How do I match myself to concealer?
HOW TO PICK A CONCEALER SHADE. The rule of thumb for picking your concealer shade is based on your foundation shade. Beauty experts advise that everyone should have two shades of concealer in their arsenal, one lighter and one darker since daily sun exposure means your skin tone shifts slightly all the time.
"Always go a shade lighter than your foundation." The lighter tone will cancel out dark discoloration, but be careful not to go too fair. Concealers that are more than one shade lighter than your skin tone can leave you with a ghostly shadow.
MYTH: You should always use a concealer one shade lighter than your foundation. Truth: If your goal is to brighten dark circles, then yes, choose a lighter concealer. But for blemishes or scars, you need a yellow-based shade as close as possible to that of your foundation.
- Determine the Areas You Want to Conceal. ...
- Find Your Skin Tone and Undertone. ...
- Understand Color-Correct Specific Discolorations. ...
- Choose A Concealer Shade. ...
- Swatch the Concealer On Your Skin Under Natural Light.
Depending on a person's skin tone, dark circles can tend to have purple-ish or blue-ish hues. To conceal dark circles, the same color wheel principle applies. People with fairer skin may opt for yellow, peach, or pink colored concealers. Darker skin may benefit more from an orange shade.
Applying foundation first creates an even base to reduce overall redness, discoloration and minor blemishes. If you apply your concealer first, you may end up wiping some off when you apply foundation or using a lot more product than necessary, which can create a heavy, cakey look.
If using concealer to highlight your facial features, apply a concealer that is 2 shades lighter than your natural skin tone. To contour, sculpt and add definition, apply a concealer that is 1 shade darker than your natural skin tone.
As Reiss-Andersen points out, concealer is designed to color-correct dark circles and spots, as well as blemishes, while foundation works to enhance the overall skin tone. “It's great to combine both concealer and foundation to make the skin look as radiant as possible,” she concurs.
Select the right shade.
“You can't have a concealer that's too light,” she said, adding that women should choose concealer that's one to two shades lighter than the color of their foundation. “One to two shades … the right color blends itself.
If you're looking for a lighter-weight alternative to foundation but don't want to rely on a tinted moisturizer or CC cream, we recommend using concealer alone. It's true, with the right long-wearing or hydrating concealer formula, you'll be able to cover imperfections, even out and keep your complexion looking fresh.
What's my undertone?
White Cloth Test: Put a white cloth next to your bare face and observe what cast your skin takes on. Skin with warm undertones will appear yellowish, while skin with cool undertones will seem blueish or pinkish.
It's not a coincidence that Fenty Beauty comes first. With the most extensive concealer shade range on the market right now (did we mention there are 50 hues?), Rihanna and her hardworking team have proved that catering to all complexions is entirely possible.
Look at your wrist veins under natural light.
If your veins appear to be green, you probably have warm undertones. If they're blue or purple, you probably have cool undertones. If they are a mix of both, you may have neutral undertones.
While concealer for the general areas of your face should match your skin tone, under-eye concealer should be one or two shades lighter than your natural coloring. Using a lighter concealer for your eye area helps cover up under-eye circles and creates a brightening effect.
Peachy and orange-hued shades are generally best for counteracting the look of darkness and brightening dark spots. Colors correctors work according to the principles of the color wheel, which posits that are opposite of one another on the color wheel can cancel the other out.
If you struggle with lots of hyperpigmentation, acne, and/or super dark circles and need a big boost of coverage, applying concealer underneath foundation results in a smoother, more even complexion. (A dark spot corrector is also a good investment, by the way.)
To avoid drawing unwanted attention to the area, many makeup artists would recommend not applying too much, if any, foundation around the eye. Instead, they suggest using a hydrating, lightweight concealer that has been designed specifically for the under eye area.
Opt for a sponge for finishing touches, like cleaning up streaky bronzer or absorbing excess foundation or concealer. Sponges work wonders in applying a light layer of blush or highlighter, and can be used with cream products for a more natural finish.
- If your veins appear blue or purple, you have a cool skin tone.
- If your veins look green or a greenish blue, you have a warm skin tone.
- If you can't tell whether or not your veins are green or blue, you probably have a neutral skin tone.
Colors that are opposite of one another on the color wheel cancel each other out. Green concealer cancels out red zits, purple concealer minimizes yellow spots, and orange concealer takes care of blue dark circles. If you apply this theory, then you can make your concealer work better for you.
Which company concealer is best?
Our best overall pick is Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer, which is available in 30 shades. The beloved award-winning formula covers, corrects, conceals, and contours while diffusing light and leaving a soft, natural finish that lasts up to 16 hours.
- Step 1: Moisturizer. Before you begin applying your makeup, take the time to prep your skin with a high-quality moisturizer. ...
- Step 2: Primer. ...
- Step 3: Liquid Foundation. ...
- Step 4: Concealer. ...
- Step 5: Foundation Powder. ...
- Step 6: Bronzer. ...
- Step 7: Blush. ...
- Step 8: Highlighter.
While concealer is great at covering problem areas like dark circles, blemishes, and other imperfections you might want to lessen, BB cream only provides a light foundation to work with. Likewise, BB cream serves as a foundation, moisturizer and sun protection, but concealer strictly does its job.
Use concealer at the very end.
Just like you wait to apply concealer after your eyeshadow, you'll want to make it the last step when applying tinted moisturizer, too. According to Restrepo, this will help your concealer stay put.
If your foundations are too yellow on you, you need to add pink to make it cooler. Add a small amount of your foundation on the back of your hand.
- Mix It With A Moisturizer. ...
- Mix It With Primer. ...
- Mix And Match With A Lighter Foundation. ...
- Concealer To The Rescue. ...
- Mix It With A Bronzer. ...
- Blend With A Darker Shade Of Foundation. ...
- Mix And Match As Per Your Undertone. ...
- Use A Tinted Moisturizer.
The powder helps keep concealer fresh all day as a light barrier from whatever environmental and circ*mstantial onslaughts may befall your makeup. If you don't have time to bake, gently pressing a setting powder into your concealer while it's not quite dry will also set it.
Liquid concealer is the most versatile type of concealer because it offers buildable coverage and works for all skin types except very dry. This type of concealer is also easy to apply.
DON'T OVER-APPLY
Instead, apply a thin layer of concealer to start. You can always add a little more if necessary. This is one of the most key facets of how to apply concealer, so listen up: You also don't want to put concealer all over your face—that's what foundation is for.
Hold up a white paper in the mirror.
In a place with bright, natural light, hold up a piece of printer paper and look at how your skin reacts to it. If your skin looks pinkish against the paper, you probably have cooler undertones; if your skin looks yellow against the paper, you're probably a warm tone.
Which skin tone is most attractive?
Researchers have found that men are subconsciously attracted to fairer skin due to its association with purity, innocence, modesty and goodness, while women feel that darker complexions are associated with sex, virility and danger.
Finding your undertone: The colour of your veins
Take a look at the veins on the inside of your wrist. Do they appear more blue or green? If your veins appear more blue, you're cool-toned but if you see more green, you're warm-toned. If you see a fair amount of both both green and blue, you have a neutral undertone.
Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer: America's Number 1 Concealer; Erase the look of dark circles, correct the appearance of redness and brighten the look of dull skin.
Tarte Shape Tape Concealer
A favorite of makeup artists and editors, Tarte's Shape Tape is one of the best concealers out there if you're looking for maximum coverage with a blendable finish.
NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer
We recommend shade Vanilla for very light or light skin tones with pink, moderately pink undertones.
Colors for Warm Skin Tones
For those with a warm skin undertone, earth tones are an excellent choice. The best colors for warm skin tones often include colors like green, brown, mustard yellow and warm reds. Other warm skin tone colors that you can work with are peach, coral, amber and gold.
The quickest way to determine undertone is to compare it to a color that you know to be a true color in the same masstone. If you are trying to find the undertone for a red, then compare it next to a true red. This will give you an idea of whether your red has a more yellow or violet undertone.
Silver, gray, magenta, emerald and sapphire will be your most flattering. If you find yourself with cool undertones and blue eyes, go with a magenta.
Select the right shade.
“You can't have a concealer that's too light,” she said, adding that women should choose concealer that's one to two shades lighter than the color of their foundation. “One to two shades … the right color blends itself. It makes a big difference."
Blend The Foundation Lighter Than You
When in doubt, always pick a shade that is slightly lighter than your complexion rather than darker. This can prevent your complexion from looking darker than the rest of your body. It is the safest way to go when unsure about two shades that may look too light or too dark.
What if my concealer is too dark?
The simplest solution for dark foundation is to add a light concealer to the mix and blend it out. This is because the concealer we use under our eyes tends to be lighter.
White Cloth Test: Put a white cloth next to your bare face and observe what cast your skin takes on. Skin with warm undertones will appear yellowish, while skin with cool undertones will seem blueish or pinkish.
In natural light, check the appearance of your veins beneath your skin. If your veins appear blue or purple, you have a cool skin tone. If your veins look green or a greenish blue, you have a warm skin tone. If you can't tell whether or not your veins are green or blue, you probably have a neutral skin tone.
"The foundation should match the side of your face and your neck to prevent you from looking like you're wearing a mask," he says.
Flip over your arm and take a look at the inside of your wrist. If your veins appear to have a blue or deep purple tint, you likely have cool skin undertones. If they look more greenish, you likely have warm or olive undertones. If you can't tell one way or the other, you may have neutral undertones.
With foundation, less is more
“Foundation can add a warm, healthy, youthful glow and create a beautiful flawless base for the rest of your makeup,” says Kelly Coulter, makeup artist and national beauty expert.
So if you've picked a wrong shade, consider it a blessing in disguise. Mix your light foundation with a darker one so that you can mix it to make it match your skin. To take it up a notch, use a different formula – so that foundation mix you create is absolutely amazing!
One of the primary reasons the concealer looks heavy and flaky is using too much product. Makeup artists recommend using a brush to perfectly blend the colour. Also, you can use a tissue, q-tip, or damp sponge to gently remove some of the product directly from the skin.
Most people opt to cover up with makeup, but concealer can make dark circles look worse. Below you will find the most effective ways to combat your dark circles.
A yellow colour corrector is used to effectively cover the appearance of bruises and veins which have purple undertones. It is also used to cover brownish dark circles and mild redness. If you don't have a yellow colour corrector on hand, you can use a concealer with yellow undertones to colour correct.
What concealer cancels out yellow?
Purple and Lavender Concealer Uses
It neutralizes yellow and orange hues on the face. Those with yellow undertones can use purple concealers to cancel out blemishes and other skin imperfections.
Purple: Cancels YELLOW| Purple can help hide yellow skin tones or complexion, as well as sallowness – counteracting yellow and green tones.