After foundation and concealer, go in with contour, blush, and highlighter.
Correct Order of Face Makeup
Foundation. Concealer. Powder. Bronzer/Blush/Highlighter.
So, do you use concealer before or after foundation? The proper way to apply the two products is to first smooth on a foundation and then apply your concealer. Foundation will create that even canvas we talked about earlier, and then concealer can be used to spot correct any outstanding areas that need extra coverage.
While the majority of experts recommend applying a light layer of foundation before concealer, we admit there are instances where you benefit from a concealer first—if you're getting photographed, your concealer shade isn't the same as your foundation, and if you're color-correcting discoloration.
If you're looking for a lighter-weight alternative to foundation but don't want to rely on a tinted moisturizer or CC cream, we recommend using concealer alone. It's true, with the right long-wearing or hydrating concealer formula, you'll be able to cover imperfections, even out and keep your complexion looking fresh.
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.
The first step is to moisturize the under-eye area, especially if you have dry skin. Concealers can look cakey when applied to dry skin, so it's essential to use a lightweight hydrating under-eye cream before concealer.
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.
Concealer works just as well when you want some all over coverage. It whisks away the bad and leaves you with skin that's glowing, fresh and “un-made up”. And there's more than one way to wear it. Concealer is super-versatile, and can do everything from covering up blemishes to carving out killer cheekbones.
The answer is simple. Foundation is the base of any makeup look and Concealer is meant to conceal blemishes and skin discoloration. If you have an even skin tone but you need to cover some minor blemishes and dark circles, then go with a good coverage concealer.
Look refreshed with yellow tones
To conceal dark circles, the same color wheel principle applies. People with fairer skin may opt for yellow, peach, or pink colored concealers. Darker skin may benefit more from an orange shade.
If your dark circles look bluish or purple, you want to tap on a yellow pigment, like Colour Corrector Stick: The Brightener. Meanwhile, green-tinted under-eyes will appear transformed with a swipe of a violet colour corrector. We love Colour Corrector Stick: The Revitaliser.
Adding moisturizer to your concealer has a lot of benefits. First, it makes a dry concealer more dewy and easier to apply. Second, it can sheer out the coverage of a full-coverage concealer, making it more buildable and natural-looking.
“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."
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.
While your foundation creates a solid base, a concealer hides dark circles, dark spots, blemishes, and color-corrects. It gives you a targeted layer of protection that you can't create alone with foundation and works to brighten and lighten areas.
It's also essential to apply and blend concealer into the inner corners of the eyes. These inner corners can be just as dark as the circles—using concealer as a highlighter can brighten your face and make you look more awake (even if you only had a few hours of sleep the night before).
If you prefer using your fingers to blend your makeup, then this technique is for you. What you need to do is apply a dab of concealer over the blemish you want to hide, and then with your ring finger (it's the weakest finger), tap the product into your skin.