The wrong formula: The thickest concealer is not always the best for your needs; if caked on, it can draw attention to the area rather than camouflaging it. When concealing, opt for wands for light coverage, liquid and crayons for medium coverage, and sticks and creams for an opaque concealing of blemishes and scars.
Applying it before your foundation: It’s the age-old debate of what comes first: foundation or concealer? We say apply your concealer last. If you’re going to spend time disguising imperfections, why go over it and move it around with foundation, undoing all your hard work? Plus, you may find that you don’t need some of that extra coverage once your base is applied.
Not setting it: Use a translucent powder over the top of your concealer to stop the product from moving throughout the day. Use a large powder puff for your face or a fluffy eye shadow brush under the eyes for light, even coverage.
Applying it the wrong way under your eyes: Draw an upside-down triangle under your eye with the point ending just under the apple of your cheek. This not only covers dark circles but also highlights and lifts your face.
Using one colour: We get it; all those pastel colours look scary. But colour-correcting is easier than you think; especially when you have this cheat sheet – Green: Cancels out redness, like rosacea, broken blood vessels and blemishes. Purple: Counteracts yellow undertones and brightens sallow skin. Pink/peach: Neutralises blue-purple hues under the eyes. Yellow: Brightens dark areas around the nostrils and eyes.
Going it alone: Applying concealer to bare skin means the product can easily settle into fine lines or, if your skin is on the drier side, can highlight flakiness. Even if you’re not wearing foundation, ensure you apply a base of either moisturiser or primer for the product to cling to.
Only using your fingers: Yes, using your fingertips will warm the product and make it easier to blend, which is great for evening out skin tone and banishing dark circles, but brushes come in handy too. A small flat-head brush gives you more precision and a heavier finish when concealing pigmentation, broken capillaries and blemishes.
From left to right try: Murad Hybrids Eye Lift Perfector, $68. Clinique Airbrush Concealer, $43. L’Oréal Paris Infallible 24H Concealer in Golden Beige, $25.99. MAC Studio Conceal and Correct Duo in Pale Yellow/Pale Pink, $50.
From left to right try: Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light Bisque, $50. Benefit Fake Up Undereye Concealer in Medium, $45. L’Oréal Paris True Match Crayon Concealer in Beige, $25.99. Napoleon Perdis Pro Palette Correct and Conceal, $67. Elizabeth Arden Flawless Finish Maximum Coverage Concealer in Medium, $53.
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