Concealer

When using a concealer to hide acne you want to make sure to buy a concealer of your skin tone that is thick and rich in pigment. These types of concealers usually contain anti-acne ingredients so as they help cover they also heal the skin.[2] This concealer is very heavy so it is best if used only to "spot" conceal or else your makeup will end up cakey. The best concealers for this are the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer, Maybelline FIT ME! Concealer, and MAKE UP FOR EVER Ultra HD Concealer.[3] These concealers work best for this step because they are creamy and will blend over the blemish evenly.

Recently using concealer to highlight has become a very popular makeup technique. Using a concealer that is one to two shades lighter than your skin tone you draw a V under your eye to cover all the shadow.[4] After blending out it will attract more light to that area giving the appearance of no under eyes. This technique can be used on other areas of the face in which you want to bring more light.[2] Concealers also work for contouring if you use a concealer that is two shades darker. By putting it in the hollows of your cheeks and the outer perimeter of your face you can add dimension. In this diagram you can see the white is where you are supposed to highlight and the black is where the contour should be applied.

Color correcting involves using concealers in peach, green, and purple tones to cancel out certain areas of discoloration. Each color cancels out a certain color or dullness. Green is used when you want to cancel out redness. Peach is used to cancel out blue dark circles and lastly purple will cancel out any yellow spots.[5] When using this technique it is important to note that this should be done before foundation and only in thin layers. If applied too heavily it can peek through foundation.[5]

Liquid concealer is the most popular because it works for most skin type. This concealer also works well for acne spots because it will not bunch up around the acne or settle into the scars. The concealer does have to be set with powder or else it will crease into the fine lines of your skin. Liquid concealers can also have buildable coverage in different finishes to suit every need.[6]

Stick concealer is used for very specific purposes because it is thicker than liquid and contains a lot of coverage. This type of concealer is also very convenient because of the packaging and its ability to be used for touchups. This concealer works best on blemishes and small areas of discoloration.[6] Formulas that are very creamy, blend easily into the skin allowing for flawless touchups through the day.[7]

This type of concealer is similar to the stick concealer because it offers heavy coverage. However, you need to apply it with a brush because it can look heavy due to the intense pigmentation.[7]

Manufactured in cream or wax forms, this type of concealer can be used to cover up small blemishes. It may also be used to define the shape of the eyebrows or line the inner lash line to brighten the appearance of the eyes.[7]