You’d be hard pressed to find a woman whose everyday makeup routine doesn’t feature concealer, yet few of us are doing it right.

Whether your primary cover-up concern is redness, under eye circles, or dark spots and uneven skin tone, there’s a colour-correcting formula to fix every skin imperfection…

Colour By Numbers

For a flawless canvas, it’s imperative to colour-correct your complexion by first applying primer; then concealer; then foundation; and lastly, an optional highlighter, to even out redness, blemishes and dark circles.

Most of us will experience the effects of pigmentation (like dark spots, uneven skin tone), stress (under-eye circles) and skin problems caused by environmental or hormonal factors (blotchy skin, pimples and redness), so it’s best to invest in a concealer colour that addresses your unique condition – OR, if you’re struggling with all of the above, opt for a multipurpose concealer palette like Catrice All Round Concealer Palette (R62, Dis-Chem).

1. YELLOW

Yellow concealers are a sure bet in that they equalize most uneven skin tones.

TRY

Spend: Benefit Lemon Aid (R245 at Edgars and Red Square).

Save: NYX Concealer In A Jar in Yellow (R110 at Clicks).

2. GREEN

Green concealers neutralize rosy or ‘red’ zones that are common around the nose, cheeks and other irritation-prone areas. They’re particularly effective at disguising acne and rosacea, but not so much when it comes to dark circles and spots.

TRY

Spend: Smashbox Colour Correcting Primer (R365, Woolworths, Edgars and Red Square).

Save: GOSH Click ‘n Conceal 04 Anti-Redness (R125, Edgars and Red Square).

3. PINK

Use a pink concealer to balance blue or purple areas like dark under-eye circles, freckles and dark spots. Accident-prone BB’s might even find this useful for disguising bumps and bruises.

TRY

Spend: Bobbi Brown Creamy Corrector (R30, Edgars and Red Square).

Save: NYX Concealer In A Jar in Pink (R110, Clicks).

FINAL TOUCHES

Highlighting is optional but advisable to add dimension lost during the foundation application. Use a neutral-toned concealer that’s one shade lighter than your foundation, and once you’ve highlighted to your satisfaction, set everything with a loose translucent powder to limit transfer from your face to your clothes, and make the final effect last longer.

TRY

Spend: MAC Studio Finish Concealer (R260, MAC counters, Edgars, Foschini, Truworths).

Save: Essence Match 2 Cover Cream Concealer (R48, Clicks).

Is concealer an integral part of your daily makeup routine? Let us know below…