A reflecting concealer pen or cream applied directly under the eyes can cover up eye bags and wrinkles nicely. Buy a concealer that matches your skin tone and apply a pea-sized amount directly below your eyelids. Blend the concealer in around the edges to give it a smooth, natural appearance.
Set With Powder to Minimize Creasing
Our MUAs agree it's easy to mess up the powder situation with under-eye concealer. According to Gerstein, applying powder on top of your concealer sets the look and minimizes creasing throughout the day. That is if you don't overdo it.
Our best overall pick is Tarte Shape Tape Concealer, which earned perfect scores for its texture, staying power, coverage, and creasing.
Applying foundation first creates an even base to reduce overall redness, discoloration and minor blemishes. If you apply your concealer first, you may end up wiping some off when you apply foundation or using a lot more product than necessary, which can create a heavy, cakey look.
Blot before setting.
Once you've applied your concealer and blended it out, take a sheet of your go-to blotting paper and gently press it on your under-eye area, over your concealer. This will help any excess product or lingering oils from settling into fine lines and creases for a more flawless finish overall.
If you're looking for a way to smooth out the wrinkles in your skin, a primer can help. Primers are like liquid foundation for your face. They smooth out the surface of your skin so that your makeup goes on more smoothly and evenly. They also help keep your makeup in place longer by filling in tiny lines and pores.
While concealer for the general areas of your face should match your skin tone, under-eye concealer should be one or two shades lighter than your natural coloring. Using a lighter concealer for your eye area helps cover up under-eye circles and creates a brightening effect.
The general rule of thumb is that you should always opt for a shade lighter than foundation when choosing your concealer colour. Doing so helps to mask darker discolouration, but be careful not to over-correct! Knowing how to pick the right concealer is essential to ensuring that your look does not appear ghostly.
Select the right shade.
“You can't have a concealer that's too light,” she said, adding that women should choose concealer that's one to two shades lighter than the color of their foundation. “One to two shades … the right color blends itself. It makes a big difference."
Best Concealers for Mature Skin 2023:
Best Drugstore Pick: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Concealer, $12. Best Luxury Option: Monika Blunder Blunder Cover Foundation, $52. Best for Undereyes: Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Face and Under-Eye Concealer, $38.
Opt for a sponge for finishing touches, like cleaning up streaky bronzer or absorbing excess foundation or concealer. Sponges work wonders in applying a light layer of blush or highlighter, and can be used with cream products for a more natural finish.
Both foundation and concealer products are essential to your makeup routine if you want to achieve a flawless-looking finish. Some already have these products in their makeup bag but are still not satisfied with their makeup looks.
As Reiss-Andersen points out, concealer is designed to color-correct dark circles and spots, as well as blemishes, while foundation works to enhance the overall skin tone. “It's great to combine both concealer and foundation to make the skin look as radiant as possible,” she concurs.
HOW TO PICK A CONCEALER SHADE. The rule of thumb for picking your concealer shade is based on your foundation shade. Beauty experts advise that everyone should have two shades of concealer in their arsenal, one lighter and one darker since daily sun exposure means your skin tone shifts slightly all the time.
"Always go a shade lighter than your foundation." The lighter tone will cancel out dark discoloration, but be careful not to go too fair. Concealers that are more than one shade lighter than your skin tone can leave you with a ghostly shadow.