Revlon Candid Antioxidant Concealer
Image credit “Medical News Today”
Coffee and Concealer
For those of you who did not get a chance to come to our Coffee and Concealer event, I wanted to share some of the highlights with you. I decided to break this blog into 2 parts so it wouldn’t be too overwhelming to read! One of the top makeup questions that people ask me has to do with covering under-eye darkness and circles. I am often asked “Which is the best concealer for me?”. I always answer that question by first asking my client, “What are you trying to cover?” Before I can recommend a concealer, I need to decide which formula of concealer would address the issue. The second question I ask is “What is the skin texture of the area that you are trying to cover?”
Concealers come in several formulas and colors. I find that there is not a “one-size-fits all” when it comes to choosing one, and in fact, I often recommend 2-3 different formulas. As a makeup artist, I use concealers for a few purposes.
#1 For covering up skin imperfections such as red spots, brown spots, or other small areas of discoloration.
#2 For covering darkness under the eyes, I would use a color corrector and then choose a concealer with a different consistency than what I would use to cover a blemish.
#3 For brightening/highlighting an area. Again, the formula and color that I would use for this is different from what I would use for covering spots or under eye circles. I will be speaking more about this in part two of this blog.
For today, I will focus on how to cover dark circles under the eyes.
Color-correcting and concealing dark under eye circles:
Have you ever noticed that when you use a light colored concealer to try and hide dark under eye circles, you end up with a grayish cast under the eyes? The reason this happens, is because those purple/blue tones are not being neutralized before adding a light colored concealer.
Neutralizing or color-correcting is a way to use the principles of color theory to fix the problem. If you have mild discoloration under the eyes, you may be able to skip the color-correcting step. However, if you have moderate to severe darkness under your eyes, I recommend applying a color corrector in a peach or orange color, before you apply your usual concealer.
The two color correctors that I like are L.A Girl Pro Conceal in Peach (which can be purchased at CVS), and Ever Daylight Treatment Concealer Corrector (purchase via an Ever representative)
Here is my advice to get the best results: Start by applying a lightweight eye cream or a moisturizer which can be used under the eyes. Make sure that the formula isn’t too heavy or greasy.
Next, using a small brush or a clean finger, apply a very small amount of the peach color corrector directly on the areas where you see the purplish shadows. For some people, this is on the inner corner of the eyes, and may extend beyond the under eye area.
Use a damp sponge or clean fingers to pat the product into the skin. This should help eliminate most of the discoloration.
Step 2: Choose a medium to light coverage concealer, and apply directly on top of the area where you have color-corrected.
Gently tap into the skin. Some of my favorites are: Revlon Photoready Candid Antioxidant Concealer, and Ilia True Serum Concealer.
Make sure that the color of this concealer matches your skin and doesn’t appear too light. Otherwise, it may call attention to other issues, such as puffiness or fine lines.
Final step: roll your damp sponge or beauty blender into a translucent loose powder. Tap off the excess product and pat the sponge over the area to set it. And voila, you just gave yourself 8 hours of sleep!
Stay tuned for part 2 of my concealer blog which talks about hiding red marks, and using concealer to highlight! Thanks for reading.