Make Up Basics: Concealer & Corrector

Everyone's skin is different and there may be certain areas that require extra coverage or neutralizing.  Foundation alone might not be able to assist with these needs and hence a concealer -- and sometimes a corrector as well -- is applied.

CONCEALER

Concealers does pretty much exactly as the name suggests, it conceals.  Similar to foundations, concealers are available in a variety of forms:

• liquid - often packaged in click pens, tubes with doe foot wands, pumps or squeeze tubes
• cream - commonly packaged in jars, pots, metal pans, palettes, pencil or stick form
• powder - packaged in a sifter jar and mostly found in mineral make up lines

The most common usages for concealers are to mask darkness under the eyes (mainly caused by sleep deprivation but is sometimes hereditary) and to hide acne, zits/pimples, birthmarks, scars, redness and dark spots.

CONCEALER GUIDELINES

Here are some basic guidelines to choosing a concealer based on your needs:

• For under eye circles : Select a shade that is one or two shades lighter than your foundation color.  Not only will it diffuse the darkness under your eyes but it will also bring in more light to the area for a brightening effect enabling eyes to look more awake and fresh.
• For general cover ups : Select a shade that matches (or is closest to) your skin tone and foundation shade.  You don't want the concealer to look obvious since you want to hide and not bring focus to the area.

Concealers in liquid form have a lighter texture but it doesn't necessarily mean that it falls short when it comes to coverage.  That being said, if the formulation feels too runny, you might end up applying more product than you normally would with a concealer that has a slightly thicker consistency.

CORRECTOR

For darker or more intense discoloration, a corrector is applied before the concealer to neutralize the spot or area.  Correctors are usually color tinted and not in skin tone shades.  Different colors are used to neutralize different types of skin marks such as:

• Green : Neutralizes redness and pink tones (i.e. blemishes, pimples, rosacea, vascular birthmarks, broken capilaries)
• Salmon (or yellow, pink, bisque, peach) : Neutralizes black, blues and purples (i.e. severe under eye circles, pigmented birthmarks, acne scars, bruises, tattoos, dark spots)
• Lavender : Neutralizes yellow tones (i.e. recovering bruises). Also helps brighten up dull and sallow complexions.
• Baby blue : Neutralizes orange tinged skin sometimes caused by overtanning.

Correctors tend to be creamier in consistency and can be found in palette form.  Certain brands in the market also offers corrector based primers which helps neutralize overall complexion in addition to their clear or neutral colored version.

APPLICATION

• If a corrector is required, start off by taking a small amount of the corrector and dabbing it on the affected area with a brush or a clean finger.  Blend it evenly.
• Apply a small amount of concealer to the area (on top of the corrector if corrector was applied) with a brush or a clean finger.  If you prefer, a small or pointed sponge would do the job as well.
• When applying concealer to the under eye area, tilt your head down while looking at the mirror. Apply the product in the dark hollows and blend upwards towards the lower lash line.
• Make sure to spread the product evenly on the area required and blend it seamlessly into skin/foundation.
• If you're using a liquid or cream concealer, set the product with a powder (loose or pressed).
• Fair to light skin tones : Set with a translucent or light powder.
• Medium skin tones : Set with a light or yellow based powder.
• Dark to Deep skin tones : Set with a yellow based or skin tone powder.

THINGS TO NOTE

• Concealer and corrector can be applied before or after foundation.  However, applying the products after foundation generally uses less product amount as it is only applied to areas where foundation is unable to fully provide coverage.
• When applying a liquid or cream concealer over top of a powder foundation, spritz a refresher mist (not setting or finishing spray) to dampen the skin first then apply.
• Have a color wheel ready to guide you on which corrector color best suits your needs.  Images of a color wheel are freely available online.
• Since these products tend to be on the creamier side, opt for a brush with synthetic bristles should you choose to use a brush as your application tool.  Synthetic brushes are less likely to soak up the product and therefore you will need to use a smaller amount of product.
• However, when using a brush with natural fibres, dampen the bristles slightly before picking up product.