Your Burning Concealer Questions - Answered By Pros !

A couple of weeks back, everybody at AIMB had a chance to submit their burning concealer questions, so the pros at Three Custom Color Specialists could answer them for us. The answers are in and there is SO much that I learn't reading them ! You will too ! BIG thank yous to all you guys who submitted your questions and a BIG thank you to Trae Bodge, Co - Founder and Creative Director at Three Custom Color Specialists for her patience and for taking the time out to answer all our questions.


1. Don't you think it would be an awesome idea for under eye concealers to be loaded with SPF? To prevent them from the harmful sun and from darkening?? (HI)

We actually believe that SPF should be accounted for in skincare, rather than makeup. Because concealers can generally be used for multiple areas on the face (eyes, around the nose, chin, etc.), the SPF distribution on the face would be uneven. In addition, high SPF's have a tendency to throw off concealer and foundation colors, often making them appear ashy, especially in the darker range.

2. I'm very pale and have transparent skin... unfortunately, that means I have dark circles. Whenever I use a concealer under my eyes though, it either slides off or cakes up. How can I avoid this/ do you have any product recommendations? I'd like to keep the skin around my eyes dewy-looking and fresh, but want a concealer that stays put. Help! (CONSIDERMYLILLIES)

We recommend that you give your eye cream some time to absorb before applying your concealer, because the oils in rich eye creams often cause concealers to slide. Caking, on the other hand, generally happens when the skin (or the concealer formulation) is too dry, so moisturize well, allow the moisturizer to absorb and then apply a rich, creamy concealer (like ours! http://www.threecustom.com/home.php?cat=276). Set with translucent powder (http://www.threecustom.com/home.php?cat=277) to enhance the wear.

3. What is the best way to conceal dark under-eye circles for fair skin, and have it last ALL day? Any products with SPF that they could recommend? (JESSICA)

The best way to conceal dark circles on any skin tone is to use a concealer shade a touch lighter than your natural skin tone. This should be applied after any foundation or tinted moisturizer. Set with translucent powder for extra long wear. See above for SPF question.

4. I applied concealer once and when I took a photograph with flash on ...I could see the spots where I have applied..although without flash you would not make out and looks like a smooth skin..where am I wrong. (SONAL)

Concealers that have light reflecting properties, i.e. a pearlescent shimmer that gives the appearance of smoother skin, tend to glow a bit when photographed with a flash. Try using a concealer that does not have these properties - words to look out for in the product name "light reflecting, highlighting, glowing", etc.

5. I noticed that when I apply concealer on blemishes or old acne scars, it looks fine in doors but becomes really obvious when I step out in the sun. What can I do to avoid this? Thanks! :) (HUINEE)

The best way to cover blemishes or scars is to use a shade that matches or is slightly darker than your natural skin tone. This is a softer approach that should appear less obvious than if you approached the spots with a lighter color (like you would use under your eyes).

6. To add to some of the questions above, I always find that indoors my make-up works fine and acne doesn't show so much. However, the minute you put me under natural sun light, the colouring of my skin is uneven and scars, acne etc, not to mention the fact that I've tried to conceal it, is in plain view. What am I doing wrong? (HIBA)

You're not doing anything wrong, per se, you're just not doing your makeup under the best light! Halogen bulbs are the closest to natural sunlight, so I would recommend investing in a makeup light with halogen bulbs so you can get the truest sense of the colors you are using. At our Color Studio in NYC, we use very bright halogen lights. When someone looks gorgeous here, she will look gorgeous under any light source.

7. Do you think a primer is necessary if I only use concealer and face powder? (HUINEE)

I think primers are a great solution for people who have trouble with makeup wearing off very quickly or have an uneven skin texture that they wish to address. Some primers also have sunscreen and treatment properties so they can make up for qualities that your skin care might lack. Here are my favorites: http://www.alisonraffaele.comsearchresult.aspx?CategoryID=72
If you do not have these issues, using concealer and powder should be just fine!

8. I have combination skin (oily t-zone, dry sides of the face), what kind of concealer would be best for me?(ARPITA)

Our Creme Concealer/Foundation is great for all skin types, so of course I would firstly recommend ours! But, there are a lot of wonderful products out that, including options specific to skin type. I would read the labels and see what skin type certain formulations are recommended for. In addition, if you have personal preferences for formulation and delivery systems, i.e. cream in a compact vs cream in a stick, liquid, mineral powder, etc., so you should take your preference into account.

9. I have acne and oily skin....so what’s the best way to get the best from concealer? (NYRA)

See above on formulations. If you are specifically trying to treat your blemishes, you should seek out a formulation that is specific to that concern and then use your formula of choice for the rest of the face.

10. Is face concealer supposed to go on before or after foundation? I've gotten mixed advice on it. What's the reason behind doing it either way? (ARPITA)

Concealer should go on after foundation/tinted moisturizer if you are using two separate products. Foundation tends to be rubbed on in a thin layer and concealer is patted or dabbed on more thickly, so the thinner formulation should go on first. If you patted on the concealer first and then rubbed on the foundation, you would likely cause the concealer to dissipate somewhat, undoing some of the work you had just done!

11. Which eye concealer would be best for dark circles? (ARPITA)

See above

12. I've been blessed with a noticeable crease under my eyes. How can I stop concealer from settling in that crease? Or better yet is there a product (primer or something) that I can use to fill or smoothen the creases so they don't look obvious (MISHA)

There are a lot of eye primers out there, but I have to say that I haven't found one that really works for this issue. I haven't tried them all though, so it's worth experimenting! Another solution is to use the tips that I've given above about how to extend the wear of your concealer. That alone might solve the crease issue.

13. What's a real good concealer for blue purple circles?

Dark circles are all generally blue-ish/purple. The best way to combat this is with a shade that is slightly lighter that your natural skin tone. To get more aggressive, you can "tone" the area first, with a peach-toned concealer, then apply regular concealer on top. Another trick is to use a light reflecting concealer, or to simply sweep a soft powder shimmer over your concealer to create light reflection.

14. Could you please give us a basic concealer guide on how to choose concealer shades for a particular skin tone?

I can only really assist you as it pertains to the Three Custom Color concealers. Click here (http://www.threecustom.com/home.php?cat=321) to choose the model who's skin tone most closely matches yours. Click on that model to see what shade she is wearing.

Click on the links below for other concealer posts that you might find helpful ...

Three Custom Color Creme Concealer Shade Swatches

How To Apply Concealer in 5 Easy Steps

My Favorite Concealer - Review & Swatches

Love,
Indian Girl