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 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.
Pro Tip: Apply foundation first you're less likely to be heavy-handed in your concealer application. This helps your makeup base look more natural.
Foundation is meant to be used as a base for your makeup, while concealer is meant to cover up blemishes or dark circles. You can use a bit of concealer on top of your foundation to help with any problem areas.
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.
To avoid drawing unwanted attention to the area, many makeup artists would recommend not applying too much, if any, foundation around the eye. Instead, they suggest using a hydrating, lightweight concealer that has been designed specifically for the under eye area.
Depending on a person's skin tone, dark circles can tend to have purple-ish or blue-ish hues. 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.
"Always go a shade lighter than your foundation." The lighter tone will cancel out dark discoloration, but be careful not to go too fair. Concealers that are more than one shade lighter than your skin tone can leave you with a ghostly shadow.
Primer helps to create a smooth, even canvas on your skin and helps extend the longevity of your foundation, blush, bronzer and other face products. When it comes to primer, there is no one-size-fits-all formula for every single skin type.
Always Do the Eyes First
For example, your eye shadow might fall on your cheeks or your eyeliner on both eyes may be uneven. In any case, you would have to wash your face and redo the entire look. Therefore, the best practice that any good makeup artist would follow is to complete the eyes first.
DON'T wear mascara on your lower lashes. Playing up your lower lashes can make your eyes look droopy and draw attention to dark circles. It makes the eyes look older and accentuates the under eye wrinkles.
"I recommend a creamy foundation formula for mature skin and to avoid powders," says Follert. This is because powder foundations tend to settle into fine lines and wrinkles, making them more apparent.
Don't rub the concealer into your skin; doing so could cause smearing or produce a cakey effect. Hack: Wait 5 minutes for your concealer to set before blending it with the rest of your makeup. This helps achieve smooth, even coverage.
Opt for a lighter eyeshadow rather than a dark, smoky shade on your eyelids and around the eyes, like Jenna Dewan Tatum. "Highlighting the corners makes eyes look brighter and fresh," says Ahnert. "Use a light color shadow in matte or shimmer to inner corner, lower lash line in outer corner, and the inner lid."
Never put concealer or foundation on your eyelids as a base, it will cause your eye makeup to crease.
Yes, you read that right, ladies. Applying a concealer around your brows is a great way to highlight, shape and define your brows, without plucking out a single stray hair *yay*.