How to Apply Concealer Correctly

Concealers are super-versatile makeup products that can work in so many ways to perfect your makeup game. Once you figure out which type of concealer works for your unique skin needs the best way, it’s time to learn how to apply concealer flawlessly. Below, we give the full low-down on concealer application, discussing the best methods to suit your skin type and concern.

How to Use Concealer: The Basic Method

When using a concealer in your makeup routine, this is the general product order you need to follow:

Begin with cleansed, toned, and moisturized skin. You may apply makeup primer as well for a smoother canvas and longer-lasting makeup.
If you intend to use a color-correcting concealer, apply it in a thin layer to the areas where it is required.
If you use a cream or liquid foundation, apply it now as you normally would. The thinner the layer you apply, the longer your foundation will last and the more natural it will look. Focus on evening out your skin tone with it very lightly, and don’t worry about any discolorations that show through.
Now that your foundation is perfect, go into the areas that aren’t covered enough with a light touch of concealer. For adding coverage to larger areas, use a damp makeup sponge or even your finger – apply the concealer in a stippling motion. Use a small brush or a miniature beauty blender for smaller areas like around the nose or below the eyes.
To blend your concealer you want to use a very light touch, and concentrate on only blending out the edges. You can use a sponge or a finger for that, and use a tapping/ dragging motion. If you feel like you over-applied the concealer, you may choose to blend a bit more aggressively, to ensure the thinnest coverage possible.
Once your concealer is perfectly blending, you are ready to set your makeup. You can use any kind of makeup setting powder. Make sure to apply it to the skin in a tapping motion, so as not to wipe off all of your hard work. Use a larger brush for most of the face, although a small blending brush will do the trick for more delicate areas, like around the nose and under the eyes.
Once your base is totally perfect, you can finish off the rest of your makeup as you normally would.

How to Apply Concealer under the Eyes

Concealing under the eyes is a slightly more delicate process than concealing other areas. The skin under the eyes is more sensitive than the skin in other parts of the face, so it requires a much gentler touch.

Additionally, the skin around the eye area tends to be dryer than the skin everywhere else on the face, so moisturizing it is critical. If your moisturizer is not rich enough, using a deeply emollient eye cream like the Belif Moisturizing Eye Bomb is critical for preventing your concealer from creasing. The eye cream will plump up the eye area and keep it smooth.
We’ve already covered how to choose color-correcting concealers for the under the eyes, but let’s quickly review: orange covers blue, yellow covers purple, green covers red, and pink covers blue in very pale skin. Color-correcting concealers go under the eyes before foundation, in a very thin layer.
If you use your finger to apply or blend them, use your ring finger since it puts the least pressure on the under-eye area. You may also follow up color-correcting concealers with regular concealers instead.
If you have puffiness under the eyes, or heavy wrinkles, you can try to use concealers to highlight and contour the eye area. Conceal the puffy parts of the eye with a shade a touch darker than your skin tone, and then with a tiny brush apply a brighter concealer only to the deeper parts of your wrinkles. This will push puffy areas back, and pull indented areas forward, making the under-eye area seem smooth and flat.
Finish the whole thing off with a bit of setting powder on a small blending brush. If you find creasing is a major issue, you can try the baking technique, where you apply setting powder generously with a damp beauty blender, let it sit for 5-10 minutes, and then wipe off the excess. This technique doesn’t always work for dry skin, but it does create a very seamless and long-lasting makeup.

How to Apply Concealer to Cover Blemishes

Covering blemishes is a tricky situation since the more inflamed they are, the more they seem to want to repel all types of makeup. A pencil brush can work beautifully to deposit color exactly on the blemish, and enough of it to truly cover.

The key here is to only blend the very edges of the concealer, and set is as quickly as possible, ideally with a damp beauty blender and lots of powder. This will make sure the concealer stays put, and the offending blemish stays hidden all day long.

How to Apply Concealer to Hide Wrinkles

Much like hiding deep lines under the eyes, hiding other deep wrinkles, whether on the forehead or at the nasolabial fold, requires some clever highlighting.

Using a very fine brush, apply a thin line of a brighter concealer to the sunken parts of your wrinkle. This will make the indentation appear shallower, and the skin overall smoother.

You can take it a step further and apply a concealer a touch darker right outside the line of the wrinkle. Blend this very lightly with a few taps of a sponge, and set lightly.

Concealer Makeup Hacks

Concealer is great at preventing lipstick from bleeding – especially if you don’t have a reliable lip liner with you. Apply a thin line of concealer at the edge of where you want your lipstick to go (i.e. right along your lip line, assuming you won’t be over-lining). After you apply your lipstick, you can go over the line a second time with concealer on a cotton swab, to make sure the edges are perfected. Blend the edges of the concealer to make sure it blends seamlessly with the rest of your makeup, and be confident knowing your lipstick will not budge.
Thicker cream concealers can do just as good a job at priming the eye area as dedicated eye primers. Apply a very thin layer of concealer all over the eyelid and cover it with a setting powder of your choice. You are now ready to apply eyeshadow that will blend perfectly and stay in place all day.
If you find your concealer too thick, or you want to apply something all over the face and don’t have foundation with you, a bit of Macgyvering can turn your concealer into a foundation. Mix a couple drops of concealer with a face primer. The face primer will sheer out the concealer and lighten its texture. The more face primer you add, the sheerer your concealer will become.
Use a concealer to define the eyebrows to get them looking truly fierce. After filling in your eyebrows, use a concealer and a flat brush to sharpen the edges and straighten out lines completely.

Photos via @negin_mirsalehi, Instagram