WEEK 2: Concealer

Hola Dalimoo's,

So it is that time of week again and as the title suggests it is all about concealer.

What is concealer?  Concealer is a product that helps to "mask" any imperfections, i.e. blemishes, redness or dark circles.

You should really put your concealer on after foundation otherwise you will end up wiping the concealer off when you apply your foundation, but if you are like me and you rarely wear foundation use your concealer before you powder.

(a) Coastal Scents Corrector Quad;
(b) Benefit Powderflage
(c) Pixi Eye Brightening
(d) Bare Minerals Concealer - Well Rested
(e) Real Technique's setting brush

 If you feel that your concealer is just not cutting it with the coverage stakes you may need to try a colour corrector too.  Colour corrector concealers are designed for a specific complexion issue.  Green is used to neutralise redness/pinkness which could be from roscea, blemishes or broken capillaries.  Yellow helps neutralise black, blue purple tones, as in bruises and under eye circles.  purple/lavender helps neutralises excessive yellow pigmentation and is good for olive skin types.  Light blue neutralises any orange tones.

The colour corrector I have is the Coastal Scents Corrector Quad (a) - $7.95 - CS, this quad is very pigmented and you only need to use the smallest amount and work it in really well before putting your concealer on top.

For a brightening effect under the eye you should use a salmon/peach tone corrector.  I use Pixi Eye Brightening (c) - £12.00 - Pixi which I have had for a long time as you only need to smallest amount and dab until blended.  This product is amazing and would definitely be repurchasing it when I finish it.

To highlight and illuinate the eyes I like to use a highlight pen under my eyes (I have currently used mine up and Superdrug's didn't have the one I normally like in stock - so is not in my pictures).  My favourite at the moment is the L'Oreal Paris Lumi Magique Touch of Light in shades 1 and 2 mixed - £8.49 - superdrug.  I apply this as a "v" shape from my out corner to the inner eye and blend.  I use this after I have concealed my eyes but before my brightening powder!

Two brightening powders I like to use on alternate days are Benefit powderflage (b) £19.50 - Benefit, I use a dusting of this with the small fan brush that comes with it or the Bare Minerals Concealer in well rested (d) - £19.00 - BM, I use my real techniques setting brush (e) - £6.29 - feelunique to apply this, I swirl, tap and buff it on to my eye area.  These two products I use as a finishing/setting powder for under my eyes.

Then use a concealer for the smaller areas feel need it most like redness round your nose or any blemishes you have.  You can use your fingers to dab and blend or you can buff it in with brushes, my two favourite brushes to use to blend concealer in is MAC 217 brush (iv) - £18 - MAC and the Crown stiff tapered crease brush (v) - £3.09 - Crown.  You only need the smallest amount of concealer, but can build up if you need to.  Remember that concealer is not a foundation and concealer can settle into fine lines and look cakey if too much is used.

When I choose a concealer for myself I always choose it like a foundation.  I put a little on my jawline and use natural light to gage whether it is the nearest to my own skin colour/tone as possible.

The concealer's I like using are:

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection in Medium 3 (i) - £3.69 - Superdrug.  This is a cult product within the beauty world and rightly so, I absolutely love this product and it is my definite go to, it is also the only concealer I keep a back up of;

Bourjois healthy mix in 52 (ii) - £7.99 - Superdrug, this one is pretty full coverage and I personally think it drys more like a powder, you only need the smallest amount as it is very pigmented;

Mac Select Cover up in NW20 and NW25 (iii) - £15 - MAC, these are my  newest purchases as I was having such bad acne at the time and felt I needed something with more staying power, the formulation and pigmentation I think feels like a mixture of lasting perfection and Healthy Mix.

As my eyes are now my only real "problematic areas" this is where I tend to use the most products.

Once I have concealed the areas I need to, I use a setting face powder and finish doing the rest of my make up.

I hope the above helped a little in using concealer and correctors.  I am NOT a make up artist and the information I give may not be entirely correct but this is how I apply my concealer and it works really well for me.

Anyway my lovelies, until next week

Ciao for now xx