Best Concealer Hacks for Covering, Correcting & Adding a Professional Touch to Makeup

How about using this extended lockdown to learn a new makeup skill or polish your existing makeup skills?

This article will teach you 13 of the best concealer hacks to cover up skin imperfections, rectify makeup mistakes, and add a professional touch to your makeup in the comfort of your home.

Concealers are highly effective and versatile makeup tools. Makeup concealer and foundation work hand-in-hand to cover up a variety of scars, acne, pigmentation, and other skin imperfections. Let us explore the correct ways to apply concealer as well as various fun ways in which we can use concealers to add a professional touch to our everyday & festive or party makeup.

1. Foundation first or concealer first?
The answer to this commonly-asked question is foundation first. Here's why - If you apply concealer first, you end up wiping away most of it while applying/blending the foundation. Whereas, if you start with foundation and apply concealer thereafter, you will end up using much less concealer and yet achieve the desired effect. At the same time, you will get a full-coverage effect even if you have used a sheer coverage foundation. This gives you the leeway to opt for a sheer look on some days and a full-coverage look on other days.

2. Concealer for covering acne, dark spots, and discolouration
Among the predominant uses of concealer are to cover up skin imperfections such as dark spots, acne, discolouration due to pigmentation and uneven skin tone. To effectively hide these imperfections, prep your face with foundation of a desired coverage (sheer, medium or full-coverage). After this, carefully apply concealer to the desired spots, without covering the surrounding area. In case of acne spots or pimple marks, dab it gently with an earbud. Once done, dab lose powder all over your face to set the foundation & concealer, and bring about an even look to the face.

3. Concealer to cover dark circles
Concealers can effectively cover up dark circles on your lower eyelids. However, you need to master the correct technique for doing so. Simply dabbing concealer under your eyes can highlight the area instead of concealing it. The correct technique is to apply the concealer in the shape of an inverted triangle that starts from both corners of the eyes, and tapers off towards the cheeks. Create this outline with a concealer and then fill it up. Smooth & blend carefully. This will create an even look in the colour of the skin around the eyes and the rest of the face.

4. Concealer as a base for eye makeup
In addition to covering up imperfections on your lower eyelids, dab a layer of concealer on your upper eyelids to prep them for eye makeup, especially for looks such as the smokey eye. It is also used for creating the popular cut crease. It works wonders to bring out the original pigment of your eyeshadow, as well as to prevent creasing. What's more, it makes eyeshadow last longer. Also, an even skin tone on your eyelid makes it easier for you to work with different eyeshadow shades on different areas of your eyelid.

5. Concealer on the inner corners of your eyes
In case of most people, the inner corners of the eyes normally have a dark/medium patch. Cover this patch with a dab of concealer that matches your skin tone. It makes your eyes look fresher and brighter.

6. Concealer under your eyebrows
With a thin brush, line the bottom line of your eyebrow with a concealer that matches your skin tone, and gently dab it with your fingers to blend. It highlights your eyebrows and makes them pop. Also, it brightens your upper eyelids and brightens up your eyeshadow. For a festive or party look, apply some highlighter on this region.

7. Concealer formula for puffy eyes
Combine equal quantities of cream/liquid concealer, eye cream, and cream/liquid highlighter. Use your fingers to apply this mixture gently onto your upper eyelid. It really opens up the eyes and makes them look brighter. Also, it makes you look awake no matter how sleepy you might be!

8. Blot concealer with a tissue
After applying concealer, especially on the upper and lower eyelids, blot it gently with a tissue to remove excess product, if any, to prevent it from caking and creasing. You can also follow this process few hours post application, if you feel your concealer is creasing. The tissue with absorb the access oil or product and help maintain an even look to your makeup.

9. Concealer to hid eye makeup mistakes
Smudged your eyeliner? Jagged lines of eyeshadow on the outer corners of your eyelids? No problem. Just dab concealer on these spots and blend it to create a tidy look. This is much easier and faster than having to remove and redo your eyeliner or eyeshadow. In case of a jagged winged eyeliner, take some concealer on an angled brush and use it to tidy up the edges.

10. Concealer for changing the shape of your lips
If your lips are either too full or too slim, you can change their outline and create a shape of your choice with the correct use of a concealer. For this purpose, first cover your entire face, including your lips with foundation. Follow it up with a concealer on the lips. The quantity should be enough for the outline of your lips to become faint. Set the concealer with lose powder. With the help of a lip liner, or lipstick loaded on a lip brush, create a desired outline of your lips either above or below your original lip line, depending upon the shape you wish to achieve. Once done, apply lipstick all over your lips. This way, you can create the perfect shaped pout of your choice!

11. Concealer for tidying up your lip colour
After applying lipstick, load some concealer on a thin brush and use it to outline your lips. This will give you a very tidy pout and make your lipstick colour pop.

12. Create your own tinted moisturizer
In case you run out of foundation, or prefer tinted moisturizer over foundation, mix equal quantities of your favourite moisturizer with concealer. However, remember to use a combination of cream concealer with cream moisturizer and liquid concealer with moisturizing lotion, as cream and liquid products don't mix easily with each other. This way, you will have a product that keeps your skin hydrated & moisturized, and, at the same time, evens out your skin tone to give you a flawless finish!

We hope you enjoyed all the concealer hacks elaborated in this article. Do comment below and let us know which ones you liked the most. We would love to hear from you :)