With a brush, you just cannot get a dewy finish. It is very difficult to spread the foundation and concealer uniformly over the skin. However, with a makeup sponge, you can apply them smoothly and get a very flawless natural look.
While applying a product from the bottle to the face, use a brush. While trying to blend said deposited product seamlessly into the skin, use a sponge. Sponges are good for pressing a product in after you have deposited it on the skin with a brush.
The answer is a resounding yes! Simply put, a concealer brush comes in handy to highlight desired areas and help you disguise blemishes and under-eye circles for a flawless finish. While makeup blenders are a great way to apply concealers, this beauty tool helps you be more precise.
The research on the used sponges and brushes builds on a lab-based study published last year by the same team of researchers, which found that harmful bacteria survived better in sponges than in brushes.
Do I apply concealer before or after foundation? Always apply your foundation first, unless you are using a powder foundation. Applying foundation first creates an even base to reduce overall redness, discoloration and minor blemishes.
Using a sponge to apply and blend foundation and concealer makeup is a total game changer. “Beautyblenders make the foundation application almost foolproof,” celebrity makeup artist Emily Cheng tells SELF.
Wetting your sponge thoroughly and letting it fully expand has to be your first step. Then, when you apply foundation or other product to it, it'll already be full of water and won't soak up so much product, saving you tons of product and money. When your makeup sponge is damp, it makes product application way easier.
For concealing larger areas of the face, Haggerty recommends a "dense, fluffy, synthetic brush," such as the 102 Silk Finish Brush from German beauty brand Zoeva. She recommends using it to apply concealer "in patting motions" for streak-free coverage.
Even though you might be tempted to sweep your concealer directly on top of your under-eye circles or under-eye bags, don't—that'll actually highlight puffiness. Instead, draw your concealer in an upside-down triangle shape (pictured above) to help brighten up your face and de-emphasize any discoloration.
Concealer and Foundation
"I use my ring finger to pat it under my eye and blend out," she describes. "I find it easier and quicker to do it this way on myself. Foundation as well—it melts into the skin so well with hands and fingers and the coverage is denser."
If you want more coverage but the same airbrushed finish, let your concealer set for a couple of minutes before you blend with a sponge. Fingers for coverage & a natural finish: The finish will be super natural as the heat of your fingers will warm up the product so it blends effortlessly into the skin.
It's either your skin is too dry, too oily or you're choosing the bad concealer formula. In some cases, keeping your concealer past its expiration date might cause it to break up and perform badly on the skin. Everyone's concealer might look flaky from a close-up especially at the end of the day.
To “bake your makeup” means to let your concealer sit on your face for 10 to 20 minutes before blending it, so that your own body heat enables the makeup to melt into your skin and cause it to change color and texture. This allows for the concealer to be blended more easily for a flawless coverage.
When you're done washing dishes or wiping down surfaces with your kitchen sponge, be sure to wring it out completely. A wrung-out sponge will dry quicker than a sopping wet one, and a drier sponge equals a cleaner sponge.
The Beautyblender is a versatile makeup sponge that can be used for practically anything in your makeup bag: foundations, bb cream, concealer, you name it. But in order to really get the most out of your makeup sponge, follow our 3-step process: wet, squeeze, and bounce.
Leave The Concealer For at Least 10 to 20 Minutes
You can use this time to line your lips, style your hair, or fill in your eyebrows. Working with dark eyeshadow or doing a smokey eye look is not recommended during this time, since it can cause fallout under the eyes area.
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.
Fingers: They're so handy and never require brush cleaner. Totally get it. And using them to apply concealer can work just fine. In fact, when it comes to the delicate skin under your eyes, the warmth of your finger can help warm makeup so it blends on more easily and seamlessly.
If your concealer looks heavy and cakey, I can almost guarantee you're using too much product. The fix: If you've gone too far, trying using a dry brush to buff color away or a damp sponge to pick up some of the product. You could also use a q-tip to remove product directly from the crease that has formed.
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. "Use a light powder like this one from Laura Mercier sparingly," says Ma.