The Right Concealer for the Job - Beauty & Style Advice Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again. × Search search POPULAR SEARCHES SUGGESTED LINKS Join AARP for just $9 per year when you sign up for a 5-year term. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Leaving AARP.org Website You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply. Close

The Right Concealer for the Job

Step-by-step instructions for keeping blemishes bags and blotches under cover

It may seem like a simple task, but there actually are several things to consider when applying concealer. Sunny Gu Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. 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. There are various types of concealers. Sunny Gu 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. Flowers & Gifts 25% off sitewide and 30% off select items See more Flowers & Gifts offers > Tap to blend concealer. Sunny Gu 7. Blend away blemishes. Covering adult breakouts — raised and red bumps — requires accuracy. You are counteracting redness and also creating the illusion of a flat, even surface. Using that essential brush, tap a full-coverage matte finish skin-tone concealer — like Kevyn Aucoin The Sensual Skin Enhancer or NYX Professional Makeup Gotcha Covered Concealer — directly on top of the pimple . These products are water- and sweat-resistant and will keep shine and redness at bay, so you can skip the worrying and the powder topcoat. Keep tapping and dabbing gently — avoid a swiping movement — until the redness diminishes. Tap around the edges. For more beauty & style tips for women 50+ check out The Woman's Wakeup: How to Shake Up Your Looks, Life and Love After 50 by Lois Joy Johnson and AARP's Beauty & Style app for tablets. More on entertainment AARP NEWSLETTERS %{ newsLetterPromoText }% %{ description }% Subscribe AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS