Concealer 101: A Complete Concealer Guide For Beginners - (2024)

Every Youtube video you watch has someone flawless in applying their concealer. TikTok is packed with concealer hacks to give you a perfect look. If you’re just now learning concealer, these will overwhelm you. That’s okay! This comprehensive guide to concealer for beginners will tell you everything you need to know about concealer.

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What Is Concealer

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The concealer is thicker than a foundation. It’s typically used to help hide imperfections, such as blemishes, pimples, hickeys, etc. It helps blend those imperfections so they are not as visible, giving you the flawless finish you want.

Types Of Concealer

There are quite a few different types of concealer. As with every kind of makeup, there are liquid, cream, and powder-based concealers. Certain types of concealer work well with certain skin types, foundation types, and so on. That’s why it is essential to learn about the different kinds of concealer before heading to Sephora.

Liquid Concealer

Liquid concealers are available for everyone. They are available in a satin, shimmer, or matte finish. You can find formulas for both dry and oily skin. There are various levels of coverage available, from sheer to full coverage.

Liquid concealer is available for everyone with every skin type. It’s incredibly wonderful for people with dry skin who need extra moisture and a solid barrier to lock in moisture.

Our Picks

Maybelline Age-Rewind Multi-Use Concealer

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This best-selling concealer is a favorite because it’s available in various shades, offers easy application, and can help instantly hide dark circles under your eyes. A cushion applicator ensures you don’t accidentally apply too much product to your face. Maybelline Multi-Use Concealer easily blends into the skin for a natural finish.

Why You’ll Love It:

  • Easy application
  • Great value for the low price
  • Available in shades for every skin tone
  • Blendable and buildable

Check it out here!

Stick Concealer

Stick concealer is usually found in a matte or satin finish. It’s available for both medium and full coverage. It’s not expected that this type of makeup will appear in a sheer coverage option.

While concealer sticks are available for every skin type, they’re more commonly found on dry or normal skin. Often, concealer sticks have moisturizing ingredients.

When it comes to staying power, stick concealer isn’t quite as good as liquid versions. For the best results, make sure you use your primer and setting powder and finish your makeup look with setting spray.

Our Picks

Revlon Concealer Stick

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Concealer sticks make it easier than ever to apply concealer. You don’t have to worry about applying too much, and Revlon offers shades for every skin tone. The angled tip is ideal for precise application. It can easily be used to hide blemishes or dark circles under the eyes.

Why You’ll Love It:

  • Buildable
  • Blendable
  • Easy application
  • Long-lasting

Check it out here!

Powder Concealer

Concealer is more likely to be sold in a liquid or cream formula, but powder versions are available. Powder concealer is an excellent idea for anyone with oily skin. It’s often sold with a matte finish, but you can also find a satin finish.

Our Picks

Rimmel London Stay Matte Pressed Powder

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Rimmel London is known for bringing you high-quality makeup at Drugstore prices. Their pressed powder foundation is available in various shades to suit different skin tones. The formula is carefully designed to help control shine while offering amazing coverage.

Why You’ll Love It:

  • Awesome coverage
  • Natural appearance
  • Sweat-proof
  • Long-lasting

Check it out here!

Other Types Of Concealer Makeup

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Liquid and stick concealers are very common. We all know that every version of makeup is available in powder form. However, there are a few other types of concealer that you need to know about to determine what is best for you and your skin type.

Cream Concealer

Cream concealer is typically matte or satin. It’s not very often that you’ll find a cream concealer with a luminous finish. That’s because the primary goal of concealer is often to cover up things, so you don’t want it to have too much shine.

This type of makeup is typically recommended for people with normal or dry skin. However, some formulas work out for people with oily skin, even if finding them isn’t as common.

Cream concealer is an excellent option if you don’t prefer liquid but need extra help covering blemishes.

Color Corrector Concealer

Color corrector concealer is a concealer product that also has a color corrector. These are typically used to hide dark circles, spots, and other areas that must be corrected.

Concealer Pencil Or Pen

Concealer pencils are a common choice for people who want to highlight their brow bones. These are great when you need a quick touch-up or want to use your concealer as a highlighter.

Silicone-Based vs. Water-Based Concealer

Like with other makeup, you’ll come across a concealer with a silicone base, water base, and occasionally oil-based makeup.

Silicone-based makeup is excellent for oily skin and blurring pores if you want full coverage. You can usually determine whether makeup has a silicone base by reading the ingredients. Look for words that end in the letters “cone” or the ingredient silica. A quick Google search can also tell whether a makeup product is silicone-based.

Water-based concealer is also widely available. Although it is available in a full-coverage option, it can be hard to find a concealer that is both water-based and truly full-coverage. This type of product is ideal for people who have dry skin. Water-based makeup will provide an extra boost of hydration to dry skin.

How To Apply Concealer For Beginners

Everyone has a different method for applying concealer. Before watching YouTube videos or TikToks, imagine what you want from your concealer.

Are you trying to make your face look brighter? Do you feel like you should wear concealer to give your face more of a “look” since your full coverage matte foundation is making it look a little dull? Or do you need to hide a blemish?

What you want to achieve, your skin concerns and the type of concealer you’re applying will ultimately determine how you want to apply your concealer.

What Brush Do You Use To Apply Concealer

The brush that you use to apply concealer is called a concealer brush. These are typically small. Pick a small brush with tightly packed bristles to ensure you get into certain spots. These are ideal for applying concealer under the eyes and work well for blending. For example, this brush.

You can apply your liquid concealer with a beauty blender or makeup sponge. This doesn’t offer the same precise application but can work well to give you an airbrushed look and cover larger areas. For example, if you need to cover a blemish.

Where Should You Put Concealer

There are several places where you might want to apply concealer. Most people put concealer under their eyes with a tiny dab on the outer corner, but this isn’t the only spot to put it.

Applying concealer on your eyelids can help it double as a primer. You shouldn’t use concealer as an eye primer if you don’t have to, but it can be better than nothing. This is a great hack for those days when you didn’t realize your eye primer tube was on its last leg.

Concealer along your eyebrow can instantly help you define your brows. This is why some brow kits come with a concealer pencil. You don’t have to use a concealer pencil, but these can be easier for beginners than liquid concealer for defining brows.

You want to apply concealer in spots that you need to cover up. That means blemish, age spots, freckles you want to hide, etc. Color-corrector concealers are best for this.

To give yourself fuller lips, you should apply concealer around your lips. Carefully lining your lips with concealer can instantly make them appear larger than they are.

Concealer Tips


Concealer tips and tricks can help you address your primary areas of concern. We are all different. Our skin types are different. So is our face shape and the areas that we need concealer for. These tips will help you make sure that your concealer looks fantastic!

  • If you’re wearing concealer with no foundation, the concealer needs to match your skin perfectly
  • Do not apply the liquid on top of powder, especially if you’re a beginner
  • It’s almost impossible to hide pimples completely with makeup if they are large. While you might not be able to see them in pictures, you’ll still have a large bump on your face. It will look better, but others can see the bump and tell you’re wearing makeup. Instead, try learning tips to prevent pimples.
  • Less is more
  • Learn your face shape to learn where you should apply concealer
  • A triangle under your eyes makes your face look brighter, but it doesn’t work for everyone
  • There is no one-size-fits-all application technique in makeup, and that includes concealer
  • Concealer hacks don’t work for everyone
  • Shades that are two shades darker than your skin tone can be used for contouring

When applying concealer, it’s always important to remember that less is more. Too much concealer can make your makeup cake and ruin the look that you’re trying to achieve.

In Conclusion

When learning to apply concealer, don’t forget that practice makes perfect. One method will not work for everyone, so you must know what works best for your look. Check out the rest of the site for more amazing tips and tricks.

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Concealer 101: A Complete Concealer Guide For Beginners - (2024)
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