[trip style = any]
When I fly I wear minimal make-up over maximum moisturizer because while I love to travel, I don't love the drying effects of recycled plane air on my skin. Before a flight, I slather heavy moisturizer on my face, followed by concealer, mascara, loose powder and lip balm. During the flight, I drink plenty of water, reapply lots of lip balm and mist my face throughout the journey. Before landing, I touch up my concealer so I can hit the ground running.
Thus, the topic of the day—what kind of concealer do we need and where should we apply it? Selection and application can be overwhelming, but we have a few tricks up our sleeves. We've even created a concealer map to help you put your best face forward.
Types of Concealer
Make-up artists suggest that women should own two basic types of concealer: a light-reflecting pen or fluid, and an opaque stick or cream. Believe it or not, they do different things; the former brightens while the latter covers.
Primarily meant for under-eye circles, pen or fluid concealers also work wonders around the nose, lips and shadowy areas of the face. They’re thinner than normal concealers and work well on dry or wrinkled skin because of their moisturizing and illuminating qualities. Meanwhile, opaque concealers are best for concealing blemishes, scars and redness.
Where to Apply
There’s no magic formula for concealer application. We all have unique face shapes and concerns. Though, here are a few universal helpful tips for concealer application that we've tried and tested on the jetway {and we KNOW work well}.
- Lightly apply concealer to under-eye circles with a brush or your ring finger. Try two simple application methods:
- Apply to dark circles only, from your inner eye to below the middle of your pupil. Avoid a large half-moon shape.
- Draw an upside-down pyramid from your lower eyelid to your cheekbone.
- Use a light-reflecting concealer on your brow bones and on the inside corners of your eyes to appear more rested.
- Give eyebrows extra definition by tracing them in concealer and then blending the lines with your finger.
- Sharpen and correct a cat eye by swiping concealer above the flick of your liner.
- Save space in your travel make-up bag by using concealer as an eyeshadow primer. Apply with a brush to avoid depositing oils from your fingers to your eyelids, and set with loose powder.
- Create the illusion of plumper lips with a dab of concealer in the center of your lips.
- Apply concealer around your lips for a crisp edge that makes bright lipstick pop.
- Lighten the larger areas of your face by applying light-reflecting concealer to your cheeks and forehead, and then contour with bronzer or foundation slightly darker than your skin tone.
Application + Product Tips
- Remember that less is more. Don’t apply too much product to your brush; you can always build coverage.
- The secret to even application is blending. Use your fingers or a fluffy eyeshadow brush on larger areas of your face, and a small eyeliner brush on smaller spots like blemishes and scars.
- Start with primer and follow with foundation or tinted moisturizer before applying concealer. Finish with a light dusting of powder.
- We love YSL’s famous Touche Éclat pen, but this miracle worker is a highlighter, not a true concealer. Apply to the inner corners of your eyes, along your cheekbones and—if you don't have dark circles—under the eyes in place of concealer.
- For a list of products, check out make-up artist Lisa Eldridge's suggestions. She also provides a fantastic concealer tutorial.
This post is written by Trip Styler's Assistant Wayfarer/Editor Heather.
[face map by @heatherlovesit, outline via google images]