Concealer’s evolution from useful cover-up to glamorous skin-perfector has been something to watch in recent years.
Okay, there were some standout moments in the past (Bobbi Brown’s gorgeously creamy textures and Laura Mercier’s iconic Secret Camouflage palettes upped our concealing game in the 1990s), but today’s magic wands bring even more to your makeup bag.
‘Traditional concealers have been predominantly focused on coverage,’ says Saskia Lankshear, vice president of new product development at Beauty Pie. ‘Modern concealers are more like tinted serums, with lightweight formulas that feel like skincare, aimed at achieving youthful and natural-looking skin.’ Saskia points to the addition of gentle actives, such as hyaluronic acid, to hydrate and plump up fine lines, especially around the eyes.
A skin-lifter, blemish concealer and pore-eraser.
Ideal for under-eye darkness.
One end to conceal and the other to brighten.
Conceals around the eyes without caking.
But what’s also new about these sheer and glowy fluids (our editor's picks above, and our GHI tried and tested formulas here) is that they’re often designed to be used elsewhere, too. At a recent event for Lancôme, for example, makeup artist Lisa Eldridge ditched foundation in favour of a couple of different shades of concealer – one to cover spots, and a warmer tone to brighten shadows and lift areas of uneven pigmentation.
‘I use concealer in place of foundation for radiance and lightness, but with coverage where I need it,’ she explains. ‘Sometimes, I’ll start by patchworking a few shades together in one fine layer and at other times, I’ll apply here and there once I’ve done the rest of the makeup, setting with powder if skin is oilier.’ Lisa adds that a warmer shade is essential for disguising uneven pigmentation. ‘If you use a concealer that’s too light, the skin will look grey. Apricot tones work beautifully, especially on the cheek, where they’ll blend better with your blusher and bronzer,’ she points out.
For makeup artist Lynsey Alexander, fine layers are the key to successful concealing. ‘I’ll do a very fine veil of foundation, then I’ll go in with a colour-correcting formula, so if someone’s very blue under the eye, I’ll use a bit of peach there. Then I’ll brighten with a light-reflecting formula on top. You’ll look at that face and never know there are three layers of makeup there.’
Lynsey also stresses the importance of makeup brushes, especially when concealing a blemish. ‘A lot of people use their fingers, but the natural oils on your fingertips move the product around on the skin and you won’t end up with good coverage. I actually use two brushes – a tiny, pointed lip brush to target the spot itself, and a fluffy blending brush to airbrush around the edges. Then I add a layer of powder and repeat the process for an invisible layer of camouflage that won’t slide off a few minutes later.’
Lisa also uses two brushes in her patchwork approach to complexion perfecting: ‘Apply with a large brush on the areas you want to conceal, then blend around the edges with a smaller one, keeping the outline feathered – it’s much easier to trick the eye when there are no hard lines.’
