8 Concealer Mistakes To Avoid Over 40—And Insights To Prevent Concealer Settling Into Wrinkles
1. Not Prepping Your Skin Properly
The first mistake Stell says many women make is "not prepping your skin properly when it comes to concealer, especially if you're over 40." She adds that :prepping your skin is so critical for getting the results that you want." She noted that she'll often hear people complain about concealer under the eyes looking "cakey" and "not blending" and "sttling into fine lines."
This is likely because "you're not putting down a good primer underneath or something that's hydrating for under the eyes." Stell also added that you can "take an eye cream and put it under the eyes just a minute or so before you do your concealer." "If you tend to have dry skin, the skin under the eyes is such a thin texture, especially as we start to get older," she notes. The MUA adds that "you really have to add more hydration because it's such a thin, delicate area."
Having a nice base like a "silicone primer" can help your concealer not "settle into fine lines" and give a "nice base to smooth everything out on top so it doesn't look dry or cakey," she shares.
2. You're Not Color Correcting
The second mistake shared by the makeup artist is "not color correcting" when it comes to your undertones and dark eye circles. "I've learned that if you don't color correct first, applying layer after layer after layer of concealer is just going to make it look thick and cakey and not give the coverage that I need I need to correct the actual blue, gray, or purple undertones of the dark circles," she says.
"You've got to take a peach corrector if you have fair skin," she says. Stell adds: "If you have deeper skin, go with an orange a kind of rusty color and you want to put this down first on the dark circles before putting anything on on top." This, she stresses, is going to "neutralize that color, allowing you to not have to place so much concealer or foundation on top to cover those dark circles properly."
Color correcting is "going to be a bit more effective, allowing you to use less product," she goes on. "I'm a huge advocate of color correcting if you have dark circles under the eyes."
3. Using Too Much Product
"Using too much product is the number one way that you're going to get a cakey appearance, especially under the eyes," Stell notes. "Like I said earlier, the skin under the eyes is very thin, so especially as we get older you've got to try to find thinner formulas. Thick concealers just don't work for us as we get older because it's just too much, it can settle in the fine lines, so you want to find a thin consistency but high pigmentation," she recommends.
To avoid applying layer after layer, Stell says: "you can do my trick that I've done for years and take a very highly pigmented foundation or mixing drops and use it as concealer." Every time "after I do my makeup," Stell goes on, "I will take a drop of my foundation and an angled brush. I'll pick up a little bit. I will sweep it over my foundation and just a light stroke and that thinner formula but super high pigmentation is going to give me the coverage that I need without it being thick or too cakey."
4. Not Washing Your Applicators: Brushes, Sponges, Fingers, Etc.
Whether you apply concealer with a brush, a makeup sponge or your fingers, not thoroughly washing these tools beforehand can lead to your concealer clumping, wrinkle emphasizing, causing an infection or even leading to acne flare-ups, according to Mandie Brice, a professional makeup artist and instructor.
"I think so many of us are guilty of not washing our brushes as often as we should," Brice tells SheFinds. "Even applying with our fingers can be a mistake, if we don't first wash our hands," she adds, as "this can lead to breakouts, or even infection."
5. Choosing A Concealer That Is Too Dark
Many of us often select a concealer product that is "too dark for our skin tones," Kerrin Jackson, celebrity, film and television MUA and creator of The Makeup Refinery, explains, and it's important to grab one that is "a shade or two lighter than your base tone." She also says to "keep it soft, well-blended and only use "a little product," not a lot.
Your concealer of choice, she adds, should "create a natural, yet flawless finish to your complexion." If you don’t like or need much coverage, she says to "try a lighter skin tint or tinted moisturizer." When in doubt, less is more and lighter tones can be your best friend when trying to conceal any imperfections.
6. Adding Thick Layers
When it comes to applying your concealer, Vivi Mintara, pro MUA and CEO of Eye Makeup Lab, recommends starting with a thin layer to avoid emphasizing fine lines and wrinkles. "If this doesn’t fully cover the dark spots, then apply another layer, and keep building the color up," she says.
Mintara warns not to "immediately put a very thick layer of concealer on your face," because you may not need as much as you think, and "also, this will cause the makeup to crack after a few hours," she says. The more you know!
7. Using A Brush Rather Than A Beauty Blender
When you are applying concealer to your skin, Mintara recommends using a mini beauty blender to blend out the product. "While brushes are great for applying makeup, they can leave tiny streaks if they aren’t used properly," she says. Small beauty blenders can reach "difficult dark spots, and they will provide full coverage for your skin," she continues.
"I would recommend adding the smallest bit of concealer to the blender, plopping this on the dark area, and then blending the concealer outwards in a circle around the dark area," she suggests.
8. Placing Concealer Directly Beneath Your Under-Eyes
Overall, when you apply the concealer "right under your eyes only, it can be obvious," celebrity makeup artists Natasha Moor warns. The key to a seamless look, she says, is to blend it into your cheek area. She recommends her 'signature X technique,' which involves drawing a triangle down from your eye and blending down toward the center of your cheek with your makeup sponge.
"This will help to ensure that the concealer is well blended and invisble," she concludes. While Moor says that you can’t completely mask crow’s feet, you can "help to even out the skin tone and minimize the appearance" with concealer.