Makeup 101: Concealer

Feeling tired or just looking it? Here are three products to help you fake awake.

Life can get hectic and there are not enough hours in the day to complete all the tasks we have set out to accomplish. This often means staying up late and waking up early which can wreak havoc on our bodies. One area of the body that showcases the most telltale signs of fatigue and stress is the face.

When we don't get enough sleep our eyes can look red and irritated. Over time we get puffy bags and dark circles under our eyes. The stress can even cause us to break out. This is where concealer products come into play.

The object of concealer is to conceal flaws obviously, but you don't want to make it a habit because concealing flaws isn't dealing with the underlying cause of them which is fatigue and stress. Nothing beats a good nights sleep so try to get at least 7 hours a night as much as possible.

First you need to de-puff eyes with something cool and using compression techniques. Puffy eyes are the result of fluid retention. Compression helps the fluid drain and cold helps the skin shrink back to normal. An easy way to de-puff is to wrap ice in a washcloth and hold it firmly against the undereye area, but not so firm as to cause pain. This cools and compresses the area. I use an eye serum that contains soothing and cooling ingredients that you apply with a rollerball; It's a three for one product because it also moisturizes the area to prevent the signs of aging.

If you have dark circles you will need to treat those at night with an eye cream designed for this purpose. Look for ingredients that brighten and moisturize.

To conceal dark circles:

Image from shefinds.com

Step One: use a liquid concealer to make a triangle from the corners of your lower lash lines to your cheek bones and fill it in. This highlights the area drawing attention to your cheekbones and away from your dark circles.  My favorite drugstore liquid concealer is Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer which is a dupe for YSL Touche Eclat.

Step Two: use a cream concealer over the top of the liquid to blend the color with your skin and cover the dark circles.  My favorite drugstore concealer for dark circles is Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser.

Step Three: Pat on setting powder over the concealer with a puff or sponge.

To conceal pimples:

Tap a stick concealer onto the blemish and lightly blend using your ring finger in a patting motion. Just make sure you wash your hands first.  My favorite drugstore stick foundation is L'Oreal Paris True Match Super Blendable Concealer.

Don't feel the need to cover every bump and blemish on your face because this will draw more attention to them. Concentrate on the largest spots and let your foundation cover the rest. Nobody is perfect and your imperfections can sometimes appear more attractive than your attempts to cover them.

To conceal the signs of aging:

Covering lines and wrinkles can be more difficult than simply patting concealer on the skin. The skin around the nose can become red and blotchy and the Nasolabial Folds or "smile lines" deepen with age. Lines form on the forehead and around the eyes and deepen over time into wrinkles.

Use a good primer to smooth and fill in lines and wrinkles then use a highlighting concealer like Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer around the edge of the nose and over the "smile lines." Blend the concealer into the skin. Drawing light to darker areas such as lines and wrinkles helps to open them up and make them appear less deep.