Please help me learn to use concealer

[Anonymous]

I have fairly prominent circles under my eyes. Im in my 40s, extremely pale, and the circles are of the blue/purple variety. As you can imagine, it doesn’t look great. I usually just use tinted sunscreen and don’t worry about them but when I’m trying to look nice I’ve tried to use a bit of concealer and it just doesn’t seem to work.

Ive tried ones to match my skin tone, greenish ones, reddish ones (those last two based on rave reviews I read) and very, very expensive ones. I honestly don’t think they improve the situation at all-either the purple tones remain visible or the texture looks terrible and cakey.

Any good advice? Or should I just throw in the towel?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have fairly prominent circles under my eyes. Im in my 40s, extremely pale, and the circles are of the blue/purple variety. As you can imagine, it doesn’t look great. I usually just use tinted sunscreen and don’t worry about them but when I’m trying to look nice I’ve tried to use a bit of concealer and it just doesn’t seem to work.

Ive tried ones to match my skin tone, greenish ones, reddish ones (those last two based on rave reviews I read) and very, very expensive ones. I honestly don’t think they improve the situation at all-either the purple tones remain visible or the texture looks terrible and cakey.

Any good advice? Or should I just throw in the towel?

You need to color correct. With blue/purple, probably an orange-y/salmon-y pink. Think of the color wheel - you want to use the shade across from the color of what you are trying to erase.

Less is more. If it is cakey you are using way too much. A very, very light hand on the color corrector - put it below where you need to correct and then gently blend into the area. you can then dab foundation or a concealer on top. Don't swipe or sweep it - you'll just mess up the corrector underneath.

You also don't want to go too light with a concealer. That's a very common mistake. If you lighten an area you are trying to correct/conceal you bring attention to it.

[Anonymous]

Agree with the other poster about the color corrector of salmon/orange, very lightly, then NARS concealer on top, light dusting of hourglass mineral viel (very light!). Should do the trick!

[Anonymous]

Start with under eye cream. Otherwise it will look dry.

[Anonymous]

I highly recommend the Charlotte Tilbury color corrector. It’s a very sheer/light cream formula that stays put, but it does not settle into fine lines. It is so good that I don’t need a separate concealer. It covered up a big ol’ blue vein under one eye that is very prominent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I highly recommend the Charlotte Tilbury color corrector. It’s a very sheer/light cream formula that stays put, but it does not settle into fine lines. It is so good that I don’t need a separate concealer. It covered up a big ol’ blue vein under one eye that is very prominent.

This product made my skin itch and burn.

OP, I am also pale with super dark circles under my eyes plus a vein close to the surface that makes the inner corners of my eyes look dark, too. I no longer aim for total annihilation, I just look for “brightening,” though brightening means something different for people like us. Currently I use the Jones Road concealer stick and I just put it literally on the dark parts, not all over the entire air and tap to blend. It knocks them back but I don’t have excess product.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have fairly prominent circles under my eyes. Im in my 40s, extremely pale, and the circles are of the blue/purple variety. As you can imagine, it doesn’t look great. I usually just use tinted sunscreen and don’t worry about them but when I’m trying to look nice I’ve tried to use a bit of concealer and it just doesn’t seem to work.

Ive tried ones to match my skin tone, greenish ones, reddish ones (those last two based on rave reviews I read) and very, very expensive ones. I honestly don’t think they improve the situation at all-either the purple tones remain visible or the texture looks terrible and cakey.

Any good advice? Or should I just throw in the towel?

Other ideas are to start with a hydration stick-on sheet mask. Skip the makeup there and do a thick bottom eyeliner and wispy bottom falsies.

[Anonymous]

Skip the makeup there and do a thick bottom eyeliner and wispy bottom falsies.

Sounds like a recipe for raccoon eyes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Start with under eye cream. Otherwise it will look dry.

Yes hydration is so important! I don’t use an eye cream but I use a very hydrating serum under my eyes and press it in gently to make sure it has all been absorbed. And a moisturizer on top of course.

[Anonymous]

I would go to Sephora, Ulta, etc and bring along your current concealers. Let them determine what you are doing wrong. It could be your application method, lack of primer, etc. Do you use a foundation too? Learning to blend is critical.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I highly recommend the Charlotte Tilbury color corrector. It’s a very sheer/light cream formula that stays put, but it does not settle into fine lines. It is so good that I don’t need a separate concealer. It covered up a big ol’ blue vein under one eye that is very prominent.

This product made my skin itch and burn.

OP, I am also pale with super dark circles under my eyes plus a vein close to the surface that makes the inner corners of my eyes look dark, too. I no longer aim for total annihilation, I just look for “brightening,” though brightening means something different for people like us. Currently I use the Jones Road concealer stick and I just put it literally on the dark parts, not all over the entire air and tap to blend. It knocks them back but I don’t have excess product.

Yes. I think it’s important to not try to cover everything unless you want to dedicate a lot of time and effort to covering different parts of your eye with different products. If you have purple spots but just cover everything, it will all be lighter but the contrast between the darker spots and the regular spots will remain.

[Anonymous]

I have this issue and now get under eye fillers. It’s amazing—no make up needed!