Concealer: Shades and Placement

Concealer does two jobs that need different products: covering a spot or a mark, and brightening under the eyes. Using one product for both is why concealer so often looks either gray under the eyes or obvious over a blemish. The other half of getting it right is correcting before concealing, which on deeper skin usually means a color, not a shade.

Correcting first

Dark circles and dark marks on deeper skin often have a blue, purple or deep brown cast that no skin-toned concealer covers cleanly; it just goes gray over them. A corrector in the opposite color neutralizes the cast first. Orange or red-orange correctors are the ones deeper skin tones usually need, with peach for lighter brown skin and deeper orange or red for darker skin. A thin layer, pressed in and set, then concealer on top. The corrector should be invisible under the concealer, not doing the covering itself.

Two shades

For blemishes and marks, a concealer that exactly matches your foundation, so the covered spot disappears into the surrounding skin. For under the eyes, one shade lighter than your foundation, and no lighter than that. The common mistake is going two or three shades lighter for brightness, which produces a pale triangle that photographs badly and reads as gray in daylight. Warm undertones under the eye help; a lighter concealer that is also cooler goes ashy.

Placement

Under the eyes, a small amount at the inner corner and along the lower lash line where the darkness actually is, blended outward, not a full inverted triangle painted down the cheek. Over a blemish, a dot pressed onto the spot alone with a fingertip or a small brush, feathered at the edges, then set. Concealer spread over a wide area draws attention to what it is covering.

Stopping it creasing

Less product, which is the answer to most creasing. Set it with a light dusting of translucent powder pressed in with a sponge, not swept on. Let eye cream absorb fully before applying, since concealer over a slippery base slides into lines. If it still creases, a thinner, more liquid formula creases less than a thick one.