The Right Concealer for the Job

By

Lois Joy Johnson, AARP

We buy and swipe on concealer quickly — like pulling on black leggings or adding a dash of hot sauce. But this cosmetic is no lightweight. My chum and beauty legend Bobbi Brown always said

concealer was the "secret of the universe." For years I disagreed, favoring a reviving power swoosh of bronzing powder — that is, until menopause. When skin started adding embellishments

like dark circles, brown spots and broken capillaries, it was time to face the camouflage. Concealer at 50 takes more than just one kind. Let's keep this cover-up confidential with seven

tricks.

1. Start with three concealers. The old do-it-all wand — or bullet — is kaput. Each problem requires a specific color, texture and application. You'll need a color corrector, a full-coverage

concealer in your skin shade for brown spots and zits — a creamy one and a matte one, respectively — and a very moisturizing concealer wand or brush-pen. And that magnifying mirror and

concealer brush I'm always nagging you to buy? Use them! Precision application and blending make the difference.

2. Decide where you need help. For mature faces there are several top spots: under the eyes, in the recessed area above the tear ducts on the sides of the nose, around and under the

nostrils, and on brown spots or breakouts. You may not need coverage on all of them, and coverage may vary from day to day. FYI: If you wear tinted moisturizer, BB or CC cream, or

foundation, concealer goes on after it.

3. Brighten dark under-eye circles. The "you look tired" comment starts here, where naturally thin skin gets more transparent with age. Circles are actually due to broken blood vessels or a

concentration of melanin. The degree of darkness is exacerbated by genetics, allergies or loss of collagen. A peachy corrector in sync with your skin tone and circle color — from warm pink

to apricot to orange — cancels out blue, purple or brown-gray discolorations. Apply a moisturizing eye cream or gel, and let it absorb for two minutes. Using a narrow, flat, synthetic

concealer brush, start at the inner eye corner along the nose above the tear duct where discolorations begin. Continue to sweep on corrector in a wide half-moon shape from your lower

lashline to the top of your cheeks. Try a highly pigmented moisturizing formula — like Bobbi Brown Corrector or Sonia Kashuk Hidden Agenda Concealer Palette II (08) in Medium — that won't

drag or crease on this delicate dry area. Finish by tap blending to feather the edges into your skin for no telltale borders. 

4. Deflate under-eye bags. It's an illusion that works. Apply a chilled caffeinated eye cream (the combo of cold and caffeine deflates puffiness). Brush a concealer that is one shade lighter

than your skin tone in the crease beneath the bag to reduce the dark shadow and contrasting bulge. Then apply a concealer one shade darker than skin tone to the puffy part. The skin here

may be loose and crinkly, so use a light hand, thin coats and a silky fluid wand formula — like L'Oreal Paris True Match Concealer, Nars Radiant Instant Concealer or Boots No7 Radiant Glow

Concealer.