Should concealer be lighter or darker than face? (2024)

Should concealer be lighter or darker than face?

The general rule of thumb is that you should always opt for a shade lighter than foundation when choosing your concealer colour. Doing so helps to mask darker discolouration, but be careful not to over-correct! Knowing how to pick the right concealer is essential to ensuring that your look does not appear ghostly.

Is concealer supposed to be lighter than your face?

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.

How do I know what shade of concealer to get?

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.

Should your concealer be the same shade as foundation?

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.

How much lighter than your skin should concealer be?

“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."

Does concealer go on before or after foundation?

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.

What color concealer should I use for dark circles?

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.

Do you get concealer lighter than your foundation?

"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.

How do I know my undertones?

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.

What color are my undertones?

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.

Do you need both concealer and foundation?

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.

Where do you put concealer instead of foundation?

Concealer is extremely versatile, and can be used to spot treat, to conceal dark circles, as foundation, as contour, and even as a tinted moisturizer.

Where does concealer go on your face?

What undertone am i?

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.

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.

Should I use a brush or sponge for concealer?

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.

Should I put foundation under my eyes?

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.

Do you put foundation on eyelids?

Women often swipe foundation or concealer over their lids to minimize darkness and to create a base for their shadows and liners. This is a bad idea. First off, you never want to put anything on your eyelid that is not meant to go on the eyelid.

What color cancels out dark spots?

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.

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.

What to do if concealer is too yellow?

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.

How to put on concealer?

Take a concealer shade that matches your skin tone and draw vertical lines down your face as you would a normal foundation. Blend it all out with a sponge, then layer on more concealer in any areas that need more coverage. It helps even out your complexion while letting natural skin tone shine through.

How do I know if I'm a cool warm or neutral undertone?

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.

How do you know if your undertone is pink or yellow?

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.

What colors look best on warm 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.

How do I choose the right undertones?

One of the quickest and the most common ways to determine your undertone is to check the insides of your wrist. If your veins appear blue or purple, you have a cool undertone. If they look green, you're warm. If you're having a hard time narrowing down between blue or green, you most likely have a neutral undertone.

What color looks best on each undertone?

What hair color is good for cool skin undertones?

Hair Colours for Cool Skin Tone

Icy blondes and ash-based browns tend to complement cooler skin undertones, but if you are very fair then you might find that a platinum blonde hair or a very dark smoky brunette hair will wash you out.

When applying makeup what goes on first?

Do you put concealer on first or tinted moisturizer?

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.

What is the triangle method of concealer?

This month, TikTok's makeup artists are obsessed with what they have coined 'concealer geometry': strategically drawing little triangle shapes under the eyes, at the outer edge of the nose and at the side of the lower lip.

Can I skip foundation and use concealer?

You Can Totally Wear Concealer Without Foundation—Here's How. Concealer is kind of like your favorite skin-care serum: You can't really see it, but it does some heavy lifting behind the scenes. Once blended under your foundation, it chameleons those uninvited pimples, dark spots, or bits of redness away.

Can I put concealer on my Eyebags?

First, choose a darker shade of concealer to use on the actual eye bag. Apply directly on the swollen skin and blend. Next, use a lighter concealer underneath the bag to add some depth. "It's a visual trick that contours the under-eye," Irwin says.

How to get rid of under eye bags permanently without surgery?

How long should I let concealer sit on my face?

Now, resist the urge to blend your concealer for at least 10 to 20 minutes. Use the time to line your lips, style your hair, or fill in your brows. 4. After your concealer finishes baking—or cooking, use a beauty blender or a sponge to blend it.

What color tone is my face?

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.

What hair color for warm skin tone?

Rich, warm colors, like deep browns, reds, and even golden and honey blondes, will work best to complement your skin tone, while cooler shades, like an icy platinum blonde, may clash with your natural color palette and wash you out.

What is the rarest undertone?

Neutral Undertones

Typically, people with an “Olive” skin tone possess this versatile, neutral undertone. This skin tone is the rarest - and most versatile - of all, and typically only present in women with Medium skin tones.

What is the best concealer mature age?

What is America's best selling concealer?

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.

How do you pick a concealer color?

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.

Should foundation be lighter or darker than your skin tone?

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 can I do if my concealer is too light?

Does lighter foundation make you look younger?

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.

Should foundation be lighter or darker than your neck?

The experts have spoken, and the answer is, foundation should be one or two shades lighter than your skin tone. This is because when you use bronzer or contour then the foundation should be able to blend and give the perfect look to your face.

How do I know 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.

Why do my dark circles look worse with concealer?

The reason concealer alone cannot address dark circles is that it often creases and makes the issue much worse. Moisturizing and applying color corrector can help minimize the look of dark circles.

Why does my concealer not look good?

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.

Is it better to go a shade lighter or darker with concealer?

The general rule of thumb is that you should always opt for a shade lighter than foundation when choosing your concealer colour. Doing so helps to mask darker discolouration, but be careful not to over-correct! Knowing how to pick the right concealer is essential to ensuring that your look does not appear ghostly.

Where do you put concealer?

What if I bought the wrong concealer shade?

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!

Why does concealer always look yellow on me?

That's what you need to do with your foundation/concealer. If it looks too yellow/orange, it is too warm. If it looks too pink, it is too cool. If it looks grey, it is too neutral.

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.

Who should use yellow concealer?

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.