Conceal to Reveal

I always thought....once I get older...my skin will be perfect! No more oily shine 30 seconds after I apply my makeup...no more zits....no more dry spots....etc...etc...

This is the image I had in my head of what I would look like every morning when I got older...

Silly right!????

But I woke up from my little makeup dream world to realize...

IT AIN'T HAPPINEN!!!

 (Unless you can afford laser treatments, facial peels, and other Hollywood mumbo jumbo every day!)

Since I am 1 week away from my 28th birthday...I have come to realize that the oily skin, zits, dark circles, and other fun skin problems are here to stay. 

So what's a girl to do!??

 This is where my secret weapon comes in.....CONCEALER!!!!

Gosh do I love my concealers! Like Seriously...LOVE!

After much trial and error and horribly awful no good very bad attempts at concealing problem areas.. I have finally learned the correct way to go about concealing what you want to hide, to reveal what you want to show!

First off, you need more than one type of concealer to hide different problems (It has taken me YEARS to finally get this through my head!). 

There are stick, cream, liquid, pen, wand, shade adjusting, etc. concealers out there...seriously.. there are like 1,000 different kinds! But it's all about finding the right kind of consistency, and color for your skin! 

Obviously, some women DO have amazing skin and don't need any concealers what..so...ever...BUT....for the rest of us..we need a little extra help to make our skin LOOK flawless, when it isn't (But who has to know, right!!?).

Here is my list of my current fave concealers and what they do:

Benefit Fake Up Concealer Stick - In Light

 If you have read my previous posts, you know I was WISHING for this makeup item...It had been on my makeup wish list for a long while and my amazing sister got it for me (among other awesome things) for my birthday!!! (See Wish List Post here.)

Well...Let's just say...this little concealer was well worth the wait! 

I LOVE IT!! It's everything I wished it would be! Seriously!

This concealer stick does everything it advertized that it would.

1) Moisturize (It says it ultra-hydrates for 6 hours)

2) Conceal

3) No Creasing or Caking

4) Long Lasting

 I was really blown away by how smooth and creamy this concealer glides on. Note that I say smooth and creamy, not oily! I was worried that it might be too much moisture in a concealer and make my skin more oily, but it's definitely not! It adds just the right hint so the area you want to conceal is well moisturized, and covered! 

I use this concealer under my eyes to cover those horrible dark circles! I apply this stick concealer directly to my under eye area before I apply my foundation, and then blend in my with ring finger (Your ring finger applies the LEAST amount of pressure, which is ideal for your delicate eye area! If you don't know what your ring finger is...it's the finger next to your pinkie!). 

I have also found that this concealer stick is GREAT to cover those pesky zits that are dry and flaky and always seem to get caked up once you apply your concealer. 

I seriously HATE that...it's like...why not wear a huge sign on my face that says..."YES, I have a Zit...and YES I tried to cover it UP!!!"

As I do with my under eye area, I apply this concealer directly on to the zit/problem area and pat in with my finger. Then I apply my foundation on top and the dry zit is no longer the focal point of my face! It is moisturized and concealed! AWESOME!!!

 I use this concealer underneath my foundation because I think the added moisture in it gives it a little shine. It's not oily, but it does have a concealed, yet slick appearance. This goes away once you apply your foundation on top. You can also use this before your BB cream if that is your foundation/coverage of choice! 
I also feel like this acts as an under eye primer since I use it BEFORE I apply my foundation. The foundation seems to go on so much more smoothly once I have used this concealer first. 

Since this concealer stick does have a moisturizer ring around the concealer, I feel like it helps me not use as much. Maybe that is the secret to the no caking or creasing with this product? 
It definitely feels like it preps my skin for the foundation step and doesn't fight it. 
A little bit goes a long way and it really does help to conceal my horrible dark circles and dry, red spots while also keeping them moisturized! LOVE! 
A wonderful addition to my concealers!

Thank you Sis for the awesome gift!

This concealer is $24 at Sephora and Ulta Stores as well as online. It comes in Light, Medium, or Dark (When in doubt, go lighter when it comes to concealer shades).

5 Stars from me!!!

Cliff Notes Version of this Concealer:

Where I use it: Under eye area, dry, flaky zits/red spots

When I use it: Under my foundation

How I use it: Apply directly onto problem areas, blend in with finger (Ring finger for under eye area!).  

Does it work?: YES! No creasing/caking and it conceals while adding moisture.

Price: $24 

NYX High Definition Photo Concealer Wand in Fair

 I just posted a review about this awesome concealer in my last blog (here).  

This concealer has seriously changed the way I thought about wand concealers! And I guess I had sort of written wand concealers off because I was applying them the wrong way! But with the right technique, and the right concealer, my faith in wand concealers was restored in a snap!

First off, if you are looking for one concealer that you can use for basically all your concealing needs...this is IT! 
But, I have found that using this concealer in the Fair shade OVER my foundation totally changes my under eye area and face! I chose to go with a super light shade with this concealer because I wanted to brighten my under eye area after I had concealed it with the Benefit Fake Up concealer and applied my foundation.

Don't get me wrong, this concealer is also just that...a CONCEALER! So you get double coverage under your eyes without all the cake/creasing and added brightness!

This also works great for spot concealing other problem zit or red areas once you have applied your foundation. I noticed that when I applied this BEFORE my foundation, it seemed like I didn't even apply any concealer and I would have to reapply. But since I do this AFTER my foundation is on, it does the job well! 

Like I said earlier, I got this concealer in the super light Fair shade so I could use it under my eyes to brighten them. I have found that using a concealer that is one shade lighter than your skin tone/foundation under your eyes really adds dimension to your face and also separates your under eye area from your cheek bones. It makes sure you can see where your under eye stops, and your cheeks start instead of having one continuous color/area! I love adding something into my makeup routine that helps conceal a problem, yet reveal other parts of my face that I would like to highlight.

As far as application goes...this new technique I have found has TOTALLY and I mean TOTALLY changed the way I apply concealer and why! 

The trick is not just swiping the wand under your eye and blending in...you must create a triangle (starting from the inner corner of your eye and going under the eye and then going back to the inner corner and then drawing more lines down your cheek until you reach your nose in a triangle form). 

I like to call it...The Bermuda Triangle of Concealing....because it makes things disappear!

The key is...Once you have applied the Bermuda Concealer Triangle, blend in with a wet beauty blender sponge (Run it under warm water and then squeeze out the excess water) or a wedge makeup sponge.

 

Beauty Blender Sponge (Available at Sephora for $20, or a generic brand  is available online at Amazon.com for $1.04 shipped. Link here.)

 

Wedge Makeup Sponge (Available everywhere...you can get 32 for $3 at Walmart!)

You must blend the concealer from the inner corner of your under eye area out to your hairline (Above your cheekbone) and then blend down around the corner of your nose.  Remember: blending is your friend when it comes to makeup! Especially concealer!

This triangle effect helps brighten your eye area, AND conceal your dark circles, while also contouring your nose and cheeks! HOORAY for a skinnier nose and higher cheek bones!! All with a little concealer!!

Once you have blended in your triangle concealer with your sponge, set it with a loose translucent powder! This helps the concealer stay put and not cake up!  Plus since it's translucent, this will suit most skin tones and help keep the under eye brightness you achieved with the concealer.

It doesn't have to be an expensive translucent loose powder since you are only using a small bit to set the area, but it makes a world of difference just by sweeping the light colored powder over the under eye area after you have done this concealing and contouring step. 

NYC carries a great option for loose translucent powder, and it's only $2.79! (Available at drug stores and Target and Wal-Mart).

 The bottom line on this concealer is that it is inexpensive, yet it helps to conceal the under eye area, contour your nose and cheeks, and cover any other problem areas. Just remember to use this kind OVER your foundation, not under it, or you will end up reapplying. 

Also remember to get a shade lighter in this type of concealer if you plan on using it as I have described here. 

This NYX HD Photo Concealer Wand is $4.99 at Ulta and Target stores as well as online. SCORE! Plus it comes in a large variety of shades!

Cliff Notes Version of this Concealer:

Where I use it: Under eye area, spot conceal small problem areas.

When I use it: OVER my foundation

How I use it: Apply directly onto under eye area with the wand in the triangle formation and blend in with a sponge. Apply loose translucent powder on top to set!

Does it work?: YES! Smooth and light, but great coverage.

Price: $4.99

Other: Go one shade lighter than your skin tone/foundation if you plan to use it as I have described here. 

********** UPDATE**********
I wanted to take a picture of how my concealer looks after I have used the concealer wand and applied in the "Bermuda Concealer Triangle" formation under my eyes. I am not shy with the concealer here because I will blend it in with my beauty blender sponge. Remember to do this step AFTER you have applied your foundation, but BEFORE you have applied your powder or other makeup.

I just wanted to give you all a "real life" picture of how the triangle should look....So here it is! 
The Bermuda Concealing Triangle!

____________________________________

NYC Conceals Cover Stick in Light

This is the 3rd and final concealer that I keep on hand at all times. And it's in stick form of course! ;)
 I posted about how I always keep one of these concealer sticks in my purse in case of emergencies here. 

This is your basic, non expensive concealer cover stick, but it also has a purpose too! 

I keep this concealer stick around solely for the purpose of covering those tough to hide blemishes or super red spots. Some times, you just need an extra bit of concealer help after you have completed your full face of makeup. 

I heard a trick a while back that has stuck with me. Once you finish your makeup, close your eyes for 5 seconds, then open them and look in the mirror. What is the 1st thing that your eye is drawn to? Is it those awesome cheek bones you just highlighted? Those gorgeous lips you just glossed? Or...is it a zit that needs a little bit more coverage? 
Usually...the latter is what happens to me. 
When this happens...I grab this heavy duty concealer stick and get to work! 

I apply this concealer OVER my foundation (This is the very last step in my makeup routine), and I like to use a tiny concealer brush to literally paint it on the areas that need more coverage. I find that if I use my finger to dab this concealer on, or I apply the stick directly to my face, I end up getting too much concealer and it looks caked on. 
Or...GASP.... I end up smearing my foundation and have to jump into makeup salvage mode! (Never fun!). 

Using a tiny concealer brush helps make your concealing extremely precise and makes those problem areas disappear! Basically, it's an awesome way to spot treat hard to cover blemishes or spots! 

Run the concealer brush over the concealer stick (I usually run it over the stick 2-3 times). Then lightly dab it over the problem area with the brush until you have reached the amount of coverage you want. Lightly pat it out and blend it with your finger (This is another great time to use your ring finger so you don't smudge all the concealer off that you just applied). Once the area is concealed to your liking, apply a small brush of translucent powder to set the concealer. (Make sure you wash out your concealer brush so it doesn't get caked up or hard!)

Here is an example of the tiny concealer brush I use to paint this concealer on (And it's only $1). This brush also works great to paint on a barrier of concealer around your lip line too! Plus, since the concealer is in a lighter shade than your foundation, it also helps highlight that pout!!! Just make sure you paint it on, then blend in outward motions!

Small Concealer Brush by ELF - $1 (Available here, or Target Stores)

So...the skinny on this stick is that it is a full coverage type of concealer, therefore it has the potential to crease and cake if not applied properly. Creasing and caking is never pretty...and it only makes you look older and more wrinkly AHH!! So definitely stay away from using this kind around your eyes. This concealer stick is great to use as a spot treatment concealer or to keep on hand in your purse for emergencies.

This NYC Concealer Cover stick is only $1.72 at Wal-Mart!!!! HELLO AWESOMENESS!
 It's also carried at other drug stores as well and comes in Light, Medium, and Natural shades. 

Cliff Notes Version of this Concealer:

Where I use it: Spot treatment coverage for bad blemishes or red spots.

When I use it: Over my foundation and other makeup. The very last step in my makeup routine.

How I use it: With a small concealer brush to give me precise control to spot treat. Dab lightly with ring finger to blend and set with a brush of translucent powder.  

Does it work?: YES! Just beware of where you use it because it will cake up if used around the eye area. Very thick concealer, so use lightly or with a brush as I have described.

Price: $1.72




These 3 concealers are the current cover-up staples in my makeup bag. They all conceal, but they all have separate textures and separate jobs! Don't be afraid to branch out and try more than one concealer. I thought that one concealer alone should be fine to cover all my problem areas, but I was WRONG! 
Now that I am older and my skin isn't as smooth as it use to be, I have found out why using different concealers is not only easier, but it makes my makeup look more natural! 
PLUS, who knew you could contour your face and make those eyes, cheeks, and lips pop, and that nose skinnier just by adding concealer and blending it in in a new way!?? 
I didn't until recently! 

I hope this post has helped show the value and importance of using the same makeup item, but in different forms and ways! 

What are your favorite concealers? I still have a few new concealers on my list I'd like to try (As always!). 

Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Concealer - $25 at Sephora

Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Radiant Highlighting Concealer - $6.44 at Walmart

Remember Lovelies...
Conceal what you want to hide to Reveal what you want to Show!!! 
And have fun doing it!! 

<3,
 MMG