When asked my opinion on concealer and foundation makeup, my first response is, don’t wear any! I feel that a fresh, more natural base is the best look for your face. However, if you do prefer to wear concealer and/or foundation, there are ways to apply the makeup where you don’t look too heavily made up, or unnatural.
Concealer and foundation have a tendency to cake, or settle into fine lines and wrinkles. The less foundation that you apply, the better off you will be.
If you are going to wear a concealer and foundation over your skin, apply this makeup to a clean face, before applying blush, lipstick or eye makeup. You will want to start with a concealer, as the purpose of concealer is to hide blemishes, age spots, tired bags, etc. (Think of the concealer as Spackle under a paint job).
How to Apply Concealer:
- Using either a liquid base or a cream base concealer, use either a flat brush, your fingertips or a makeup sponge to dab on the concealer, and blend over skin areas that you want to cover.
- Blend the makeup in by dabbing the makeup.
- Make sure the concealer matches, or is a few shades lighter, than your natural skin tone.
A popular facial area where people apply concealer is under the eyes. After this stage, you would then apply a coat of foundation. (Save the powder coat until the end).
Foundation hides the concealer. When you are finished, the only portion of the makeup that will be visible to the eye is the foundation. Foundations come in creams, pencils, liquids and powders, whatever your preference.
Foundation Tip: Apply very light foundation, so the look doesn’t end up caked or matted. Depending on your skin tone, wear a foundation that complements your complexion:
- Fair Skin – Use an ivory or light beige color.
- Medium Skin – Go medium beige or caramel color.
- Dark Skin – A gold based foundation or mocha color.
Foundation Tip: Match your foundation color to your neck and not to your cheek. Your neck isn’t as exposed to the sun, and tends to show your natural skin color. Your foundation should blend evenly with your skin and no makeup lines should be visible on the jaw line.
You can apply your foundation with your fingertips, a makeup sponge, a powder puff or a makeup brush.
Once you have applied concealer and foundation and you are happy with the results, lightly brush your face with a translucent face powder. This will set the makeup, and also add a shimmery, glowing gloss to your face. If you find that your foundation looks thick, thin it out by mixing the foundation with moisturizer.
Once you have your desired look, you can swipe blush onto your cheeks, and apply lipstick and/or eye makeup, if preferred.
Foundation Tip: Avoid a caked or fake look. With foundation, looking as if you aren’t wearing any is always best.
If you are going to wear foundation, if applied correctly, the finished glow and blending of the skin can make you look younger and less fatigued or tired.
Concealer and foundation: Light makeup that doesn’t cake up!
Concealer/Foundation Tip: If in doubt, go without. If applied just right, a beautiful sight!
Even if you aren’t one who typically wears foundation, you may still want to invest in a good quality foundation and concealer, just in case. There may be a special occasion where you want your skin to have extra oomph, an extra glow. Keep a few makeup sponges, concealer, a concealer brush and a translucent face powder in your vanity area.
Always be prepared. You never know what makeup you may decide to wear!
Nancy Mangano is an American fashion journalist, screenwriter and author of the Natalie North murder mystery book series. Visit Nancy on her global online fashion/style/beauty magazine Nancy Marie Mangano Style at https://nancymariemangano.com, her Facebook page Nancy Mangano at https://www.facebook.com/nancymmangano/ Twitter @https://twitter.com/nancymangano and her author website http://nancymangano.com
