How to apply your concealer properly, according to a make-up artist

Celebrity MUA Caroline Barnes shares her tips and tricks

Our guide to the best concealers for covering up dark circles and blemishes without creasing (The Independent)

Concealer is one of those magic make-up products that can transform the way you look in minutes. The right one can hide tired eyes, and cover up dark circles, discolouration and blemishes to leave skin looking flawless. However, it’s not as simple as just picking one off the shelf, there are a few things to consider first.

Firstly, it’s important to know what you want from a concealer, is it to brighten under-eyes or to minimise redness from an unexpected breakout? Do you want a full coverage, matte formula or something with a dewier, fluid texture? More importantly, do you want one that’s budget-friendly or are you prepared to splurge on a high-end option?

To answer all your burning questions, we’ve consulted professional makeup artist Caroline Barnes, who has painted the faces of Kylie Minogue, Emma Raducanu, Carey Mulligan and Nicola Coughlan, to name a few. She’s given Indybest the lowdown on everything you ever wanted to know about how to master the art of applying concealer.

Where should you apply concealer?

There are typically two ways to use concealer, one is to brighten under eyes, in which case Barnes recommends opting for a shade lighter than your skin tone. This is great for making you instantly look more awake and conceal dark circles. You can also use it to cover up blemishes and redness, if so, her advice is to pick a concealer shade that matches your skin tone.

What’s the best way to apply concealer?

“A common mistake people make is applying a thick concealer over very dry skin, so the skin looks parched and the concealer ages you,” says Barnes.

She also reveals the finished look of your concealer can differ depending on what tools you use to apply it with. “If you apply concealer with a brush you’ll get a lighter finish, a fluffy brush will give you a delicate finish, so if you want a fuller coverage, apply a thicker concealer with a fluffy brush and you get a happy medium,” she advises. Before application, make sure your moisturiser, SPF and any primers you may use are fully absorbed and your face is dry to avoid your concealer pilling.

If you have dry under eyes, she recommends tapping in a hyaluronic acid serum first and using a dewier foundation. She cites the Glossier stretch balm concealer (£22, Sephora.co.uk) as her favourite for this, a product which also earned a spot in our guide to the best concealers for brightening dark circles and covering blemishes.

This expert approved creamy concealer is ideal for dry under-eyes (The Independent)

If you want a brightening, glowy finish, her top tip is to mix your concealer with the Revolution Skin X Sali Hughes ringlight creamy illuminating eye balm (£10, Lookfantastic.com).

Another trick up her sleeve is to apply your concealer under your eyes with a fluffy brush, then spritz a setting spray onto skin and tap whatever product is left over on the brush over the area to extend the longwear of your concealer and prevent it from creasing.

Should you apply concealer before or after foundation?

According to Barnes, it’s best to apply your concealer after foundation, so you can adjust how much you apply depending on how much coverage it provides.

“If you’re using a medium coverage foundation, you may not need it all, but if you’re using a sheer tint and want an all-over glow, but feel you look tired, you might want a fuller coverage concealer,” she says.

What are the best concealers?

Our expert beauty writers have put many concealers to the test, and earning the award for Best Buy in our guide to the best concealers was the NARS Cosmetics radiant creamy concealer (£26, Lookfantastic.com).

Our reviewer said: “The formula has a brightening quality that makes a visible difference, without merely heavily masking imperfections. This was particularly notable for my dark circles, which usually require me to use a colour corrector before going in with a concealer.”

Both Barnes and our writer raved about the Glossier stretch concealer (£22, Sephora.co.uk) for a dewier finish, too.

However, the expert MUA‘s favourite concealer for brightening and adding radiance to combat dark circles is the Beauty Pie superluminous tinted under-eye serum (£12 for members, Beautypie.com). “It’s like little lightbulbs under your eyes,” she says.

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• Charlotte Tilbury discount codes
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Looking for more concealer recommendations? Read our guide to the best concealers for brightening dark circles and covering blemishes