Finding the perfect concealer can be tricky- you want something that will cover up blemishes and dark circles without looking cakey or settling into fine lines. If you’re not sure where to start, here’s a quick guide to finding the right concealer match for your skin tone. By following these simple steps, you’ll be on your way to achieving a flawless complexion in no time! finding the best concealer for your specific skin type—whether it’s dry, oily, sensitive, combo, or acne-prone—is essential to getting your makeup look just right. After all, when it comes to this little pot of perfection, one size does NOT fit all! Knowing which formulas and finishes work best with your skin will help you feel more confident in your skincare routine every day! Keep reading for some essential tips to selecting the right concealer.
Skin Shade and Undertone
The most common mistake people make when trying to find a concealer that works with their skin is that they neglect to determine what their skin undertone is. Skin tone and undertone are completely different things, prior to contrary belief. Skin tone refers to the color on the surface of your skin, while undertone refers to the subtle tones underneath the surface of the skin. Your skin tone is fairly easy to determine by a quick glance in the mirror. If you’re unsure, ask your friends if they think your skin is fair or has a bit more color to it. Skin tone is ultimately determined by the amount of melanin in your skin, and undertones can be cool, warm, or neutral. How do you determine your undertone you might be wondering? Keep reading to learn more!
It’s All in The Veins
The veins underneath your wrists are a great way to determine what your basic undertone is. In general, those that can observe blue veins under their skin are said to have a cool undertone. Those with veins that appear green are considered to have warm undertones. If you find that your color meets somewhere in between, or appears unspecific, your undertone is likely neutral.
What’s Your Favorite Necklace?
Another way to determine your undertone is by trying on different jewelry. If you find that silver looks better on your skin, your undertone is cool. Gold lovers are likely to have a warm undertone, and if you think both look good you’re likely to have a neutral tone! Try on a few of your favorite pieces and decide which blends your skin, this plus checking your vein color will give you a fairly solid understanding of your skin’s undertones. Of course, this is fairly subjective so check on one more test below to further determine the undertones of your skin.
White Shirt in The Sun
Light colors like white help neutralize the colors reflecting off our clothes and can help show a truer representation of your skin tone and undertone. Try on a white top, and take a close look in the mirror. Are you seeing any yellow or peach undertones? That means you have some undertones in your skin! Do you see more reds, blues and pinks? That means you have cooler undertones in your skin. A blend of both? You’re likely neutral!
Determine Your Tones, Then Try These Techniques
Ok, now that you have a sense of how to determine your skin tone and undertones, let’s talk techniques. First off, using concealer on it’s own isn’t going to do a lot of good. Concealer is fairly opaque, and will be easy to see on your skin without a foundation. Foundation sets your skin tone underneath your concealer, and it’s generally recommended to find two concealers; one lighter and one darker than your natural skin tone. The reason for this is that our skin tone can actually fluctuate with the amount of sun we get. Even if your skin tone is generally deep, it may still lighten up without sunlight. If you have fairer skin, the sun may bring out more of your undertones. Next, you’ll want to determine what you’re trying to achieve. Are you trying to cover up blemishes? Or lighten under eye circles? For blemishes, go with your slightly darker concealer and for sensitive areas like under the eyes, go with a lighter shade of concealer.
In conclusion, knowing your skin type and undertones are essential for finding the correct shade of foundation and concealer. This can also help you determine what clothes, jewelry and accessories work with your skin tone the best. Everyone has different skin, even if many people have similar base shades we can all have different combinations of cool, warm and neutral undertones that affect how concealers and foundations look. Try some of these steps to determine your undertone, skin tone and find the right concealer for you!
