How Do I Use A Concealor?
O.K., you’ve moisturized your eye area, but if you’re thinking what can I do about those dark circles under my eyes, you probably need to conceal or camouflage them. Concealors are used to cover small areas of discoloration, primarily dark under eye color.
Most companies offer more than one type of concealor; their consistency can be thick or thin, water proof or not. They can also be found in a variety of skin tones, as well as several different methods of application. The most commonly used is the concealor stick, which is in a tube like a lipstick. The other types are: creams in little pots; a thinner type which comes in a squeeze tube or with a sponge or brush tipped applicator wand, or the fat, soft, creamy little pencil. If you have slight under eye discoloration, a thin concealor will do.
A thin concealor will work if you have slight discoloration under your eyes. A thicker concealor with more pigment (intense color), and should be waterproof will work best for darker under eye color. Most women mistakenly use concealors that are either too light or too thin to be effective. The result is a lighter shade of blu-ish, purple discoloration. If your dark circles or concealor are visible, then either your thickness or color is not right for you or your application was faulty.
What do they do?
They conceal or cover discolorations. Concealors, like foundations are designed to even out skin tone, but concealors are more color (pigment) intense than a foundation and a camouflager has more pigment than a concealor. The product is thicker if the amount of pigment is heavier.
How do I use concealors?
To use, place a dot of concealor on your finger or small brush, tap and spread the concealor, thinning as you go beyond the under eye. Blend out toward your hairline, in toward your nose and down over the top of your cheekbone. Then, apply a thin layer of your foundation or use a clean eye shadow brush to apply a thin layer of loose powder; a small brush will hold and deposit less product.
The stick or tube type of concealor is best applied from the tube onto a finger or brush, then tapped onto the skin. The types that come with their own applicator will dictate how it’s applied, otherwise a small brush or your pinky works fine. I wait to apply concealor after any eye and facial makeup, then if there are any mishaps, I don’t have to remove and reapply the concealor, foundation and powder.
What is a camouflager?
A camouflager is a thicker version of a concealor. The general use is to cover large area like varicose veins, birthmarks, tan lines and facial or body discolorations that may be lighter or darker than usual. When applied properly, with the right texture and color, almost any discoloration can be covered with a camouflager.
How do I use a camouflager?
There are two ways that you can use a camouflager under your eyes, you can use it alone as you would use a concealor or if you don’t need the color density, it can be diluted with a little moisturizer or foundation. Thoroughly blend on the back of your hand and tap on the area and blend to erase any streaks or lines. For best finishing results, dust with a very small amount of flesh colored, or translucent loose powder.
Some cosmetic companies label their under eye concealor a camouflager, it sounds confusing, but that’s because their product has more pigment than the typical concealor. Sample both types to determine which will work best for you. If after sampling both, you still find that your dark circles have not been covered to your liking – then you will probably benefit from a color corrector. Check out www.andibradshaw.com for age specific books “Foundations, Powders & Blushes” for more information.