When it comes to achieving a flawless complexion with makeup, one of the most critical steps you cannot avoid is applying concealer. From hiding dark under-eye circles to covering up angry red pimples, a top-notch concealer can do a lot to stop you from making your skin issues look a gazillion times more obvious. But not every concealer is made equal, and even if you are lucky enough to get the right type with the best coverage, it may not match your skin perfectly. So here comes the importance of a homemade concealer that can be customized as per your unique requirements. In this article, you will learn how to make concealer at home while knowing its types, colors, coverage options, and application.
What is Concealer?
Concealer, also popularly known as ‘color corrector’, is a very common and widely used makeup item. As the name suggests, it is used to ‘conceal imperfections’ or ‘correct discoloration’ of the skin, thereby ensuring an even skin tone and a flawless appearance. Concealers may vary based on their formulations, textures, colors, and shades. Hence, a perfect combination of all these features is needed to target specific issues. Some of the most common ingredients found in commercially available concealers are castor seed oil, hydrolyzed corn starch, hydrolyzed rice protein, kaolin, dimethicone, oleyl alcohol, mineral oil, glycerin, glyceryl stearate, sodium chloride, color additive, fragrance, talc, and water (1). You can use concealer alone or combine it with your favorite foundation. While both of them make the skin appear more uniform in color, concealers come with a thicker consistency and higher pigment levels (2).
Max Factor was the first ever cosmetics brand to launch concealer. In 1954, the brand came up with ‘Erace’, which is known to be the first commercially available color corrector. (3)
Read Also – Best Concealer for Dark Circles That You Can Bank On
Why Use a Concealer?
So, why should you give concealer a try? Well, no matter how pretty your skin looks with primer and foundation on, they cannot hide the blemishes or breakouts. That is why you need a concealer. Here is what you can use the product for:
- Pesky pimples (angry red, raised, or even blemished)
- Dark under-eye circles
- Hyperpigmentation
- Blemishes (spots and marks)
- Birthmarks
- Freckles
- Popping tired eyes
- Contouring
For facial contouring, take two concealers of two different shades. The concealer one or two shades lighter than your natural skin tone should be used on forehead, nasal bridge, cheekbones, and chin. Conversely, apply the concealer one or two shades darker than your natural skin tone under your hairline, cheekbones, and jawline along with the sides of your nasal bridge.
Choosing the Best Concealer Coverage
Before getting into other details of concealer, let us talk about the best coverage options:
- High Coverage: It is required to hide prominent skin imperfections like pimples, blemishes, hyperpigmentation, redness, dark shadows, etc.
- Medium Coverage: When your skin concerns are light in color, such as faded acne scars, freckles, etc., opt for this one.
- Light Coverage: It is mainly used for highlighting and contouring.
Types of Concealer
A well-formulated concealer is essential to cover up blemishes or achieve an even skin tone. Many product forms are available in the market, and you must know about them to figure out your exact needs. Here we go (4):
1. Cream Concealer
This creamy formulation is excellent for dry and dehydrated skin that requires extra moisture. It usually offers high coverage with intense pigmentation to disguise pimples, dark circles, and blemishes.
2. Stick Concealer
It is excellent for spot corrections and can be used efficiently for pimples, redness, etc. Dry-skinned people looking for a lot of coverage may go for this nourishing and highly pigmented product. Some stick formulae also come with anti-inflammatory or light-diffusing agents for addressing blemishes and dark circles, respectively.
Also Read – DIY – Homemade Powder Foundation And Liquid Foundation Recipes
3. Liquid Concealer
Hide freckles, light pigmentation, and hints of darkness under the eyes while evening out the skin tone lightly with this liquid formula. It provides buildable medium coverage for all skin types without clogging pores. However, it needs to be set with a powder to avoid the settlement into the fine lines.
4. Pencil Concealer
This type of concealer is perfect for contouring as it delivers a semi-matte finish. You can also use it for covering up small spots and blemishes.
5. Pen Concealer
You cannot use this newbie alone for concealing under-eye dark circles or pimples. To make the most of the radiance and luminosity offered by its semi-sheer coverage, you have to use your go-to concealer first.
How to Find the Right Concealer Color?
With so many shades of concealer to choose from, it is essential to know the general rule of thumb. First, pick a concealer that matches your skin tone if you want to even out your complexion. Then, to better hide your imperfections, pair it up with a color-correcting concealer that will cancel out the color of a particular type of blemish. Following are the shades of concealer, and their right uses:
- Orange: The orange color family (pink, peach, and salmon) is suitable to neutralize the dark shadows (blue or purple) under the eyes.
- Green: Try a mint green or blue concealer to counteract the red patches on your skin caused by angry red pimples, rosacea, or broken veins.
- Yellow: From bluish shadows or bruises to mild red tones, a concealer with a yellow undertone can balance all these on the skin.
- Lavender: Using a lavender concealer followed by the regular concealer can help you make your sallow complexion look brighter.
3 Simple DIY Homemade Concealer Recipes
When it comes to picking a commercially available concealer, it becomes an uphill task to find the most suitable product in the right shade with the best coverage. Instead, it is easy to make your concealer at home that will match your skin tone and offer you the kind of coverage you desire. Check out below 3 simple DIY homemade concealer recipes to achieve a flawless, polished look:
1. Moisturizing Cream and Blush
Scoop out about a spoonful of your favorite cream-based moisturizer or eye cream into a clean pot (an empty lip balm container). Now, scrape off a blush powder that matches your skin tone and add it to the container. Next, mix both ingredients with a spatula or a toothpick and whip well. Keep adding the blush powder until you get the right color to match your skin tone perfectly. Finally, test the mixture out by applying it under the eyes. Voila!
2. Foundation and Moisturizing Cream
If you are stuck with a liquid foundation that is one shade darker than your natural skin tone, this recipe is for you only. Take a spoonful of eye cream or any moisturizing cream of your choice in a clean container and add about half a spoonful of the foundation to it. Mix them well. Keep experimenting with the amount of foundation until you get the shade closest to your skin tone. Now, top the mixture with a little bit of foundation that truly matches your skin tone and blends well. You are done! Make sure that you prepare this in small batches since you want to keep your product fresh or make shade alterations the next time around.
3. Moisturizer and Compact
This can be the easiest way to make a concealer if you have brownish or yellowish pressed powder with you. All you have to do is take a pea-sized amount of eye cream or moisturizer onto your palm and scrape out some pressed powder into it. Mix them well. Add a touch of foundation to this to get the desired color. Blend well, and you are all set to use it. Make this on the go without bothering to store the preparation in a jar.
How to Apply Concealer?
The wrong application of concealer can make your flaws look even more obvious by drawing attention to them. So, knowing the correct application technique is the key to a flawless appearance. Following are the steps:
- Prepare your face with a lightweight liquid moisturizer and a primer that will give a soft matte finish.
- Apply a foundation that matches your skin tone and blend it thoroughly all over your face.
- Dab the concealer onto the problem areas of the skin with your clean fingers or a makeup sponge.
- Blend it out gently with a loose brush until the lines almost disappear.
- Set it by dusting some loose or pressed powder lightly.
Dos and Don’ts to Follow
Finally, keep these points in mind to take your concealer game up a notch (5) (6):
- Always test a concealer out in the store while buying it for the first time to avoid any allergic reactions.
- Exfoliate 2-3 times a week to eliminate dead cells and naturally reveal a fresh, blemish-free layer of skin.
- Please do not skip the primer, as it gives a smooth canvas for the application of concealer and makes it last longer.
- Less is always more for concealer. So, start with a tiny dab and work your way up to avoid cakey, clumpy, patchy, or goopy looks.
- Do not use a single concealer for the entire face, as the shade suitable for hiding blemishes will never cover up your dark under-eye circles beautifully.
- Blend the concealer well with a small, flat concealer brush rather than rubbing it in with your fingers.
Summary:
Concealer is an essential makeup product that is used for concealing or correcting imperfections on the skin. It is available in many forms like cream, stick, liquid, pen, and pencil while the coverage options offered by them can also be different like high, medium, and light. Concealer is available in several shades, such as orange, green, yellow, and lavender. It is important to find the right type of concealer in right shade that can offer the desired coverage. However, the task can be really difficult at times and hence, using a homemade concealer is always a nice idea. You can prepare concealer easily at home by combining moisturizing cream and blush, foundation and moisturizing cream, or compact powder and moisturizing cream. Make sure that you learn the right method of applying concealer and keep the dos and don’ts in mind to make the most of it.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Do I Need a Concealer?
If you have naturally flawless skin, you may not need a concealer. But if you are dealing with blemishes, scars, redness, dark circles, etc., that you want to cover up, using concealer is a must for you.
Should I Apply Concealer Before or After Foundation?
There is no hard-and-fast rule regarding this. It is the general practice to wear the concealer over the foundation. However, you can reverse it at your convenience if you are not using a powder foundation.
What Can Be Used Instead of Concealer?
You can use a full-coverage liquid foundation or cream as an excellent alternative to concealer.
Can I Use Concealer Without Primer?
Though you can use concealer without primer, the experts do not recommend it.
What Happens If You Don’t Set Your Concealer?
Your concealer may melt away soon if you do not set it with powder.
References:
- “Concealers“, cosmeticsinfo.org
- “Concealer” en.wikipedia.org
- “Max Factor: The Man Who Changed the Faces of the World“, books.google.co.in
- “The Confused Girl’s Guide to Concealer“, BeautyHeaven.com.au
- “How to Use Concealer: The 10 Crucial Do’s and Don’ts“, StyleCaster.com
- “14 Concealer Mistakes You’re Making That are Ruining Your Makeup“, Insider.com
