Cosmetics Concealer

1. Concealer Basics
2. Concealers for Oily Skin
3. Concealers for Normal and Combination Skins
4. Concealers for Dry Skin
5. The perfect color
6. Easy Application Steps

Concealer is a product designed to cover up skin imperfections including dark circles under the eyes, blemishes, and other skin imperfections such as age spots and sun spots.

Concealers come in multiple textures including creams, sticks, liquids and powders. They contain more concentrated pigment than foundations as they are designed hide skin imperfections.

The thicker and creamier a concealer, the greater amount of mineral pigment the formula can suspend providing greater skin coverage. Most cream or stick concealers contain a significant amounts of emollient ingredients such as plant based oils and waxes.

Confused about all the different packaging? Remember, ultimately, a product is as only good as the ingredients in it. Don't be awed by flashy tubes and wands. A no frills stick or pot concealer work just as well. The key is to choose the right concealer formula for your skin type.

Oily Skin:

If your skin is oily, try an oil free or jojoba oil-based formula. Jojoba oil is actually a wax and will not clog pores or cause acne. Many women like stick concealers as the formulas tend to be dryer and easier to apply to oily skin. Another option for oily skin is a mineral make up concealer which comes in a powder. As a rule of thumb, drier concealers appear more matte on the skin.

Normal and Combination Skin:

Because women with normal and combination skin have both oily and dry zones on their face, choosing a concealer can be challenging. To cover blemishes and acne, try a drier or oil free concealer. However, for dark spots and imperfections on dryer parts of the face, try a creamier concealer formula. As a rule of thumb, if a concealer formula is too dry to glide easily across your skin, you might need a creamier formula.

Dry Skin:

For dry skin, try a cream or liquid concealer formula. A creamier formula has has more emollient ingredients to soothe and hydrate the skin. Also, it's much easier to apply a creamy product to taut, dehydrated skin.

How to choose a concealer color:

To really cover up skin imperfections, it's best to find a concealer that is one shade lighter than your actual skin tone. The key is to sufficiently lighten dark areas without drawing attention to them. Too light or dark a shade can draw extra attention to blemishes and dark areas.

1. Pick out three shades closest to your skin tone.
2. With a q-tip, stripe each color vertically across your chin.
3. Check the mirror carefully to see which shade "disappears" into your skin. The wrong colors will appear to stand on top of the skin's surface while the shade closest to your own will fade into the background.

By choosing a color that disappears into your skin and few people will even know you're wearing make up.

How to apply concealer step by step:

1. Dot a small amount of your perfect concealer to your skin imperfections with your ring finger, concealer brush, stick or wand applicator.
2. Use a concealer brush or make up sponge, use light sweeping motion from center of the dark area outward until the entire skin imperfection is evenly covered. If using your fingers, try patting concealer into your skin in an even smooth motion. Avoid rubbing, which will move concealer around unevenly and even remove it from the intended blemish.
3. If after applying a small amount of concealer, you need additional coverage, repeat the process by dotting a small amount of concealer to the skin imperfection. By applying a small amount of concealer at a time, the coverage will look natural and the skin imperfection will literally disappear.
4. After applying your concealer, dust loose or pressed powder to lock it into place. This works especially well for setting undereye concealer.