Concealer and foundation are the two essential parts of makeup. If you are a regular user or even if you just use it on occasion, it is very important to know certain tips and tricks so that you can apply the foundation and concealer seamlessly and it does not look cake-y. This is because we all want the concealer and the foundation to be absolutely flawless. Here are some of my tips and tricks:
Focus on skin type
When choosing concealers and foundations, always remember to take into consideration, your skin type. So, if your skin type is excessively dry, you can use a cream foundation or even a liquid foundation, which is personally my favourite. Even if you have extremely oily skin, I would say that use a liquid foundation, but a very lightweight one, which has light to medium coverage and then you can set it with a setting powder.
Move on to skin tone
Again, when you are choosing the above two elements, other than considering your skin type, you have to take into account, your skin tone. Skin tone is extremely important in determining the right foundation shade that best matches you. To find your perfect match, start by taking a look at your skin tone. This can range from fair to light to medium to deep with nuances. Since skin tone can be uneven, use your jawline as the most accurate indicator of your natural complexion. If you are someone who has a slightly pinkish overtone, then you should always choose a foundation and concealer, which has a slightly pinkish tinge. Don’t use something which is yellow as it will look excessively yellow on your skin and it will stand out but, it will also get oxidised and incline towards a greyish tone.
Similarly, if you have a skin with yellow connotation, always choose a foundation and concealer which has a yellowish undertone because all foundations and concealers either have a pink or a yellow trace.
Using the correct tools
After deliberating on the skin type and skin tone, let’s now reflect upon the tools you use to execute your corrector and concealer application. I love to use a beauty blender. I dampen the blender before I use it on my skin, with a little water spray because it really helps the products to fuse in the skin very well. Not only is it easier to reach the awkward areas with the tool that many brushes can’t—around the nostrils, under the eyes—but it also helps to faultlessly blend makeup. The beauty blender is a versatile makeup sponge that can be used for practically anything in your makeup bag: foundations, BB cream, concealer, you name it. I always start with my corrector, then the concealer and lastly the foundation- that is the order in how I do it.
Another point to remember is that before you use the foundation and concealer, you have to prep your skin very well. I use and have always used Bobbi Brown’s Vitamin Enriched Face Base for moisturizing the skin before starting with makeup. And I use an eye base under the eyes so that my skin is beautifully prepped and supple for the concealer and the foundation to blend in seamlessly. My corrector is always a peach corrector because it cuts the darkness and the slight under-eye discolouration or any pigmentation that is there on the skin, followed by the concealer and then the foundation. I use very little concealer, to begin with, and then I build it gradually, hence I love the ‘build-build’ concealers. I love the Bobbi Brown Skin Concealer called the Full Coverage Concealer. I also love the Clinique concealer called All-over Concealer. When it comes to foundations, my favourites are Bobbi Brown, Clinique, Chanel and also Dior.
Set it right
Next, when it comes to the foundation and concealer, it is very important to set these in place, especially owing to the weather in which we live and the fact that we are exposed to a lot of humidity. I love to use the loose, colourless setting powder; you could use the K-Beauty or the Huda Setting powder. Basically, when I say setting powder, I mean the loose setting powder. So, it’s very light in consistency, and it does not cake up your foundation. All it does is set it. I like to use a puff, not any fluffy brush because I do not want any sort of marks on my foundation. Since the foundation is liquid, remember when you use any brush and bristles on your face, it could leave a little bit of mark and you will not get that impeccable finish. So, I love to use the puff to settle it really well so that I am set for throughout the day and I only need a little touch-up on my face, for which I use the setting powder again. Also for the touch-up, I carry a mini powder brush in my go-to makeup bag, which is always there in the bag, because throughout the day, when you need to enhance your makeup, you can take a little bit of the setting powder and kind of ‘buffer’ it, that’s how we call it so that it does not look oily or clumpy. Or you could just take a tissue paper and dab the excessive oil because obviously, you don’t want your face to look oily, you want it to look slightly matted, but a bit dewy and that dewiness does come from the natural oils of the skin but you don’t want the excess oil. Hence, you dab it with a tissue and buffer it throughout the day but otherwise, it doesn’t move. Knowing how to apply concealer is vital—master this skill and there’s not much else you need to look fresh-faced.
Arti Nayar is a celebrity make-up and hair artist, an expert in bridal makeup and owner of Easy Beauty, bringing together content and community. Follow her on Instagram @artinayar