers and teach how to create your perfect concealer wardrobe.
What is Concealer Wardrobing?
Essentially, the term concealer wardrobing comes from the notion that you need a variety of concealers in your makeup bag that will address each of the beauty issues that you might experience.
In other words, professional makeup artists do not recommend using the same concealer for under the eye area, to camouflage acne, and to highlight under the eyebrow area.
Instead, they suggest picking products which consistency and shade helps to cover those issues in the best way possible.
Think about it as your collection of clothes. You are dressing up according to the weather expected on that day as opposed to wearing the same clothing every day, right? Also, you have probably selected pieces that you feel like wearing on that particular day. Same with concealers: you need to pick products based on what your skin needs on each particular day.
Luckily for us, most beauty brands make our life easier as they provide directions on which beauty issues the particular concealer is addressing. Usually, those products cover one of the following skin problems: red spots and blemishes; under eyes circles; and hyperpigmentation and dark spots.
There are also so-called multi-purpose products. You can use these as a substitute for a highlighter, eyeshadow, or makeup primer, and even as a face sculpturing tool.
Choose the Right Concealer
If you are just starting with concealer wardrobing and not really sure which products you need the most, I recommend picking just one product from any of the four categories mentioned below.
Give it a try for a little while to figure out if it works for you or whether you need to switch to a product with a different consistency.
From that, build up your collection introducing additional tools. Even though the term concealer wardrobing implies a variety of beauty products to be used, less is still more when it comes to concealer.
Meaning, you might use five different products at a time, but all of them should look on your skin as naturally as possible.
Red Spots and Blemishes
It’s not enough to use just a foundation to cover scars, acne, and other inflamed skin areas.
First of all, you need a product that is thicker than a foundation so it camouflages the edges of the problem area.
Second of all, it requires a greenish shade of concealer to neutralize a red pigment of the affected area. I know, some of the green concealers that you can find at the stores look scary as you are probably afraid that people will notice them on your face.
To be honest, I am not a fan of those products too. Instead, I go for a multi-purpose concealer that is a bit darker than my skin tone and strategically apply it with a tiny concealer brush.
My Favorite: AMAZING COSMETICS Amazing Concealer in Light Beige has the exact consistency you expect from a concealer targeting blemishes and red spots.
Under Eyes Circles
Even if I am not using makeup at all, I am still applying a concealer under my eyes. I am constantly working on the computer, drink a lot of coffee, don’t sleep enough, and wear contacts.
All of those bad habits show up on my face and require attention even during my best skin days. In addition, my skin is very dry, and the under-eye area is not an exception. Thus, I always make sure to use a concealer that not only covers the circles but also hydrates my skin.
Also, as I am getting older I am making sure to apply a good moisturizer for under eyes area twice a day so concealer is not caking under the eyes.
My Favorite: BENEFIT COSMETICS Fake-Up Hydrating Concealer is a perfect two-in-one product as it successfully hides circles and smoothes the under-eye area.
Hyper Pigmentation and Dark Spots
As I explored the benefits of protecting my skin from the sun only in my 20s, I do have a few dark spots on my face. The treatment for hyperpigmentation is a topic for another post. But there are some concealers that will help to camouflage any of your sun or age-related skin problems.
When it comes to dark spot concealers, you need to use two different brushes to apply them. First, use a flat concealer brush and a concealer brush that you will use to blend the product.
Apply the product on the area surrounding your dark spots with a flat brush and then blend them, softly touching the skin with a concealer blending brush.
My Favorite: While I list MAYBELLINE Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circle Treatment Concealer under the hyperpigmentation category, it works miracles for dark circles too.
Multipurpose Concealers
You can use concealers not only to camouflage skin imperfections but also to substitute other products in your makeup bag.
For instance, you can use a concealer that is a bit lighter than your natural skin tone to highlight those areas of your skin where the light naturally gets to cheekbones and temples, brow bone, and the Cupid’s bow.
Also, some concealers are known for their ability to make your eye makeup stay longer.
Concealers as Highlighters
I am not a big fan of face sculpting (I think it doesn’t look natural). But I do appreciate a good highlighter.
Usually, my favorite spot to add a bit of illumination in under the brow area. In my opinion, it helps to make your eyes to look a little bigger while attracting people’s attention to your perfectly shaped brows.
Every once in a while I also apply a small amount of concealer to the middle area of my nose so it visually appears a bit thinner and smaller.
My Favorite: You probably remember MAYBELLINE Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer from my previous makeup tutorials as I’ve been using it a lot lately.
Concealers as Primers
Usually, I don’t use any primer underneath my eye shadow or simply apply a regular primer all over.
However, I’ve been watching a lot of YouTube videos lately where many beauty bloggers swear by eyeshadow primers. Such an approach helps to make your eyeshadow blend more evenly and stay longer.
If you don’t have any eye shadow primers in your collection, you can also use a concealer.
My Favorite: At first, I felt that ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS Pro Pencil is too solid to apply on my eyelid. I am currently applying it directly only under the brow with the eyeshadow brush.
Concealers as Contouring Tools
I have very pale skin and many of the concealers that I’ve previously purchased are too dark for me. Usually, I am using them in my light contouring routine.
As I mentioned before, I am not a big fan of Kim Kardashian-style excessive contouring. But I am okay with a few tricks that help me to emphasize cheekbones and make my nose visually appear smaller. Re-purposing concealers into contouring palettes is a good way to save money too.
My Favorite: AMAZING COSMETICS Cosmetics Perfection Stick in Medium is too dark for me to use as a concealer, but I love using it at the bridge of my nose, brow bones, and cheeks.
Concealer Wardrobing Tips and Tricks
1. Apply concealer on top of the foundation (not underneath it). It provides better coverage and allows you to better match the tone of your concealer with the overall skin tone.
2. If you are using a concealer blending brush, hold it on the end of the brush. Such hold provides a softer touch and allows you to create a more natural look.
3. Some of the beauty blenders that you usually use for your face are also working with a concealer. Pick the smaller ones and those that allow maneuvering more easily around all the difficult-to-reach spots.
