Have you been a naughty elf this holiday? Is there anything you’d like to hide?! If your skin is perhaps a little tired or over-indulged after the chocolate and cheers, read on and I’ll give you some top tips on how to diminish  your Christmas tinsel! I hope Santa left some concealer for you under the tree, because concealer is one of our best makeup tools all year round

It’s not just the holidays that makes us see red. Allergies, medications, some skin treatments and of course the dreaded sunburn can take a toll on any skin colour. Whatever the reason for your rosy nose (Bad Santa!) here is a foolproof way to deal with it.

We have already covered how to deal with under eye darkness that diminishes the look of bright eyes. Now is not the time to forget about that, because you might be feeling (and looking) a wee bit tired after all the festivities and lack of sleep.

Concealing stuff on the face (and sometimes the neck) takes some different product, skill and tools. Commonly, the tones or blemishes on the face we want to hide are red. Ironically, Santa’s favourite colour! So the colour you want to pick to hide these things should be yellow-based, (which is opposite red on the colour wheel, Colour Theory 101) and in the same tone as your skin colour. If you find a product which is exactly the same as your skin colour, you are very lucky. Buy it all before it’s discontinued! NOT that that happens very often. YES IT DOES! OH NO IT DOESN’T!

How To Get The Best Results With Concealer

  • Apply your foundation/ tinted moisturizer/ whatever your base is, first.  (Of course you have already prepped your skin with lots of moisture to give yourself a post-Chrimbo glow). This evens out your complexion,  and means you need to less concealer. Nothing wrong with that! It also gives some sun protection if you’re getting outside.
  • Next, target the thing you want to hide. Do this in a good light and invest in a really small pointy brush. I really love The  London Brushes Company’s small character brush but there’s lots on the market to fit any budget. I also use a mini MAC brush #228 for blending the concealer seamlessly into the skin. If your budget doesn’t run to these, just look for small brushes with similar shapes.

    Tiny brushes are best for concealing blemishes
    Tiny brushes are best for concealing blemishes
  • If it’s a blemish you’re trying to hide, pick up some concealer on the pointier brush and dab it onto that thing! Use a short, stabbing motion, without actually stabbing yourself, but getting the point of the brush in the centre of your zit. Then use the rounder-shaped brush a different shape brush (MAC #228) to blend out the product from the middle, I use tiny but rounded brushes to blend the edge right away.
  • Get a tiny bit of powder on the same pointy brush and apply it to where you’ve concealed, to set the product. (If you feel you need another round need of concealer do it before you apply the powder). You might not be able to hide the shape or bump of a zit (although here are some things that can help- eye drops, ice packs, zit cream as long as it’s clear) but if you get rid of that red you’ll feel a lot happier with the state of your skin and the rest of the cosmetics you apply will have maximum effect.
  • If it’s not a single blemish or three you’re trying to hide, but larger areas (chin, cheeks or nose maybe) it’s even easier: warm up your hands by rubbing them together, then use your fingers to apply the concealer directly onto the skin, then press it gently into your skin. The warmth of your fingers will blend it right in. If your facial concealer is in a stick form, you can even use it as you would a crayon,  draw it on what you want to conceal, and use the warm fingers trick! No brush required xo

    Load concealer onto your fingers
    Load concealer onto your fingers

Top Tip: one or two thin applications of the right concealer is better than a lot of the wrong product, especially a dry one that simply draws the eye to the problem instead of disguising it. Spend the time to find something that works for you and is the right tone and texture. A rule of concealing is that less is more, to achieve beautiful skin that looks flawlessHappy hiding, Glossaholics!

Wendy
I'm a British / Canadian Pro MakeUp Artist with a colourful career: have kit, will travel, have info, will share! This blog is all about My Life In MakeUp. I hope you enjoy your time here and learn a little something along the way xo

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