Concealor!

I have always thought that one of the most important makeup items you can own is concealer. also known as cover up, if you get the right concealer, you can make your skin look virtually flawless. In this post, i am going to go over the different types of concealer, what they do, and how to apply them.


Liquid Concealer
The first concelar i wil talk about is liquid. If it is a drug store brand (cover girl, maybeline, ect) it will probably come in a tube with a screw top and one of those applicators that come in cheap lip gloss. If you are buying a higher end liquid concealor, it usually comes in a sort of pen that has a brush at the end to help with application. sometimes, high end liquid concealor will come in  a tube. I find that liquid concealor works best when i'm trying to cover up a bunch of smaller things. for me, it dosnt allways work on those zits that are 3D but does a fine job covering up slight discoloring, and also hides under eye circles as long as they are not really bad or baggy.

when applying liquid concealor, i find it easiest to use the given applicator, and create sevral small dots in the area needed, then i usually use my finger to blend. Most people use a concealor brush. I got a foundation brush at forever 21 that cost $4. at first, it was really stiff, and even after spending up to 10 minutes, there would still be streak marks. i found this to be the result of having a brush with to manny hares, and being too stiff. to fix it, i just jammed the end of the brush into a table a few times, and then the brush was softened. so if your using a brush, i reccomend gently sweeping it over the concealor to get it spread out, then use your finger for finishing toutches.

My liquid concealer recommendation: get a good liquid concealer. i got a cover girl one that does an ok job covering things, but really aggravates acne and makes skin greasy. YSL has a great one that leaves your skin 'luminous' and natrual looking. running at $45, it's a splurge.clinique also has a great concealor that looks more natrual, and is only $15.

Concealer Stick/ Cover-up
concealer stick 'Perfectly conceals uneven skin tone such as dark circles, spots and freckles for an instantly brighter, more uniform complexion'. While they may do that, i find that concealer sticks are quite like mini foundation sticks. They will either come in a fat or thin tube,are available in a plethora of shades, and look a bit like nude lipstick. I have always had a hard time with concealer sticks. I got one from Sephora. it was originally $12 but had been marked down to $6. The one I got is hard to blend, dries out my skin, and shows crease lines from when i close my eyes, and from the foundation brush I use.

I have a hard time with concealer stick, because the one i have sits atop my skin and doesn't blend well. a few friends of mine have purchased high end concealer sticks and they say they work ok, but find you can only use it to conceal really tiny spots. When i put it on, i usually slap a layer of it on, then use my finger to blend the edges out. i find that if i try to blend the mass area of it, it just wipes onto my finger

My recommendation: if you think you really need a concealer stick, splurge. I heard coverfx has a great cover up that's $40. If you'r just looking to experiment, i heard maybeline and e.l.f both have cheap cover up but it's a bit chalky and encourages breakouts.

Cream concealer
cream concealer is a thicker rather sticky concealer that when correclty blended, can do a great job covering larger imperfections and things that stick out. cream concealer comes in a wide variety of containers,but mostly jars. and is called cream concealer, erase paste, ect. they also come in a variation of consistency's, from sticky as glue to almost as un-gooey as liquid. cream concealer is my go-to when ever i wake up and i get suprise acne. I think if you are going to splurge on one concealer, go for cream. While it might seem expensive, as long as you dont cover your whole face with it, it'l last you forever. no joke. I stole my moms bobbi brown 'creamy concealer' about 8 months ago, and i havn't even made a dent on it. it runs for $22. i think it's a steal.

when ever i apply cream concealer, first i put clearosal on any acne then i use that foundation brush i discussed in the liquid concealer section. i just press a side of it against the surface of the concealer and then dab away exes on the side of the container before dabbing the tip of the brush on the nessecary area. i then use my finger to blend and ajust the concealer. if you are using a cream concealer with a consistancy closer to that of a liquid concealer, just use the process for that.

if you are thinking about a cream concealer, here are my reccomendations.
for covering up bad acne and dark circles: Bobbi Brown creamy concealer, $22
for brightening dark or discolored skin: Benefit erase paste, $26
for general long wear coverage: mac studio finish spf 35 concealer, $16.50 (its water resistant!)

My conclusion: experiment. go to makeup counters and try different things out. i believe concealer is one of those things that everyone has a different preference. Have fun!

emma