How to use concealer to highlight and ‘lift the face’

Before you even start applying a concealer, prep your skin with a hydrating moisturiser, followed by a primer like Huda Beauty Water Jelly Hydrating Primer ($51). Apply your foundation or tinted moisturiser, then touch up with a concealer – we love IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Illumination Anti-aging Concealer ($52). Choose one that matches your skin tone to conceal blemishes, hide redness and brighten under the eye.

“For a natural look, I recommend matching the concealer with your foundation,” says make-up artist Ash K. HolmCredit: snapperimages.com

“If you want your concealer to blend in with your foundation for a natural look, I recommend matching the concealer with your foundation,” says celebrity make-up artist Ash K. Holm. However, when using a concealer to achieve a brightening effect, Holm likes to go “one to two shades lighter than your foundation shade … this highlighting will lift the face and reflect light”.

Concealers come as creams and liquids: creamy is going to give you more coverage, while liquids act more like a tint. For longevity, and to avoid your base creasing into lines around your mouth and eyes, set your liquid products with a translucent powder, like Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder ($79).

For application, the warmth of fingertips helps to blend the concealer to create a natural-looking finish. If you want a lighter finish, use a damp beauty sponge such as Beautyblender ($30), which will soften and absorb excess product. For heavier coverage, use a concealer brush to dab and press product into the skin.

Concealer is also great for sculpting the natural contours of the face. Start by highlighting the under-eye area, let it sit for a couple of minutes, then blend, blend, blend. Next, apply concealer to the outer corners of your nose, mouth, and beneath your cheekbones. Blend it in an upwards motion and then set with a translucent powder.

For pimples, blend your foundation over the spot and then apply a dot of full-coverage concealer to the pimple itself in a shade that matches your foundation. Let it sit for two minutes, then lightly tap with a concealer brush or the tip of a damp make-up sponge to blend out.

For some nose definition, apply a concealer that’s two shades lighter than your natural shade down the centre of your nose and blend.

As the day wears on, your concealer might start to cake. For a quick fix, use Urban Decay Quick Fix Hydra-Charged Complexion Prep Priming Spray ($110) spritzed on a sponge, then pressed into the concealer to smooth it out. If you’re on the move, mix concealer with a little moisturiser for a glowing, tinted base.

Ask Steph

What is the quickest way to freshen my mouth?
Chewing sugarless gum is a great palate cleanser as it stimulates saliva production and helps to neutralise acids and avoid bacterial build-up while minimising dental damage. Try Pur Coolmint Gum (healthylife.com.au, $8).

Send questions via Instagram, @mrssdarling.

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