From byrdie

Concealer is the one staple in a woman’s beauty arsenal that can dramatically change your appearance. Used correctly, concealer can brighten a tired face, it can cover up blemishes and it can totally conceal under-eye circles. In fact, many beauty editors use concealer primarily and skip foundation completely.

I find many women are afraid of concealers because they don’t know how to find the right shade or apply it properly. It can be daunting, but once you know the basics and try the application process below, you’ll find concealer may be your best beauty purchase to date.

See my picks for the top 10 concealers.

Choose Your Perfect Concealer

There are so many types of concealers on the market, choosing one can be daunting. Keep in mind concealer is not a beauty product to scrimp on.

A basic rule of thumb is to choose a concealer that’s yellow-based and a shade or two lighter than your skin tone. Don’t go too light or you could end up with the dreaded raccoon look. If your skin is darker in summer, you should choose a darker shade for summer months and a lighter one for other months.

To test shades, try them out at department store beauty counters or Sephora. Just don’t get suckered into a full-makeover at the cosmetics counter.

For more detailed information, read how to choose the right shade of concealer.

Should You Apply Concealer Before or After Foundation?

This depends on where you’re using the concealer. For under-eye circles, apply concealer first, then foundation. For blemishes and pimple coverage, apply foundation first or the concealer could be rubbed away in the foundation application.

How to Apply Concealer

Concealer looks most natural when you work in “sheer layers and build it up gradually,” according to the editors of Allure’s “Confessions of a Beauty Editor” (buy it from Amazon).

There’s no one way to apply concealer. Sometimes I use my fingers, most days I use Sephora’s classic concealer brush, which I was told about by a makeup expert (buy it from Sephora).

Follow these directions to get great results:

1. Apply several dots of concealer under the eyes close to the lashes. Apply a dot to the inside corners of the eyes. You can use your finger or, for best results, use a concealer brush.
2. Using the pad of your middle finger or your brush, tap in the concealer (always tap, never rub). Make sure to blend well. You can also use your index finger. There’s no real rule to it, but I find the middle finger tends to be more gentle.
3. Apply concealer on other uneven spots on the face — including the chin, and around the nose and mouth if need be — and tap in.
4. Apply another layer if you need more coverage.
5. Dust fine, loose powder over your face to set your concealer. According to makeup artist Scott Barnes in Allure Magazine, loose powder applied with a fluffy brush is “the secret to good concealer.”

Click Play to Learn 5 Ways You Can Use Concealer from MUA Bob Scott

How to Disguise Dark Under-eye Circles

It’s best not to use your basic concealer to try to disguise dark under-eye circles. Instead, choose an “under-eye concealer” specially formulated to cover up dark spots. These work by brightening the dark areas under the eyes and are not to be used to camouflage redness or blemishes.

For more detailed information, read how to cover up under-eye circles.

How to Cover Up a Pimple

When it comes to covering up a pimple, I recommend applying a liquid bandage over the pimple to protect it and then applying layers of concealer and translucent powder.

Find out more in How to Cover Up a Pimple.

To heal pimples faster, try this recipe for an Aspirin Face Mask.

How to Disguise Pockmarks and Deep Scars

You can disguise a concave pockmark or scar by using an angled brush dipped in a concealer that’s a shade lighter than your skin tone. Fill in the center of the pockmark without going over the edges and then dust skin with translucent powder. If the scar is raised, use a concealer that matches your skin tone and pat the scar with the concealer, setting the concealer with powder.

See How to Cover Acne Scars.

Does Concealer Work on Under-Eye Bags?

Concealer is actually not a good bet for downplaying under eye bags. Instead, makeup artist Dick Page recommends pearl highlighter, which acts as an optical illusion, making you look more awake. Page dots the highlighter on the inner corner of eyes, under the lower lids and on the outer corner of the brow.

How to Fix a Cake-y Concealer

As we get older, our skin becomes drier (this seemed to happen to me overnight on the day I turned 35). Dehydrated skin can cause your concealer to “cake up” on your skin. Fix this by moisturizing your face before applying concealer. Then blend your concealer with a bit of foundation in the palm of your hand. This helps break up the thickness of the concealer, which can sit heavily on your face.

Next up, This Is the Easiest Way to Save Money on Every Single Gift

This story was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated