Make Up Lessons I've Learned: Concealer

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Okay class, take your seats. The lesson is about to begin.

Just kidding! Kinda. I would just like to stress that actually, I'm not an expert - I just watch a hell of a lot of YouTube videos on make up, beauty etc and have learnt a lot of tips and tricks on how to make the most out of my products. 

I will be doing a series of "classes" on different topics, so should you have any requests do let me know in the comments or on twitter. 

I honestly and truly believe there is no right and wrong with make up. If someone tells you you've applied your concealer wrong, or you need to put this powder here and do this powder there, don't listen to them. It is all about using the make up to work best for you and cooperate with your skin. 

So that about covers it. No attacking me for not being a qualified MUA, this is just advice for beginners on what works for me and how I use different products in a number of ways. 

Lesson One: Concealer

Concealer is one of the most underrated products of all time as it has so many uses and possibilities. It astounds me, that a few years ago I never even owned a pot of concealer and now it's my go to product. 

But before you rush off and buy your own based off that sentence I have some words of warning for you. There are two factors you should always be wary of when using concealer and these are:

- With thicker consistency concealers it is very easy to apply to much, leading to an extremely cakey application. It will ruin the entire base of your makeup. 

- Getting the right shade is essential. Whether you are using it to colour correct, brighten the under eye or conceal blemishes it is important to get the perfect match. Pay attention to the undertones of your skin when purchasing. I, for example, have a yellow/grey undertone, so cooler colours suit me better as opposed to warm. 

Now that you have read the warning, we can get on to fun part! What are the tricks concealer has up it's sleeve? 

I am so glad you asked. 

My number one main reason I use concealer is to brighten up my dark under eyes. I get severe bags during the week, purely from long, boring days, early starts and late nights so it is essential I do what I can to hide them. The concealer I currently use is Too Faced Multi-Use Sculpting Concealer in shade Light Beige. This is around 2/3 shades lighter than my actual skin tone and provides a very natural looking lift. 

When shopping for your own concealer to brighten your under eyes, you need to look for the same. Around two shades lighter than your foundation colour. 

In order to do this without looking too cakey, I will apply my foundation and powder first and then simply dab around 4 dots on to the darkened area and blend it out with a small buffing brush.

You must set concealer if you have used it under your eyes. That area of your face is extremely prone to creasing, so use a transparent powder to set where you have highlighted. No need to bake, that will dry out the skin. 

So not only can you highlight your under eyes with concealer, you can also brighten certain high points of your face, For example, I use concealer on the centre of my forehead, along the bridge of my nose and around my nose and upper lip area.

If my bags are REALLY bad, I will actually use a peach concealer before my foundation. This neutralises the skin tone, making it much easier to create a flawless, natural base. This technique is known as 'Colour Correcting.' However, I won't be going into too much detail on that just yet, as I have scheduled it in for another lesson. 

Probably, the most known reason for concealer is to even your skin tone by covering spots and blemishes. Of course, for this you will require a concealer that matches your exact skin tone. 

This is great, because it can give us the confidence to wear no foundation and show off freckles or the natural texture of your face etc but of course covering all the less than pretty stuff. ​

With this technique, a little goes a long way. I use the NYX Concealer Pot with a small Real Techniques concealer brush. I will swipe the brush in the product and lightly brush it onto any spots or discolouration I wish to cover. I will then use my powder brush just to set them in place. 

Can't afford UD's Primer Potion but still want to make your shadow pop? Concealer. 

Conceal the whole of your lid before applying any shadows! This will create a perfect base for layering and will prevent the shadows from moving, transferring or just disappearing. 

If you really want to make your shadow vibrant, be sure to use concealer first. It will keep the colours pigmented. I promise this picture is the exact same colour, just concealer used on the second one. 

If you have Instagram and follow a few make up accounts then you will see the Cut Crease look everywhere. It is one of the easiest ways to really show off a colour and a seamless blend. The easiest way to achieve this look is, with your shadows, firstly do your crease, then layer more shadow on your outer corner, then use concealer on your lid and dab the colour you want to pop on to that. Then using a blending brush, blend that into the crease. Voila. There are many tutorials all over YouTube that you can use to see how easy this is. 

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The only other way I use concealer is as a clean up crew to neaten things up and erase any mistakes, and trust me, a lot of mistakes are made. 

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If I have opted for a dark lipstick, I will use it around my lips to prevent bleeding, or hide any smudging. 

When the focal point of your makeup is your dramatic, winged liner that can cut a bitch, it is imperative that your flick is sharp and of course, by using a little concealer brush and swiping the product just underneath the flick, that is easily achieved. Insta baddie for daysss. 

You know those drop dead gorgeous girls on Instagram you see with the perfect brows? Yeah, that is achieved through concealer. Until you have actually tried the technique, you will not realise how much of a difference it actually makes. So, next time you have finished your brows, try running some concealer all the way around and see how much it neatens it up.

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Finally, I use concealer just underneath my cheek contour. Once again, this sharpens the look, and makes the contour the absolute best it can be. It makes your cheek bones look much more prominent, for that perfectly formed face we all crave. 

And there you have it. Lesson One done!

If you learned something or found this at all useful, please let me know, and of course if you have any other concealer hacks that haven't been mentioned please, please let me and other readers know in the comments below. 

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