I’m pretty happy with my current under-eye concealer routine of moisturizing first with an eye cream, then usually using a blend of NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer and another concealer like Maybelline Fit Me Concealer or YSL Touche Éclat Radiant Touch, and then setting with powder, but I’m always looking for ways to improve it, i.e. “make my under-eye sitch look more natural.”
At Nordstrom the other day, I got to chatting with a 10th-level makeup magician/Trish McEvoy makeup artist/sorceress about this seemingly never-ending makeup quest, and she had some great ideas that I actually tried right there in the store, and they worked! Now I’m starting to incorporate them into my regular routine.
Things like…
Look for emollient (smoothing) formulas
“Moisturizing” in a concealer’s description is usually a good sign. Specifically, look for concealers with smoothing or hydrating ingredients like sodium hyaluronate (or hyaluronic acid), because plump, moisturized skin has a smoother, more skin-like appearance that looks more natural…and less like a glob of concealer right under your eyes — something like Trish McEvoy’s Instant Eye Lift, which is $38 and available in two shades.
Grab a flat concealer brush
If you’re interested in getting the fullest of full coverages (which I totally am), try patting your concealer on and around your dark circles using a flat concealer brush, instead of swiping with something else like a different brush, a sponge or your fingers, to keep more of the product where you want it (as opposed to swiping it away).
Use a flat eyeshadow brush to set your concealer with a translucent powder
Now, since the last thing you want is to do is disrupt or darken the concealer you just applied, set it by loading a flat eyeshadow brush with some translucent powder (instead of tinted powders, some of which can oxidize/darken on the skin), and then pat that on top of your concealer.
I hope you give these few tips a try, and let me know how they work for you if you do. 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
I love the Cover FX concealer brush, which is flat and not too big/small. But I need to try a flat brush to pat on powder at the end!
Great ideas. I was just thinking I needed a new way to apply my translucent powder over my concealer. Happy to say I’ve got just the brush to do the trick 🙂
I have this concealer too 🙂 It has a fantastic formula, but its (only one available?) rosy shade looks bright pink on my olive toned skin.
Oh, I see, they have now added a yellow based shade, which is now too dark though, no lack for me 🙂
I find that all i need is that new UD weightless concealer stuff. It is magic and most days I don’t use any other type of foundation or concealer, just a few dots of UD.
I tend to go more full out with foundatioon if I am going out, or for special occasions.
That being said, skincare is important on so many levels. Keep hydrated, eat healthy (mostly) … get good sleep regularly…Sunblock every single day…and my Rodan+Fields routine helps too. 🙂
I’ve been using my fingers to apply my concealer forever now, and I like the results, but I’ll give a concealer brush a try!
Do you have a translucent powder rec?
Trish McEvoy is my JAM! I got my first set of makeup brushes from Trish 15 years ago and guess what? I still have and use them every day! They are still perfect. I’ve heard good things about their instant lift concealer but haven’t tried it yet. These are some good concealer tips!
Since undereye concealer often looks more off than on for me I started skipping it altogether. I wonder if I’d get along with this one.
Which translucent powder do you use? I find that some are too light , like the Laura Mercier setting powder. I recently started using a dampened sponge to blend in my concealer and it works pretty good. But I used a flat concealer brush before that. To match my skin tone I use at least two different colors. Since I don’t wear foundation if my concealer isn’t right it looks unnatural . Still haven’t found the right combination yet.
A flat shader brush? Never thought of that.
I need a new undereye concealer. I like the Nars, but none of the colors are quite right.
I use the bobbi brown concealer kit. It contains cream concealer and powder. Both colour matched in store. I also use the bobbi brown corrector first and it conceals everything! Love, love, love it. I have heard good things about the maybelline fit me I need something for pesky break outs …
Has anyone tried using a mini beauty blender to apply undereye concealer?
Why do you mix other concelers with the Nars? I use it and just wondering what the benefit is to adding the Maybelline or touche eclat concealer? Thanks
I do it for color. 🙂