Concealer confusion for pale skin.

Jan 3, 2016

Millie C.

So in the new year my resolution (well one of them) is to improve my makeup. I've watched a couple of tutorials on YouTube that say your concealer should be a few shades lighter than your foundation, however I'm always the most pale foundation in whatever brand I choose, so how would this work??

Jan 3, 2016

Saima B.

Maybe go for 1 shade darker foundation.

Jan 3, 2016

Millie C.

I did think that but sometimes even the lightest shade looks orange/dark on me

Jan 3, 2016

Michelle S.

I'm fair skinned too and using a darker foundation almost always looks like a mess. The last thing you want is to look orange. Most of the time, my concealer and foundation match perfectly. To get that "highlight" look, I use a brightening powder. I like Laura Mercier's Secret Brightening Powder and Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Ethereal Light or Diffused Light. I'm not sure of your budget, but these are the ones I've tried. I know bareminerals also makes a brightening eye powder :)

Jan 3, 2016

Sabrina K.

I have super fair scandinavian skin and always uses the lightest shade of foundation (in most brands) but a brand link urban decay, their naked skin concealer goes very light. I use the light warm, which as fare as I know is the lightes shade and it matches me very well :)

Jan 3, 2016

Rebecca J.

I'm also fair skinned and I use maybelline fit me concealer shade 15, mac prolong wear concealer shade nw15 or collection concealer shade fair which is pretty much white. Then I would use my hourglass ambient lighting powder to further brighten.

Jan 3, 2016

Lisa S.

I personally only use concealer that is the exact shade as my skin. To me using shades lighter just look really obvious an emphasizes imperfections like dark circles and blemishes more. They make highlighters and correcting concealers which replace the purpose for using a lighter concealer.

Jan 3, 2016

Alex M.

I would use a concealer your skin tone to cover and then to highlight I would use a new product from benefit it's called Shy Beam and it's matte but it's a super super light whitish highlight

Jan 3, 2016

Aurora S.

Concealer that's a few shades lighter is kind of an old concept. It's better that it matches so that it works for blemishes and doesn't highlight what you're trying to hide.

Using a shade or two lighter. The concept is that if you've got more color (darker), add light to emphasize features.
If you're paler use a darker shade (contour) to emphasize/add depth. If you want to emphasize features then I'd suggest just using a taupe colored powder to contour.