under cover

If you suffer from under eye circles or slight imperfections in your skin, the perfect concealer can hide these dark areas beautifully.  Concealers are a makeup artist’s secret weapon; this powerful tool can remove years of aging off a woman’s face. Makeup expert Gina Comminello, owner of The Look Salon in Denver, provides all the need-to-knows about concealer:

Features

Concealer is a makeup used primarily by women to cover blemishes, scars and any imperfections of the skin and body,  typically a few shades lighter than foundation.  A concealer is most effective when applied with a concealing brush and over a face primer.  In comparison to liquid, powder or cream foundations, most concealers are heavier in coverage and consistency.

Types

Concealers come in powder, past, stick, liquid and may be custom blended for your perfect match and lifestyle (at certain cosmetic counters like FLAUNT YOU! FlauntYou.com).  The concealer color palette ranges from yellow and peach to blue, green and purple. These colors are used in conjunction with foundations or a skin-toned concealer to hide blemishes and dark circles.

Consideration

To apply concealer, use a makeup concealer brush (usually made of nylon). If you prefer using your finger to brushes, apply the concealer with your ring finger – use of this finger will apply less pressure to the delicate skin around your eyes.  To reduce the aging effects of wrinkles, make sure the face primer is applied under your eyes before concealing dark circles or puffiness with concealer and set the concealer with a translucent powder, as this method will ensure the product will stay on for hours.

Benefits

Concealer creates a seamless canvas for perfect makeup application when applied by the hand of a makeup artist and a skilled makeup artist will teach you the “how to” for home use.  A concealer can successfully cover large pores, reduce eye luggage (bags) or hide acne and pimples.  To cover a mole or scar, use a shade that is close to your skin tone.

Warning

The wrong color concealer will draw attention to the area that it is covering, rather than hide it.  Although concealers are typically two shades lighter than your skin tone, choose a color that is compatible with your current foundation color.  To determine the proper shade of concealer, do not apply it to the back of your hand, apply the concealer directly to the area you want to cover, and stand in direct sunlight to test the concealer’s ability to do its job and not enhance the problem.