Concealer: Taking Years Off Your Appearance

One of the most important makeup products you want to have in your beauty arsenal is concealer. It lightens and brightens areas of your face that are darker than others and it takes years off your appearance. I have had so many clients who were shocked at how different they looked with proper concealer application and how it enhanced their entire face. If you don't have a good concealer, you definitely want to get one.

When choosing a concealer, you want to use the same shade as your foundation, or a shade that is one shade lighter. For extremely dark discoloration, opt for a shade that is actually two levels lighter than your foundation. Going too light can cause you to look ashy and/or gray. You want to choose a concealer that has yellow undertones because it is the best choice for covering discolorations such as dark circles under the eyes, age spots, and redness. This is particularly true for ivory/beige skin. Deeper skin tones also do well with golden orange undertoned concealer or warm brown undertoned concealer.

People apply their concealer in different ways, but for me (and on my clients), I apply concealer after I apply foundation. I like to have the base of the foundation in place and build all other products up after that. So I apply foundation first and then I apply concealer using an airbrush concealer brush which allows me to buff and blend it into the skin for a natural look and seamless transition into the foundation. After applying concealer to areas that I want to highlight such as under the eyes, the bridge of the nose, the forehead, and the chin, I set the concealer with a yellow loose powder using a cosmetic wedge. I then knock excess powder off the skin using a brush, which leaves a clean even look.

As an artist who is constantly trying new products I have found several concealers that are excellent, in my opinion. They are:

• MAC Pro Longwear Concealer (a long lasting, water resistant liquid concealer)
• MAC Studio Fix Concealer (a cream to powder formula that applies wonderfully)
• Dermablend Smooth Indulgence Concealer (a liquid with complete, waterproof coverage)
• Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer (a creamy full-coverage formula that gives wonderful natural coverage)

Be sure to invest in a couple good concealer brushes such as an airbrush concealer brush and a flat concealer brush. Both enable smooth, flawless application of concealer products. Try some of the above mentioned products and watch your face transform!