Every Youtube video you watch has someone flawless in applying their concealer. TikTok is packed with concealer hacks to give you a perfect look. If you’re just now learning what concealer is, these are bound to leave you overwhelmed. That’s okay! This comprehensive guide to concealer for beginners will tell you everything that you need to know about concealer.
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What Is Concealer
Concealer is thicker than foundation. It’s typically used to help hide imperfections, such as blemishes, pimples, hickeys, etc. It helps blend those imperfections so that they are not as visible, giving you the flawless finish that you want.
Types Of Concealer
When it comes to concealer, there are quite a few different types of concealer that you’ll come across. As with every type of makeup, there are liquid, cream, and powder-based concealers. Certain types of concealer work well with certain skin types, foundation types, and so on. That’s why it is important to learn about the different types of concealer before heading to Sephora.
Liquid Concealer
Liquid concealers are available for everyone. They are available in a satin, shimmer, or matte finish. You can find formulas for both dry and oily skin. There are various levels of coverage available as well, from sheer to full coverage.
Liquid concealer is available for everyone with every skin type. It’s especially wonderful for people with dry skin that need extra moisture and a solid barrier to lock in moisture.
Stick Concealer
Stick concealer is usually found in a matte or satin finish. It’s available for both medium and full coverage. It’s not common to come across this type of makeup in a sheer coverage option.
While this is available for every skin type, it’s more common to find it for dry or normal skin. Often concealer sticks have moisturizing ingredients.
When it comes to staying power, stick concealer isn’t quite as good as liquid versions. Make sure that you use your primer, and setting powder, and finish your makeup look with setting spray for the best results.
Powder Concealer
Concealer is more likely to be sold in a liquid or cream formula, but there are powder versions available. Powder concealer is a great idea for anyone that has oily skin. It’s often sold with a matte finish, but you can find a satin finish available.
Other Types Of Concealer Makeup
Liquid and stick concealer are very common. We all know that every version of makeup is available in powder form. However, there are a few other types of concealer that you need to know about so that you can determine what type of concealer is best for you and your skin type.
Cream Concealer
Cream concealer is typically found in a matte or satin finish. It’s not very often that you’ll find a cream concealer with a luminous finish. That’s because the main goal of concealer is often to cover up things, so you don’t want it to have too much shine.
This type of makeup is typically recommended for people with normal or dry skin. However, some formulas work out for people with oily skin, even if it isn’t as common to find them.
Cream concealer is a great option if you don’t prefer liquid but need some extra help covering blemishes.
Color Corrector Concealer
Color corrector concealer is a concealer product that also has a color corrector. These are typically used to hide dark circles, spots, and other areas that must be corrected.
Concealer Pencil Or Pen
Concealer pencils are a common choice for people that want to highlight their brow bones. These are great for when you need a quick touch-up or would like to use your concealer as a highlighter.
Silicone Based vs. Water Based Concealer
Just like with other makeup, you’ll come across a concealer that has a silicone base, water base, and occasionally oil based makeup.
Silicone based makeup is great for oily skin, blurring pores, and if you want full coverage. You can usually determine whether makeup has a silicone base by reading the ingredients. Look for words that end in the letters “cone” or the ingredient silica. A quick Google search can also tell you whether a makeup product is silicone based.
Water based concealer is also widely available. Although it is available in a full coverage option, it can be hard to find a concealer that is both water based and truly full coverage. This type of product is idea for people that have dry skin. Water based makeup will provide an extra boost of hydration to dry skin.
How To Apply Concealer For Beginners
Everyone has a different method for applying concealer. Before you start watching YouTube videos or TikToks, I want you to imagine what you want from your concealer.
Are you trying to make your face look brighter? Feel like you should wear concealer to give your face more of a “look” since your full coverage matte foundation is making it look a little dull? Or do you need to hide a blemish?
What you want to achieve, your skin concerns, and the type of concealer that you’re applying will ultimately determine how you want to apply your concealer.
What Brush Do You Use To Apply Concealer
The brush that you use to apply concealer is called a concealer brush. These are typically small. If you want to make sure that you get into certain spots perfectly, pick a small brush that has tightly packed bristles. These are ideal for applying concealer under the eyes, and they work well for blending. For example, this brush.
If you want, you can also use a beauty blender or makeup sponge to apply your liquid concealer. This doesn’t offer the same precise application but can work well to give you an airbrushed look and cover larger areas. For example, if you need to cover a blemish.
Where Should You Put Concealer
There are several places where you might want to apply concealer. Most people put concealer under their eyes with a tiny dab on the outer corner. This isn’t the only spot to put your concealer, though.
Applying concealer on your eyelids can help it double as a primer. You shouldn’t use concealer as an eye primer if you don’t have to, but it can be better than nothing. This is a great hack for those days when you didn’t realize that your eye primer tube was on its last leg.
Concealer along your eyebrow can instantly help you define your brows. This is why some brow kits come with a concealer pencil. You don’t have to use a concealer pencil, but these can be easier for beginners than liquid concealer for defining brows.
Obviously, you want to apply concealer in spots that you need to cover up. That means blemish, age spots, freckles that you want to hide, etc. Color corrector concealers are best for this.
To use your concealer to give yourself fuller lips, you want to apply it around your lips. Carefully lining your lips with concealer can instantly make them appear larger than they actually are.
Concealer Tips
Concealer tips and tricks can help you address your main areas of concern. We are all different. Our skin types are different. So is our face shape and the areas that we need concealer for. These tips will help you make sure that your concealer looks amazing!
- If you’re wearing concealer with no foundation, the concealer needs to match your skin perfectly
- Do not apply the liquid on top of powder, especially if you’re a beginner
- It’s almost impossible to hide pimples completely with makeup if they are large. While you might not be able to see them in pictures, you’ll still have a large bump on your face. It will look better, but other people will be able to see the bump and tell that you’re wearing makeup. Instead, try learning tips to prevent pimples.
- Less is more
- Learn your face shape to learn where you should apply concealer
- A triangle under your eyes makes your face look brighter, but it doesn’t work for everyone
- There is no one size fits all application technique in makeup, and that includes concealer
- Concealer hacks don’t work for everyone
- Shades that are two shades darker than your skin tone can be used for contouring
When applying concealer, it’s always important to remember that less is more. Too much concealer can make your makeup cake and ruin the look that you’re trying to achieve.
In Conclusion
When learning to apply concealer, don’t forget that practice makes perfect. One method is not going to work for everyone, so you need to learn what works best for your look. Check out this article to learn more about concealer tips and tricks.
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