Concealer always looks horrible!

Jul 24, 2016

Ceara C.

I don't know what it is or what I'm doing wrong but every single time I go to do my concealer it looks gross and unnatural and I have to take it off and start my whole makeup routine again. I've tried many different products and different methods of applying it and I just can't get it to look flawless and blend in with my foundation. :(

I've tried Maybelline Fit Me, Maybelline Age Rewind, Urban Decay, Becca, Nars, and Make Up Forever Concealers and the result ends up the same. Sometimes I can get it to not crease my using a small amount of powder. I've tried setting the whole area with a powder, baking (which doesn't work out because I have dry skin), and just tapping the part that creases with a beauty blender and nothing still changes how it looks.

I make sure that my under eye area is well hydrated and primed with minimal foundation in that area so I can blend the smallest amount of concealer. I typically use a beauty blender to blend it out and it does it well. After blending it starts to look cakey and flaking and make my skin look extra scaly right away and sometimes the powder can make it worse. After a while the concealer sometimes starts to bunch up and sometimes even creates a barrier of bunched up skin between the concealer and foundation even though I carefully made sure it was blended in without a demarcation line. I keep trying to fix it but it just ends up looking worse.

Please help!! D:

Jul 24, 2016

Alma M.

Spritz your brush with a fixative spray and also on a tray you can put a few drops of your concealer on it spritz fixative spray on it mix then apply alone.Don't apply foundation in the areas under the eye since you don't want to mess with the finish of the concealer. :)

Jul 24, 2016

Marleen B.

Maybe your undereye skin has an uneven texture so anything you lay on it won't lay down evenly. I find using an EYE cream with retinol in it will gently exfoliate and smooth the texture over time. Regular moisturizing eye creams are just hydrating the area, but if the skin is not properly exfoliated, then 1, your moisterizer won't penetrate as well and 2, the uneven texture will interfere with smooth makeup application. I'm not saying this is your problem. I don't what the issue is. But I just thought I'd throw in another factor that may affect a smooth finish. Also, don't use too much product. I find using less of a really moisterizing concealer will minimize an uneven texture. Like Tarte's Maracuja Creaseless Concealer. It's a thick concealer, so use only the smallest amount you need and only on the dark areas only. Don't go ham on and use it on the triangle area. Again, I don't know if this will work for you, everyone is different and you're going to have to experiment a little to find what will work for you. I'd get a sample of that concealer before buying it and I also like Philosophy Ultimate Miracle Worker Eye Cream, again, get a sample. Good Luck!

Jul 25, 2016

Kathleen K.

If your skin is dry you could also try using a light concealer which is hydrating. there is also hydrating primers you could check out as well. also perhaps you could try putting a couple drops of facial oil (if you use any) in your concelar just before applying it. It could also be your foundation. what foundation are you using? is it full coverage? it is matte?

Jul 25, 2016

Jacqueline H.

Some really good points made here. :)

As with everything, and as Marleen touched upon, proper prep and care of the area can make a world of difference. You can address a multitude of skin texture issues that can, and usually do cause problems with your application. You always want to start with clean skin, then apply the appropriate eye cream. I would wait about five minutes for the cream to absorb, and then I would suggest gently blotting the skin with tissue to remove any excess product that has remained on the surface of the area. You never want to start your application on a moist or dewy surface. Un-absorbed eye cream can and usually does cause the makeup to shift/streak/bunch up during the application process, and it will most definitely compromise the longevity of the application.

The reason you don't want to use your foundation as a 'primer' of sorts for concealer application doesn't really have so much to do with altering a finish. Of course, if you apply a matte foundation under the eye and use a dewy concealer... That will effect the look, but unto itself does not create the problem you are having. The reason you really don't want to use your foundation under your eyes has to do with weight. The denser product will not grip properly or stay in place over foundation. The concealer's heavier pigment weight will either slide right off the foundation or mix with it, and this causes separation and/or creasing. In terms of stability, a far more solid application, do not layer a multiple of complexion coverage products. What you want to do is apply each product (foundation or concealer) where it is needed on properly primed skin and blend where the edges of the product (s) meet. If you need to add additional coverage to more challenged areas, make sure the layer beneath is set lightly with powder first. I understand powder and dry skin usually don't go hand in hand, but if you need to layer, I recommend using a little bit of RCMA's No color to set. The reason this powder can work in moderation with dry skin is because of the mill of it. It is so finely milled that it looks like it melts into skin instead of laying on top. A little goes a very long way, especially on dry skin. It will however, keep your application very stable throughout the course of the day.

From my understanding, Retinol (OTC Vit. A),unto itself does not exfoliate. Retinol, is a communicator of sorts that tells the living skin cells underneath to get in gear and to start making younger cells. Retinol stimulates cell turnover, but from the deeper layers on up. Not so much up in the uppermost layers where you are having a problem. It is these uppermost layers wherein an AHA/BHA comes into play and is actually what helps the skin shed the dead skin cells. Makeup is my business, so beyond prepping the skin, most of what I have learned comes from my esthetician, Kitty K. ( Beautylish mod), and Rozberry. So I could very well be wrong about how Retinol works and the results one gets from using it.

If I were you, I would ask them about how to treat the area under your eyes so you can get a smoother application like Marleen has mentioned. Here are links to their profiles:

Kitty K. https://www.beautylish.com/Kittyk
Rozberry: https://www.beautylish.com/Rozberry

The use of a fixative spray works too, just be mindful of the alcohol content in whatever fixative spray you decide to use... SD alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, denatured alcohol. If any of these alcohols are listed in the first 4 or 5 ingredients on the ingredient list, don't use it. These types of alcohols can without question agitate the heck out of your skin; Sensitive skin or not. They cause dryness, and prevent your skin from having the ability to heal itself. In other words, it keeps your skin in the perpetual state of being stressed out. No good. Most fixative sprays have higher concentrations of these types of alcohols, so just double check before you use it on the delicate, and in your case dry under eye area. You could make the problem worse.

In your case, look for cetyl, stearyl, and cetearyl alcohol. These are 'fatty' types of alcohols, and won't hurt a dry skin type or a dry skin area. ;)