Concealer – your shortcut to fresh and perfect skin
A concealer is an indispensable makeup product when you want a more even and fresh skin tone. It is used to cover dark circles under the eyes, redness, blemishes, pigmentation spots, and small imperfections in the skin. Where foundation evens out the overall impression, concealer is your “spot corrector” that precisely neutralizes what you want to conceal or brighten.
A good concealer can make you look more rested, make your skin appear more uniform, and give your base a more “flawless” finish. In short: Concealer is your best friend on both tired days and for glam looks.
How to apply concealer
How you use concealer depends on your look and your skin, but here's a simple guideline:
Concealer and foundation: what comes first?
As a general rule, you apply foundation first to even out the skin. Then you use concealer to:
- Brighten under the eyes
- Cover blemishes, redness, and small marks
- Highlight selected areas (e.g., the center of the face)
If you only want a light, natural look without full foundation, you can also use concealer alone in places where you need extra coverage.
Where can you use concealer?
You can apply concealer:
- Under the eyes to reduce dark circles and give a fresher look
- Around the nose, where many tend to have redness
- On blemishes, scars, and pigmentation spots
- In the T-zone, center of the forehead, bridge of the nose, and chin to brighten and “lift” the face
Use a small brush, a sponge, or your fingertips, and gently dab the product into the skin for the most natural result. Finish with setting powder to make the concealer last all day.
How to choose the right concealer?
Finding the right concealer is about color, undertone, and coverage.
Color for under the eyes
For dark circles under the eyes, it's often a good idea to choose a concealer that is half to one shade lighter than your foundation. This helps to brighten the area and give a more awake look.
Color for blemishes and redness
For blemishes, redness, or small marks, you should choose a concealer that matches your own skin tone or your foundation as closely as possible. If it's too light, it will highlight imperfections instead of hiding them.
Undertone
- If you have a warm undertone, a gold or golden shade may be best.
- If you have a cool undertone, a more rosy or neutral concealer is often prettier.
- If you are neutral, you can typically use both cool and warm shades.
Coverage and finish
- For dry skin and under the eyes, a more creamy, hydrating concealer is best so it doesn't settle into fine lines.
- For oily skin or blemishes, a more long-lasting, possibly matte concealer is perfect, as it adheres better and stays in place all day.
- If you want a natural everyday look, opt for medium, buildable coverage. For more glam looks, you can choose high coverage.
Colored concealers – what do green, yellow, and peach do?
In addition to the classic skin-toned concealers, there are also colored concealers that neutralize specific color tones in the skin. They work based on color theory, where opposing colors neutralize each other.
- Green concealer: Neutralizes redness. Perfect for redness around the nose, red blemishes, rosacea, or irritated skin. Used under your regular concealer or foundation.
- Peach/apricot concealer: Good for blue/purple dark circles under the eyes, especially on light to medium skin.
- Orange concealer: Often used for very dark circles and hyperpigmentation on medium to darker skin tones.
- Yellow concealer: Evens out purple and blue tones and can be good for light dark circles and pigmentation spots.
- Purple/lavender concealer: Freshens yellow and dull skin and can add more glow to a matte or tired skin tone.
Colored concealers are applied in a thin layer before your regular concealer or foundation and blended well so that the transition is invisible.
How to get the best results with concealer
For a beautiful and long-lasting result with concealer, you can follow these steps:
- Prepare the skin with moisturizing cream (and possibly eye cream under the eyes).
- Apply your foundation as a base.
- Apply concealer where you want to cover or brighten.
- Dab the product into the skin instead of rubbing to maintain coverage.
- Set your concealer with a light setting powder, especially under the eyes and in the T-zone.
This way, you'll get the most out of your concealer, whether you're going for a natural everyday look or a more full glam base.
