4 Ways to Get Concealer Working Better from a Top Makeup Pro

4 Ways to Get Concealer Working Better  from a Top Makeup Pro

Aleetha Clanton, a Mineral Air favorite and New York-based beauty multi-hyphenate hair stylist and makeup artist, educator and motivational speaker shares her insider’s view on concealers.  Photo by Franklin Thompson, makeup by Aleetha Clanton.

 

Four-in-One Foundation Information #2: This is the second of a 4-part Mineral Air series deconstructing the major components (primer, concealer, hydrator, pigment) of our extraordinary multitasking foundation formula.

 

A friend of ours has this encouraging confidence building rule we like a lot, “However critical you are of your face the mirror in the morning, remember that IRL you’ll always look 25% better than you think you do. (And if you’re in love, that bumps up to 30%.) That’s because nobody else is standing eight inches from you and doing a micro-analysis of every (perceived) flaw. “

 

So where do concealers come into this picture? Easy. Says premiere makeup artist and educator Aleetha Clanton, “You may know you have a blemish, but concealers mean the world doesn’t have to. And the same holds true of dark circles, brown spots, discoloration around the nostrils, small scars and fine lines.”

 

Here are Aleetha’s concealer tips to minimize flaws and keep your skin looking fresh and dewy.

 


1. Get your match(es) right

“The two things to pay attention to when purchasing concealer,” advises Aleetha, “Are the right texture and the right colors. Unless you have really oily skin, choose a satin finish–which is more forgiving–over a matte one. Matte concealers tend to dry out and can look ashy a few hours into the day.”

 

It may also come as news that you may need to have more than one concealer color in your kit depending on the areas you’re using it on.  First no matter what, you’ll want concealer that matches your foundation. Then if you need to troubleshoot more, look at ones that color correct (as in green over redness or blemishes) or add light.

 

“At most,” says Aleetha, “You can go up to two shades brighter than your natural skin but only if you really need it for pigment balancing as for dark circles. One big mistake I see is that people go way too white under the eyes which only calls attention to circles and crow’s feet there instead of softening them.”

 

And always test new concealer colors and finishes over your foundation and then run outside to take a look at your skin in natural light. Repeat as necessary. When it’s right, you’ll see it immediately.

 

2. Apply in order

“A huge no-no that many women make when applying makeup,” Aleetha reports, “Is putting concealer onto bare skin, that is, before applying their foundation. Our eyes can play tricks on us. What happens then is that there is a tendency to treat concealer as foundation and use too much in an attempt to even out the skin.. By applying concealer on top of your foundation though, you’ll find you have to use less because the base makeup itself has already done some of the work for you.”

 

 

3. Use the right light touch

The second concealer pet peeve Aleetha sees way too much of is heavy handed application. “Spackling on the product under the eyes so thick that it cracks, can make minor undereye imperfections, fine lines and dark circles look absolutely tragic. You might as well have a sign saying, ‘Crow’s Feet Crossing here.” she cautions. “Concealers’ job is one thing and that is to disappear and taking the little flaw with it. If you can see the product, you’re using too much.”

 

To apply properly, Aleetha says to place a small dot (or a series of small dots) of concealer where you want it to go, either with a small brush or your ring finger. Then lightly press or stipple it in.  Do NOT move it around.

4. Forget the whole concealer application thing and use Mineral Air instead.

The genius of Mineral Air’s Four-in-One Foundation is that optical concealers are micronized right into the formula means that a separate concealer (and primer, as we learned last time) step is unnecessary.

 

“My favorite thing about Mineral Air,” concludes Aleetha, “Is that you get such lovely, even coverage while still allowing the natural skin to look like skin. And because it’s so light and layers so seamlessly, you can spot correct problem areas without using tons of concealers to cover them up.”



“You may know you have a blemish but concealers mean the world doesn’t have to. And the same holds true of dark circles, brown spots, discoloration around the nostrils, small scars and fine lines.”

 

Aleetha Clanton
Hair stylist and makeup artist

W aleethaclanton.com
IG @aleethaclanton

Mineral Air

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