Using the right high-quality concealer is essential to achieve a flawless makeup look. You need the best concealers to cover discoloration, disguise blemishes, and lighten dark areas to give you a perfect and even skin tone. Besides this, a top-notch concealer also works in tandem with your foundation so that you can ace every makeup look.
On the other hand, if you end up choosing a poorly formulated concealer, it will highlight your problematic areas by drawing attention to blemishes. Moreover, it will give you a white cast around the darker areas. Thus, the key is to choose which type of concealer will work the best for you and your skin. However, with so many different options available, choosing the best concealer is no easy feat. This detailed guide will guide you about your next purchase.
How Do You Choose the Best Concealer Formula?
Let’s start with sheer basics. The choice of the best concealer depends on a lot of factors. The foremost thing is to look at what works for your skin type. So, before buying, be mindful of the texture and formula of the concealer you want.
Liquid Concealers
These types of concealers are the most versatile among all. It works perfectly for normal, combination, and oily skin types. The application is a lot easier, and the coverage is buildable. In case you don’t already know, liquid concealers come in different finishes, like dewy, satin, and matte. On top of all this, liquid concealers are less likely to clog in your pores. Thus, people with acne-prone and sensitive skin can use liquid concealers without worrying about anything.
Cream Concealers
If you have a combination or dry skin type, then cream concealers are the best choice. The coverage is buildable from medium to full and you have the option to choose concealers with either a satin or creamy finish. The formula and consistency of cream concealers are great to cancel out discolorations. Be mindful that cream concealers can sometimes crease when worn for an extended period. But you can prevent this problem by setting the concealer with any pressed powder.
Stick Concealer
If you have sensitive and dry skin, stick concealers are a blessing for you. These will be set into either powdery matte or satin finish. The coverage is buildable, ranging from medium to full.
What Factors Should You Consider Before Buying the Best Concealers?
Concealers are typically used to hide your skin’s imperfections or to brighten up your complexion. Here are the four major factors that you should consider before picking up a concealer for you.
Your Skin Type
If you have oily skin or open pores, cream concealers should be a big no for you— they tend to make the skin shinier or can clog the pores. People with oily skin will prefer to use something that will set as matte onto their skin. However, dry skin people should choose the exact opposite. Something creamy or liquidy will work better. Moreover, light texture concealers with decent coverage are the best option for normal or combination skin.
You Skin Concern
You may feel like you don’t even need a concealer, as your BB cream or foundation can do a pretty good job of covering problematic areas. However, if you have dark spots and pimples to cover, you need a heavy coverage concealer. Avoid picking up a concealer that is too heavy as it will make your under-eye area a bit cakier and your fine lines will be more visible. Using a corrector is the best choice to cover dark circles and brighten up the under-eye area.
Foundation Wear
If you are wearing a liquid, gel, or cream foundation, then you have the choice to apply the concealer over or under it. However, if you are using a powder foundation, it is better to apply cream concealers before applying the foundation to avoid streaky lines. Always keep in mind that less is more with concealers. You must apply it to specific areas only and don’t apply too heavily to the areas where you have already applied the foundation. Doing so can make it look heavier, textured, and made up.
Your Budget
Depending on the money you want to spend on the concealer and what value you place on the concealer, you can pick the best concealers for you. There are a lot of brands that offer products in different price ranges to fit your budget. From drugstore finds to high-end brands, there are many options.
What Color of Concealer Do You Need?
Aside from highlighting, contouring, and disguising blemishes, the right concealer will do the job as a color-corrector to hide discoloration like redness and dark circles. Here is the color wheel that you should consider before buying the best concealers according to your needs.
For Dark Spots
If you want to cancel out the impact of dark spots, an orange-hued color is exactly what you need. You can reach for a bisque, orange, or peach concealer, depending on the skin tone and dark spots you want to cover. Peach correctors work great for fair to light, orange for medium to deep, and bisque for light to medium skin tones.
For Redness
A green corrector works perfectly to cover red spots, as it is the perfect shade to neutralize the blemishes and blotchiness.
For Purple and Blue Areas
If you have blue or purple spots on your face or neck area, yellow should be your go-to option. It will efficiently hide purple and blue areas like age spots and broken capillaries.
Best Concealers FAQs
Q. Should you buy concealer lighter or darker?
A. There is a misconception that lighter concealers can enhance or pop up your features. You cannot have a concealer that is too light for you as it will make you look ashy. Thus, choose the right shade, and you go one shade lighter.
Q. Is cream or liquid concealer better?
A. Cream concealers offer better coverage as compared to liquid ones because of the opaque pigment and thick texture. Cream concealers are ideal for dry, normal, or sensitive skin.
Q. What are the best concealer colors for dark circles?
A. You will find different concealers with purple and green undertones, which work great for covering up dark spots and blemishes. Red, yellow, orange, and pink color concealers will help balance out the under-eye circles and bluish-purple blemishes. Orange-hued correctors are the perfect option to cover dark circles.