To match your skin tone, choose a concealer shade that is half a shade lighter than your foundation shade. It's essential to pay attention to words like “neutral,” “cool,” “warm”, and “beige.” You can take full advantage of the color theory when it comes to concealers.
Vein test: Look at the color of your wrist veins under natural light. Greenish-looking veins suggest a warm undertone, blue or purplish-looking veins indicate a cool undertone, and if your veins match your skin color, you most likely have a neutral undertone.
While under-eye concealer should be lighter than your natural skin tone (or red-orange if you're colour-correcting), you want your all-over concealer to match your skin colour as closely as possible.
Select the right shade.
“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.
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.
For the undereye area, be sure to select a shade of concealer that's no more than one or two shades lighter than your natural skin tone to avoid an obvious white circle around the eye area. For your face, select a concealer that matches the color of your foundation exactly.
For highlighting, choose a concealer that's one or two shades lighter than your foundation. Apply the concealer to the areas you want to highlight, such as under the eyes, on the center of the forehead, the brow bone, and the chin. For contouring, choose a concealer that's one or two shades darker than your foundation.
Cream Test: Grab two articles of clothing, one white and the other off-white. While wearing no makeup, decide which color complements your skin tone best. If it's the pure-white shade, your undertones are warm. If the cream color suits you more, you have cool undertones.
Finding your undertone: The colour of your veins
Take a look at the veins on the inside of your wrist. Do they appear more blue or green? If your veins appear more blue, you're cool-toned but if you see more green, you're warm-toned. If you see a fair amount of both both green and blue, you have a neutral undertone.
Another way Collazo recommends to determine your skin undertone is considering how your skin is affected by the sun. “If you have greener veins and you tan easily after prolonged sun exposure, you likely have a warm undertone,” she says. “If you have blue/purple veins and burn easily, you likely have a cool undertone.
That's because one shade of concealer may not work for every skin concern you want to cover up. A color that works to neutralize redness won't brighten up undereye circles or conceal a scar and vice versa.
Look at your wrist veins under natural light.
If your veins appear to be green, you probably have warm undertones. If they're blue or purple, you probably have cool undertones. If they are a mix of both, you may have neutral undertones.
If you don't already apply your undereye concealer in a triangle, you could be aging your face. Using this simple method for applying concealer and covering under eye bags can make you instantly look 10 years younger. It's magical!
Since concealers have a higher coverage and a different formulation than foundations, applying a concealer all over your face might make your face makeup look cakey and patchy. Instead, mix your concealer with your face cream or moisturizer to make it easy to blend.
So, a general rule of thumb is always to go for a concealer based on your foundation shade. According to beauty experts, one should get two different shades of concealer — one lighter and one deeper than the foundation. Ahead, we will share some tips on how to pick the right concealer shade based on your skin tone.
A concealer is primarily used to hide imperfections or dark circles, while a highlighter adds glow to certain areas of the face. Both a highlighter and concealer should not be applied to the entire face, and a concealer should be used on blemishes, discoloration, or under the eye area.
In general, those with warm skin should stick to warmer hair colors. Think caramels, rich mahogany or chestnut, golden blondes, strawberry blondes, coppers and warm reds. Colors to avoid include icy, ashy tones and blue blacks (sorry ya'll, the silver trend may not be for you).
Check out your veins
For example, if your veins look greenish, then you may have warm undertones. People with blue or purplish-looking veins usually have cooler undertones. If you have neutral undertones, then your veins may appear colorless or match the color of your skin.
Best colors to wear with cool undertones
Think: sky blues, cobalt, frosty purples, emerald greens, light grassy tones and anything pastel. If you like to wear warmer colors, try lipstick reds or super-pale yellows. Avoid palettes that are too orange or bright yellow—they'll overpower you.
Colors for Cool Skin Tones
The top colors to wear include emeralds, deep purples, lavender, pink, ice blue and bright blues. If you want to incorporate a warmer color into your outfit, you can use extremely pale yellows, rose reds and rubies. More neutral colors that work include bright white, gray and navy.
For cool undertones, choose a foundation with a pink, red, or blue base. You can also consider shades like cocoa, rose, sable, and porcelain. For warm undertones, pick a foundation with a gold or yellow base and consider shades like caramel, beige, and tan.