While we can continue to pray for 8 hours of sleep every night, we’ll continue to fail at it. It’s just impossible. We’re all well aware of how necessary our beauty sleep is, and yet you’re probably reading this on 3 hours. In such a fast-paced world, most of us are lucky enough to get about 4 hours before we have to head to work!
Aside from the obvious struggle of severe exhaustion and drowsiness, there’s a much worse side effect that we didn’t realize we were signing up for: dark circles and bags under our eyes. This is why it’s useful to know how to conceal like a pro.
Concealer is a savior for most of us. It single-handedly takes us from drab to fab with a few dabs, yet, so many of us struggle to figure out the right way to apply it. We either overdose on it, or find that it blends away to nothing.
With concealer, it’s all about technique, and taking it from a makeup product to a miracle worker. We’ve put together some tips and tricks to make sure your concealer tosses those under-eye designer bags out.
How to Conceal Like a Pro
Hydration is Key
The only way you’re going to get the best out of your concealer is to get your under-eyes in the best shape possible. Lack of sleep and exhaustion can take a toll on more than just the darkness of your under-eyes.
Dryness can be detrimental to your concealer application, and can leave it looking patchy and cakey. The first tip to perfect your concealer is to always make sure to apply eye cream before sleeping and once you wake up. Stash it by your bed to keep yourself in check and avoid getting lazy!
Come Prepared
It’s all about the prep when learning how to conceal like a pro. A concealer can only do so much, so if you really want flawless under-eyes then you’re going to need to put in some work beforehand. Start by color-correcting.
Take a peach toned color corrector, or even a peach toned concealer, and apply it directly onto your dark circles to cancel out the darkness. You’ll already be left with brighter under-eyes.
The Triangle Method
Made famous by Kim Kardashian’s makeup artist, applying your concealer in a triangular shape has been celebrity makeup artist’s top trick. You simply use your concealer to draw a triangle starting from your lower lash line and tracing down your cheek, then up your cheekbones. This trick instantly lifts your under-eyes for a brighter look.
Let it Settle
Instead of struggling to find a concealer with maximum coverage, simply apply your concealer as you normally would, and leave it to settle for a while before blending it out.
Letting it sit on your skin for a minute or so intensifies the formula of the concealer. This way, you won’t find your concealer getting lifted or moving around when you try to blend it. You’ll just press it into your skin and blend out the edges!
After Foundation
Most women pat the concealer on first and then apply the rest of their base. This extra blending is going to erase the brightness of your concealer and all of the work it has done!
To conceal like a pro, stick to applying your foundation or base of choice first. Then once you’ve allowed that to settle for a minute or so you can apply your concealer. Your base will have already given you a bit of coverage, and sometimes you may realize you don’t need as much concealer as you initially thought.
Spot Concealing
When spot concealing you want to optimize the coverage right where you need it. A common mistake when spot concealing is to pat too much onto the spot. The trick is to apply the concealer lightly to the spot and then just blend out the edges. That way you get the most coverage where you need it.
