Guest Author - Rebekah Mack Bono

Other than foundation, concealer is one of the most difficult beauty products to select. For starters, it comes in as many different colors and textures as foundation, but unlike foundation, concealer is a product that is more difficult to test.

When testing foundation, you can simply swipe a few stripes along your jaw line, but with concealer, all eye make up must be removed. Once the make up is off, and the concealer is tested, the make up artist must reapply your makeup, which is time consuming. Time consuming, but necessary. You must test concealer on the entire orbital eye area prior to purchasing.

Concealer comes in several varieties including:
· Wands
· Pots, pans and compacts
· Wind up tubes
· Squeeze tubes


With these varieties come different textures and colors. Wand concealers are typically light coverage, while the rest generally provide more coverage. Color correcting concealers come in blue, yellow, and salmon. The colors counter redness and other hyper-pigmentation in the skin.

A big issue women run into with concealer, is its tendency to draw attention to fine lines. There is nothing worse than a poor chosen concealer, accentuating your fine lines. Your fine lines may not be all that bad, but given the wrong concealer, they will look ten times worse.

If you are having trouble choosing a concealer, take a trip to your local department store wearing only foundation, and begin testing. For each concealer you test, apply to only one eye; this will allow you to compare, eliminating the bad ones as you go. The best test is natural light. Step out into the sunlight and see how it looks before you buy, as department store lighting is horrible. If you choose to use powder over concealer, go light. Too much will accentuate fine lines, looking cakey.

Your under eye concealer should be lighter than your foundation, while concealer used to cover blemishes and hide redness should be the same shade as your foundation.

Concealer should be applied either with a brush, or with your ring finger. If using your finger, gently pat and press, moving back and forth from one corner of the eye to the other, finishing up on the eyelid. Always use a light layer of concealer on your eyelid, as it makes a great primer for eyeshadow.

These are the concealer basics. Be sure to read my Concealer Review for more on concealer.


Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage
Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat (Radiant Touch Highlighter)