Concealer 101

Hi! I thought I would do a post all about concealer, my most-used makeup product. I'm talking about my favourite concealer picks, my tips on how to make your concealer last all day and loads more!

As usual, this post is going to get really rambly and long, so I'm going to stop the intro here!

First, I thought I would share my favourite concealers. I've tried quite a few different concealers, but right now, I've got two favourites. My all-time favourite is the MAC Prolong Wear Concealer. I wear the shade NC15, which I believe is the lightest shade. I love this concealer, it covers everything: dark circles, spots and redness. I don't use it on everyday basis, because it was really expensive. The only thing I don't really like about this is the fact that the pump always dispenses far too much product, so you either have to awkwardly rub the remaining concealer on your hand on the top of the pump or have to just use it up on your face. You most certainly do not wipe it away with a tissue, unless you're a secret millionaire and can afford to do that sort of thing regularly.

So on an everyday basis, I tend to go for the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. I know everyone's mum, dad, gran and pet cat use this, but it is one of my favourites so I thought I would give it a mention anyway. This is very similar to the MAC one, although I do prefer the MAC one a tiny bit more. The Collection one also comes in a shade pale enough for my pasty skin, which I love, as many drugstore products are sometimes too dark for me.

I also love the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer, which feels really light. This isn't the type of concealer I'd go for if I was trying to cover up spots, as it isn't very high coverage (at least I don't think so anyway), but I really like it for under my eyes as if doesn't feel heavy or thick, and lasts for ages. If I do use this concealer under my eyes, I always have to set it immediately, because it creases really quickly otherwise.

For other concealers, the Seventeen Stay Time Concealer is good if you're just looking for a concealer with really light coverage, but for me, who's looking to cover up a lot of redness and spots, it doesn't really work for me. 

The Benefit Boing Concealer is good if you're looking for high coverage, but I don't use t very much as I think it can look really thick and cakey, which really isn't the look I'm going for!

Tools & Brushes

I like to use a lot of different brushes for my concealer. I have ones that I use when I'm going for really high coverage, and others when I'm looking for a lighter base. Before I start this part, I'm just going to take a moment to apologise for my dirty brushes, they're in desperate need of a clean!

The Real Techniques Expert Face Brush is one of my favourite brushes, as it blends everything in easily and doesn't leave streak marks or cake up. 

I also like the Makeup Revolution Pro F103 Stippling Brush, which I prefer to use if I'm looking for a lighter brush. I mostly just use this for foundation, but I thought I'd give it a mention anyway.

I also really like the Real Techniques Complexion Sponge. I find that if I dampen this first, it gives really good coverage, and it looks really natural.

For higher coverage, I like to use the Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush and the Accent Brush. I find that these brushes cover up redness and spots really well without looking cakey. 

(In case you haven't already noticed, I'm a bit of a Real Techniques junkie, I love their brushes!)

Colour Correcting

I've recently been getting into colour correcting! I picked up the NYX Correcting Palette a few weeks ago and I've been loving using it to make my skin look so much better. If you don't really know how colour correcting works, I'll explain! 

Green concealer corrects redness, so this great for correcting spots and redness on your cheeks!

Yellow and peach corrects purple tones, so this is more suited for under your eyes, where you may have really dark under eyes.

Lilac is meant for correcting dull parts of your face. If you're skin is looking really dull and lifeless, then the lilac is meant to fix this and brighten your skin.

I really love doing this now, as it saves me a lot of time, because now I don't spend 10 minutes in front of a mirror with my concealer trying to cover up a bright red spot. I just dab some green concealer on, go over it with a bit of concealer, and I'm good to go. 

How to Make Your Concealer Last all Day

A few months ago, I had a huge problem with trying to get my concealer to last. My makeup would be done, and my makeup would look really good, but I'd come home from school that day to find that my makeup had completely slid off of my face, and my face was so oily you could fry an egg on it. (I'm not even joking)

Then I changed some things in my makeup routine so now when I come home from school, I still get a bit oily, but my concealer and foundation still look virtually the same as when I left the house. 

I started using a primer, which is a bit of an obvious one, but I never really wore primer before, as I didn't think it done anything. Then after everyone started praising the Nivea Men's Aftershave Balm, I bought it and decided to give it a go. Using a primer has helped my makeup last so much longer, and now I don't wear makeup without wearing primer first. 

I've also found that when I set my concealer with powder individually, it lasts so much longer. I've started using my Real Techniques Setting Brush to set my concealer where I've applied it over spots. I feel as if setting it individually before using my regular powder brush to set the rest of my face has really helped make it last longer.

I also love using setting sprays. I use the travel size of the Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray. I love this, it helps your makeup last so much longer and makes your makeup look more natural. I find that giving myself a few sprays of this really makes my makeup last all day and without it, I sometimes find my concealer looks a bit cakey.

I hope you liked this post, and I hope it was helpful to you in some way, and if any of you have any tips or concealer recommendations then please leave them below! 

Thanks for reading!