The Concealer Guide

Concealer is a lot more confusing than it first appears. What kind of concealer should you use for what? Which is best for your skin type? What colour do you need? How much should you be spending? Hopefully, after reading my post all of these things will be a little clearer!

The Corrector

Correctors are (often unusually coloured) products you put over imperfections to 'cancel out' the colour of them. Often you would put them underneath your foundation or under a skin-coloured concealer. There are a fair few on the market of different colours claiming to combat different things. I have 2: one yellow-toned one from W7 and Benefit's Erase Paste (£20.50), which is orange-salmon. The W7 Yellow Corrective Concealer* (£2.49) works well under the eyes, even though it's more for uneven skin tone and the Erase Paste really goes a long way to reduce some of the blueish colour of dark circles. The W7 has a much drier texture, so try that if you have oily skin, whereas the Erase Paste works much better on dry/normal skin types. I like to apply correctors with my Nanshy Concealer Perfector.

The Creamy Concealer

I own the most of these! They work well enough under the eyes, however be careful not to pile too much on as these can look cakey if you do. However they're absolutely perfect for spots and blemishes. I have two drugstore formulas and one high-end version. The Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer (£4.19) only comes in 4 shades and it's quite a dry, thick texture. I personally don't use this one at all under the eyes but find it's amazing on spots and blemishes. The Maybelline Fit Me Concealer (£5.99) is a lot lighter and more liquid-y. Some people like to use creamy concealers for highlighting so if you want to do that, I'd recommend this one as it's really blend-able. It works much better under the eyes than the Collection, though it isn't quite as good for blemishes. It's a great all-rounder. The Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer (£22) is my favourite, in part because the high-end price tag means there are so many more shades available. It's a happy medium in texture between the very fluid Fit Me and the very dry Lasting Perfection. It blends beautifully into foundation, though it's a little heavy to wear under the eyes if you only have a light base on. Otherwise it works for both dark circles and blemishes. At the moment I'm really liking using the flat Makeup Revolution Pro Concealer Brush to pat them into my foundation. If it's for highlighting or under eyes, go a shade or two lighter, if it's for blemishes make sure you match it to your skin tone.

The Highlighter

I have the No7 Instant Radiance Under Eye Concealer* (£13.50) which is nice enough but personally I have major dark circles so it's not enough on it's own. I would dot it over something else then blend with my fingers for a brightening effect under the eyes. All in all, not an essential concealer for me (yes, I've tried Touche Eclat too!) but plenty of people love them so what do I know! For this type of concealer you may want to go a shade or two lighter.

The Potted Concealer

I only have one of these; Benefit Boi-ing (£17.50). They tend to have a drier consistency so are probably best for oiler skin types. Boi-ing works well for blemishes, however I tend to use it for tidying up my eyebrows, applying it with the Real Techniques Pointed Foundation Brush (not available individually). It helps to get that precise, manicured look.

The Under-Eye Concealer  

Finally I have one specific under-eye concealer to show you; the Maybelline Age Rewind Instant Eye Eraser (£7.99). It's really light and easy to blend but also provides enough coverage. I tend to use this with lighter bases, as I mentioned; if you're not using a proper foundation a creamy concealer can look a bit much. I like to buff this in with the Zoeva Concealer Brush.

Overall, I would say that you don't need to spend a lot on a great concealer, however high-end brands have a much wider shade selection. If I could only pick one type of concealer it would be a Creamy Concealer as it's possible to use them for everything, there are a variety of formulas to suit different skin types and they're available at all price points.

What's your must-have concealer?

 

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