How to Choose the Right Concealer Shade (in 5 minutes)

As a Makeup artist, I know how important finding the perfect shade of concealer is!

While in the beauty market are tons of tones, undertones, coverage, and different formulas can be next to impossible, choosing the right concealer shade online. 

But in this guide, you will get the way to finding your perfect concealer shade online in about 5 minutes!

No more guessing and getting wrong undertones when choosing your perfect shade. 

Let’s get started. First things first.

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Types of Concealer

To find the best concealer shade for you, you need to first know about the different types of concealers available and what will be the best fit for you! 

Liquid concealers

Liquid concealers are the best type of concealers for me!

It is a very versatile type of concealer.

It is also the most popular because you can build up the coverage you desire, apply more liquid concealer coats, or achieve a natural look by applying only a little product. 

This concealer usually comes with a built-in applicator in most of the brands. 

• My favorite overall liquid concealers are these: Age rewind from Maybelline, Elf camo concealer, and Shape tape from Tarte. 

Cream concealers

When you want a dramatic full-coverage, the cream concealer is the one!

These concealers tend to be heavy, but it can be necessary for a full glam makeup look, cover almost all your under-eye area, and hydrate. 

My favorite cream concealers are these: Tatto concealer, NYX concealer palette.  

Stick concealer

On the other hand, a stick concealer is a concealer that comes in a super convenient package that is super easy to apply in a strategic area or spot. 

I recommend this only for personal use and not for clients or to share this product (like almost all the products)

because it is not a very hygienic product since you apply it directly from the stick. 

You can take some products apart with a brush and apply them.

That way, you will save your concealer from microbes and bacteria. 

I love this stick concealer from Neutrogena that includes a moisturizer inside the stick, making the concealer perfect for mature skin. 

Pencil concealers

Pencil concealer is often used for the brow bone, is perfect for defining eyebrows,

and I love to use it because of their precision in that eye area! 

The best one is this pencil concealer by NYX. 

Now that you have chosen the right one for you, I recommend everyone have at least one liquid concealer in your go-to makeup bag,

but all the types are excellent depending on the makeup occasion! Let’s get into finding the best shade for you.

Related Makeup post: The 25 Best Drugstore Products of all the time.

How to find the right concealer for your skin tone

The concealer needs to be just perfect!

If we mess it up with undertones and do not match it right with the foundation can look like a total disaster in our final makeup look. 

And you could be asking, What concealer shade am I ?

And how to find my perfect shade ONLINE?

So here are 3 things you got to know before choosing your concealer shade

1. Check your foundation tone and undertone.

A great general tip is to use a concealer from the same brand of your foundation, BUT to be honest;

This would be the best-case scenario but is not always that way.

The reality is that you can just fall in love with some foundation that has a terrible concealer and vice-versa. 

For example, I love the Makeup Revolution concealer (that I think everyone should try),

but I wouldn’t say I like the Makeup revolution foundation.

Instead, I use my Beauty creations foundation or fit me foundation with that concealer. 

And at the same time, you need to match your foundation and concealer as much as possible.

That’s why I’m talking about undertones! 

You need to seek the same undertone of concealer and foundation, which is usually your skin undertone.

(if you do not do fake tan regularly). 

If you have a warm skin undertone, you should probably look for almost the same undertone in a foundation and the same for concealer.

Otherwise, your foundation will look warmly, your concealer neutral, and your face will not look like you want. 

After knowing your skin tone and undertone, we are ready for the next. 

2. Finding the perfect coverage for you

This is very simple, we do not want a full coverage Beauty YouTuber guru concealer for Mature skin, and we ALSO don’t want a lightweight concealer for a young with intense dark circles skin. 

To choose the right coverage for you, first, you need to know your skin type and if your under-eye area tends to dry or not, and the tone of your dark circles. 

For intense dark circles, I would definitely recommend a FULL coverage concealer like these:

Tarte, elf camo, and this Amazing shape tape dupe from Makeup revolution. 

On the other hand, for mature skin (no matter the dark circle’s tone), I recommend a full coverage but lightweight at the same time. 

Like this fantastic concealer Age rewind from Maybelline. 

Moreover, if you only want a concealer for the everyday makeup routine, you can always pick a medium coverage concealer like these: fit me and this one from Milani.

Related Concealer post: 13 Effective Concelaer tips to prevent concealer from creasing under eyes!

3. What is the best concealer formula? 

The best concealer formula for you depends on your specific skin necessities and makeup occasion. 

For example, if you are under 35 and are looking for a concealer that you can use every single day to look more awake and cover your undereye area, you probably will be good with a liquid concealer. 

And this will also apply for more aging skins; we always want to pick the lightweight but with some coverage formulations. 

However, if you want a full glam makeup look, you will need a full-coverage liquid concealer or CREAM concealer.

The cream concealers tend to be heavier, and I do not recommend them for everyday usage, but they can be a fantastic tool for the party night makeup look. 

After knowing exactly what type of concealer is the best one for you!

You are ready to find the perfect concealer shade for your skin.

Related Makeup Post: How to find your perfect Foundation

Should your concealer be lighter or darker?

It depends; if you are using concealer in the under-eye area, you will need one or two tones lighter than your skin tone. 

However, if you use concealer for blemishes, scars, or pimples, you will need the same tone concealer than your foundation or skin tone.

Because if you use a lighter color to cover those imperfections, you will actually make them outstanding and more noticeable. 

Find your perfect concealer shade in 5 minutes

Double-check your skin undertone with your veins

This trick is the best to find your undertone easy at home.

This hack is also useful for finding the perfect foundation undertone. 

Find the natural light of the sun in a window, and see your veins in your arm. 

All the human veins are blue, but the skin tone and undertone will give the final undertone that you can see on your skin.

So, basically, now we apply the theory of colors. 

If you find your veins greenish, that means that your skin undertone will be yellow, because blue and yellow make green. 

Otherwise, if you find your veins between purple and blue, you have a cool pink undertone, because blue and pink make purple. 

If you are not sure if you have green or purple veins, you should probably are Neutral. 

Easy right? 

Look at the numbers and names that your foundations have. 

For example, I am a medium skin tone girl with a yellow undertone.

Almost all my foundations and concealers have similar names, or numbers, like “medium honey, medium olive, light-medium, tan or number between 5 to 8.” 

These names and numbers are similar in almost all the makeup brands and can guide you in finding your shade in another new product you are about to buy. 

Use Shade finders Online.

ULTA has an Online shade finder (check it out here) for every brand to read the guide for your skin tone on each brand,

and I have to say that it is a great tool to use, but you need to have previous knowledge or experience with the brand to find exactly the right shade. 

I will let you a general (but useful)

Concealer guide when you can straightforwardly find your right concealer shade and based on a Certified Makeup artist recommendation. 

Best full coverage Concealers

(Select one of these options if you are under 35, and love the full coverage look with normal to oily skin) 

1. Super Stay Super Stay Full Coverage Concelaer (LIGHT)

2.Elf Camo full coverage concealer (LIGHT TO MEDIUM with peach undertone)

3. Infallible Full waterproof matte concealer (MEDIUM TO DEEP)

Best concealers for Dark Circles

(Select one of these options if you have deep dark circles regardless your age)

1.L.A. Girl Peach Color corrector concealer

2.Sheer Miracle Organic Wide Awake Dark Circle Concealer

3.Nyx Professional Color coreccting Palette

Best Hydrating concealers 

(Select one of these options if you have dry skin or are over 35)

1.L’Oreal Paris Age Perfect Radiant Concealer with Hydrating Serum

2.Neutrogena SkinClearing Blemish Concealer

3.COVERGIRL Clean Fresh Hydrating Concealer

Does concealer go on before or after foundation?

The short answer is AFTER! I recommend doing it that way so you can cover as much as you can with foundation,

and then you add only the amount of concealer that you need on top; that way, you will avoid an excess of product. 

However, It depends on the type of Makeup and other factors;

Check out the Ultimate Guide to Makeup Application Order to learn more about how to apply makeup properly for glowing and flawless skin for every skin type and every occasion. 

Which color concealer is best for dark circles?

I have to say that it is necessary to have at least one color-correcting concealer to cover 100% of your dark circles. 

Because no matter how FULL COVERAGE a concealer can be, the undertone of the dark circle will still show on your final Makeup if you do not conceal that color. 

For deep dark circles, try this Orange color corrector. 

For medium-dark circles, try this peachy color corrector

Furthermore, for light dark circles, you opt for a concealer shade between yellow and peachy. 

How to pick a concealer for fair skin

If you have fair skin, it is super common that you have a cool pink undertone, and almost all the light shade concealers are based on that undertone. 

However, the reality is that fair skin tones can also have neutral undertones. 

3 QUICK tips to CHOOSE concealer for fair skin

1. Go for a hydrating formula that will not dry your under-eye area like this one.

2. Apply eye cream first on full coverage concealers.

The majority of the full coverage concealers are not hydrating, and you want to avoid the dry finish they make.

So if you still want a full coverage concealer, buy it and use it but apply eye cream before every single time. 

3. Stay away from Matte finish concealers! 

Reletad Makeup post: How to apply Makeup for dry skin

How to choose concealer for oily skin 

1. Consider a matte finish concealer and always apply eye cream before. 

The under-eye area is a super-sensitive area, and even when you have oily skin, it is essential to hydrate this area before adding Makeup. 

2. Avoid cream or stick concealers that tends to be heavy, causing more oiliness in your skin. 

3. Pick a liquid concealer to build the coverage as desired. 

How to apply concealer 

Using the right tools for applying concealer is crucial because the under-eye area is a super sensitive area where you want to take care of and avoid early expression lines and wrinkles.

The right tool for applying makeup will also make the difference in a smooth and blendable concealer application. Let’s talk about it.

Makeup sponge

This Concealer application tool is my favorite.

I recommend applying the concealer, wait about 10 minutes,

and then blending it again with the makeup sponge to remove all the excess that can be set in your expression lines under your eye.

Makeup sponge goes well with all the types of concealer

PRO TIP: Wet your makeup sponge before every use for the sponge to absorb water and not the product!

Brush 

Brush concealer is crucial for lightening the under-brow area!

This small flat brush for concealer is just the best for precision in the brow area.

Usually, the concealer brushes that came built-in in all the liquid concealers are perfect for under eye area but not that precise for the brow bone.

Now let’s get into the step-by-step tutorial for applying concealer!

Step 1. Eye cream, no matter skin type! 

Apply three small drops of this eye cream and distribute well for all the under-eye area. 

Step 2. Correct your dark circles! 

If you have deep dark circles, apply an orange corrector.

For medium-dark circles, apply a peachy tone concealer and for light-dark circles, opt for yellow concealer.

If you are blessed by God and do not have dark circles, you can skip this step and choose a concealer with a yellow undertone to brighter the under-eye area. 

Step 3. Apply concealer doing an inverted triangle under your eyes.

Step 4. Set it with translucent powder.

Please avoid the powder foundation in this area because it causes a cakey finish. 

NOTE: Check the full guide to stop concealer from creasing under eyes where I share more in-depth tips and tricks to get a flawless concealer application that lasts all days without setting in fine lines under your eyes.

And this is the result after applying mascara, false lashes and lipstick!

FINAL CONCEALER PRO TIPS

The best part about concealer is that it is super versatile. Here are the best pro tips to use concealer to more than cover dark circles. 

1. You can apply a little concealer coat, glossy lipstick, and mascara for a no-makeup makeup look.

2. Use concealer as an eyeshadow primer to even your eyelid tone and your eyeshades’ best setting. 

3. Use concealer for contour and highlight. 

Use two darker tones of cream concealer to contour your face and use a lighter tone of concealer for brightening strategic areas like chin, nose, under-eyes, and cheeks. 

I hope you find this post helpful and thank you for reading until here; if you liked what you read, please share it. 

Tell me, what is your skin type and what undertone did you find checking your veins color? 

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• Concealer vs Foundation: When & How to use each
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How to Choose the Right Concealer Shade (in 5 minutes)