Find Your Perfect Concealer
Posted by Joanna Mariani on Fri, Jan 06, 2012 @ 09:44 AM
Concealer is the unsung hero of our makeup bag. It discreetly helps us hide any perceived flaws or distractions we may not like so we can stop obsessing about them (you know we do!) and focus on enhancing our best features. Different problems call for different solutions, so this week I’m going to discuss our different concealers and what they do, to help you find the best one to suit your needs.
Active Light- Active Light adds light to your face wherever you need it. It brightens under-eye circles and also contains buckwheat extract to reduce puffiness and cucumber extract to soothe. It has a light texture and is relatively sheer. It can also be used on other areas of your face that you want to brighten, like the bridge of your nose, top of cheeks, or brow bone.
How to apply: My favorite way of applying Active Light is to place small dots under my eyes and then gently pat it to blend, with my ring finger. A great trick is to draw short lines, like the rays of the sun, from the under eye area to the tops of cheekbones. This brightens dark circles and highlights all at once. A little goes a long way. Until you get used to using the right amount for you, check in a mirror 30 minutes after applying. If you have some creasing, pat gently with the ring finger and apply a little less next time.
Best use: Active Light is best to use if you have slight under eye discoloration or puffiness and is perfect to create a brighter, more wide-awake look.
Circle/Delete- Circle/Delete is very emollient in texture and provides more opaque coverage. It is nourishing and helps hold in moisture. Due to its texture it is important to keep this concealer away from your lower lash line if you are wearing eye liner, as it may cause your eye liner to smudge. Circle/Delete is not only great for deeper under eye discoloration, but also works well to lighten the nasal-labial folds (puppet lines) around the mouth, to give a refreshed and lifted look.
How to apply: The best way to apply Circle/Delete is with the Camouflage brush. Using the brush pick up some of the concealer and apply using short criss-cross motions on the area you are trying to cover, this will allow the product to get into any tiny crevices and cover your under eye circles thoroughly. Continue to pat with your ring finger warming the product into my skin. As with Active Light, check for creasing after applying.
Best use: Circle/Delete is a good choice if you have dry or dehydrated skin, fine lines or darker under eye circles.
Zap&Hide- Zap&Hide is great for spot treatment of acne. It contains two sides; the Zap side treats acne spots while the Hide side is perfect for concealing your blemishes. The concealer comes in yellow tones, which are great for counteracting redness.
How to apply: You may apply this product directly to your skin. However, if you are breaking out you may choose to apply it using the Camouflage brush to prevent any bacteria transfer. Wash your brush with mild soap following the application.
Best use: Zap&Hide works best if you suffer from occasional breakouts, as it conceals while it heals.
Disappear- Disappear is a full coverage concealer that works best for more pronounced acne breakouts as well as redness and tattoo coverage. Green tea extract calms and protects against free radicals and acne bacteria.
How to apply: Squeeze a little Disappear onto a Camouflage brush and apply to the area you are trying to cover. To cover tattoos, layer Amazing Base using the Flocked Sponge and Disappear using the Camouflage brush to receive the fullest form of coverage.
Best use: Disappear is best used if you have redness, acne or tattoos.
I hope this was helpful in answering any question you may have on what concealer to choose for each distraction. If you have any other concealer questions, please post them below!