The goal of makeup is to make you feel like the freshest, most radiant version of yourself. For some of us that means using concealer, foundation, bronzer, and other products to even out our skin tones, reduce discoloration in our skin, including redness and sallowness, and blur out fine lines and crow’s feet to the best of our abilities.
But these goals are easier said than done. For one thing, isn’t it always the case that the more makeup you apply to address skin issues, the more the makeup itself seems to highlight the things we want to conceal? There is an art and trick to applying makeup for skin concerns. It involves subtle application techniques and using just the right products in the correct order. Makeup artists like Ashley Roark know the challenges we face — and their tips are priceless.
Here is Roark’s top tip for blurring crow’s feet with concealer and seven more simple makeup tricks you can follow that will make a big difference in the appearance of your skin.
1. Forego Powder Under Eyes for Setting Spray
For Roark’s trick to work its magic on your under eyes, including crow’s feet, you’re going to need a setting spray — it doesn’t matter what kind, whether you prefer a hydrating spray or a primer spray. After you’ve applied your concealer with a concealer brush or sponge, spray setting spray on the back of your hand. Pat it with your other hand and tap it beneath both eyes. Allow this to dry. You can avoid using powder, which often seeps into pores and fine lines and highlights crow’s feet, by simply swapping it for setting spray.
2. Apply Aquaphor Under Eyes Before Makeup
Aquaphor — one of the finest staples that everyone should have on hand for softer skin and lips — actually has another superpower: it can be applied to your skin prior to concealer to help set it and keep it from streaking and creasing. Since we all know streaky concealer is a spotlight thrown on crow’s feet, preparing your eyes before applying concealer is key to ensuring it doesn’t budge.
Apply Aquaphor to a clean, dry face the way you would a primer. You can also mix a bit into your concealer to improve blendability. A touch of Aquaphor will moisturize your skin and prime it for makeup.
3. Neutralize Blue and Purple Undertones With Peach Color Corrector
Asking concealer to do it all — including even out your skin tone if you have discoloration — is a tall order. It’s also not a fair expectation. Although a dot of concealer over color corrector can help make your skin look smoother and more even, it’s not the star of the show, it’s a supporting character. Choose a peachy or slightly orange color-correcting cream, which will neutralize blue and purple tones that are very common in areas like under the eyes. Apple this with your fingers or a brush and tap it onto the skin. Feel free to follow with a little concealer and powder or setting spray to set it.
4. Neutralize Redness With a Green Color Corrector
Just as peach/orange is to blue undertones, a green color corrector is to redness in the skin. A creamy green can counter red tones from natural flushing and broken capillaries. A small amount goes far (the goal isn’t to paint your face totally green). Follow with a dot of concealer and set your makeup.
5. Swap Powder Shadows for Cream Formulas
One of the simplest ways to upgrade your eye makeup is to swap powder shadows for cream formulas. As we age and fine lines or crepey skin are seen more around the eye, avoiding powders is a key way to not draw attention to them. A cream shadow is hydrating, pigmented, and easy to apply with your fingers or a brush.
6. Apply Primer Before Foundation
Applying foundation to your skin without a barrier beneath it is not going to do the best job at evening out your skin tone and blurring imperfections. Here’s why: all of that makeup is making contact with the various oils in your skin and dry patches — and instead of smoothening and mattifying them to a flawless finish, it will highlight them and make them more obvious. A quality primer does the blurring for you, and will even make your pores appear smaller. It will “catch” your foundation, help it go on more smoothly, and help keep it on longer. Choose a primer in a formulation that works best for your skin, whether you need more hydration or an oil-free formula.
7. Apply Light Layers of Makeup
Less really is more when it comes to foundation, concealer, and bronzer. Start with light layers, assess your face and what it needs most, and only apply more makeup to specific areas where you feel you could use a little more coverage. That might mean adding a second layer of foundation only around your chin or nose and leaving your cheeks with one light layer. A lighter hand will help conceal without making your makeup look like a mask that emphasizes fine lines and wrinkles.
8. Groom Your Brows
What does grooming your brows have to do with flawless skin achieved via makeup? For one thing, it opens the eye area and lifts the face. It also takes the focus off of crow’s feet and onto your beautiful eyes. If it’s been a while since your last brow appointment, consider getting them professionally groomed once before you then take over. Invest in a brow pencil and gel — and get ready to see the difference this makes.
