Starting Out: Concealers
3.9.13
If you've been reading my blog, then it should come as no surprise that I am a concealer freak. I'm always on the good hunt for a good concealer because I don't think I could feel complete without it. Kinda like how life wouldn't feel complete if you could only have toast and not Nutella spread over it.
When I started using makeup, I wanted to cover up those nasty acne scars that were scattered all over my face. So I would always opt for higher coverage foundations. It was months before I realize that foundations were meant to even out the skin tone, rather than cover up. So in the past months, I've started to gravitate towards sheerer foundations (or at least foundations that'll get you the "Oooh, your skin is amazing!" compliment) and using concealer to cover up the "more mortal" side of me. (I mean, we can't all have perfect skin, right? Though, not to toot my own horn, but where I don't have acne scarring, my skin is pretty darn good.) Another problem that I have had to start to tackle in the past year or so is dark circles. I was lucky to not have them through high school and junior high. But I guess they decided to pop out as a pre-"ready for the hardships of post-college life?" gift. So starting in the dawn weeks of my senior year, I was gifted with under eye circles that would, on better days, fade to a grey tint. Normally, they're just there. They're not horrifying, they're just dark and pull my whole face down (no, not literally). On the bad days (read: the past summer), let's just say I would make the pandas at the zoo confused as to why they have a relative on the other side of the glass.
That being said, I've picked out four of my favorite products to conceal and have categorized them into The Face, The Under Eye, and The All-Over.
That being said, I've picked out four of my favorite products to conceal and have categorized them into The Face, The Under Eye, and The All-Over.
The Under Eye
Let's face it, we don't get enough sleep. Maybe you were up marathoning Doctor Who finishing that report that's due tomorrow, but you wake up and there are these dark circles that are telltale signs that you didn't sleep. From past experience, if I go out like that, I'm going to get the usual "oooh, so who were you thinking about last night?" teases, so I cover them up. Usually an highlighting under eye concealer like the L'Oreal la touche magique is enough to give that bright eyed look. But if it's a week of insomnia and I have circles that would make a panda proud, I always turn to my Bobbi Brown Corrector. It's that one product that never fails to let me down. I also did a post a while back on how to fake that bright eyed look, so you can check that out for further cheats.
The Face
I don't know about you, but every time I have a blemish, I have these spots that are left behind and take forever to fade. Now that I'm regularly using SPF and updated my skincare routine, the spots are fading faster, but not as quickly as I'd like them to. So in order to cover them up, I like to reach for the heavy duty Benefit Boi-ing Concealer. It's dry consistency allows it to not slip and slide throughout the day, meaning that it'll stay put. But the downside is that it will cling to dry spots, so remember to fully moisturize beforehand. I like to use my fingers with this product to allow it to fully warm up and melt into the skin. But you could also melt it on the back of your hand and then use an eyeliner brush to detail the product onto the spot before blending the edges.
The All-Over
You've heard it more than once, you need at least two different concealers, one for the undereye and another for the face. That's true. In most cases. But there are times when we want to spend money on one concealer so we can get another pretty eyeshadow. And if you're feeling that itch, then the product you should spend your money on is the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer. This is probably my most reached for concealer and I'm pushing this into the faces of everyone that's asked for a concealer recommendation from me in the past months. It's creamy enough to use under the eyes without creasing, and paired with the Bobbi Brown Corrector, it's enough to camouflage those dark circles. On it's own, the coverage is around medium, so when used on blemishes, there will still be hints of redness. But I mean, unless you're going for a flawless face or you have flawless skin, then I think it's enough for a quick every day face.
The Bobbi Brown Corrector and the Benefit Boi-ing Concealer are more expensive, but I'm telling you, they're worth it. So that's it, those are my picks. What are your favorite concealers?
Previously: Skincare
Next week on the #SOproject: Foundations/Bases
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