Concealer

Concealer is typically used to camouflage spots or marks not totally eliminated by your foundation (think dark circles, pimples, and dark spots). But really, concealer can do it all—from brightening and highlighting to contouring and sculpting, concealer is the ultimate multi-tasker.

Pro Tip: Give your cat eye a sharper edge by applying concealer directly beneath your wing. Blend it out, but take care to keep your wing crisp for a graphic, bold eyeliner look.

We recommend applying concealer after foundation, that way, you can easily target any areas that need a little extra coverage. That said, it’s not a hard-and-fast rule—with all things beauty, what matters most is what works for you. Experiment and find which method is your favorite!

As we mentioned, generally, you’ll want to reach for concealer after applying your base. This is true when contouring, highlighting, and concealing imperfections. Dab a small amount of your chosen color onto the area you’re looking to brighten or cover, then blend it out with a brush or a damp makeup sponge (we’re huge fans of the Complete Control Blending Sponge: The thinner end is great for blending out your concealer in harder-to-reach areas, like beneath your eyes). When you’re done, don’t forget to set your look with a long-lasting setting spray.

You can put concealer anywhere that you need a little extra coverage, like the under-eyes (if you’re prone to dark circles), on dark spots and blemishes, and even on top of blotchy areas. If you don’t have any major blemishes to conceal but still want to brighten up your face, we recommend applying a concealer in a color a few shades lighter than your natural skin tone to places you’d normally use highlighter, like the bridge of the nose and underneath your eyes. It’ll help give you a totally fresh look.

It depends on the formula. Some concealers are full-coverage and meant to be used as a spot treatment, while others are more lightweight and infused with skin-loving ingredients and can be used on your full face. If you want to wear concealer but don’t need foundation, reach for our lightweight, medium-coverage Bare With Me Concealer Serum. The skin-loving formula is available in 13 gorgeous shades and boasts a natural, dewy finish to help give your skin a more even, hydrated appearance—no foundation necessary.

Color corrector differs from concealer in that it’s not meant to match your skin but instead cancel out discolorations. Purple color correctors are ideal for addressing sallowness, green color correctors are great for blemishes and red areas, and yellow color correctors help cancel out dark under-eye circles. Also, color correctors are typically meant to be applied before your foundation to help provide a more even base for your makeup. Layering them under foundation (or a flesh-toned concealer) helps ensure your face isn’t left with an unnatural green or purple tint.

Remember the color wheel from elementary school art class? Contrasting colors cancel each other out—that’s pretty much the principle behind color-correcting makeup. If you have purple-ish under-eye circles, a yellow-toned color corrector is ideal. If you have darker skin, try a peach-tinted color corrector instead. No need to stock up on a bunch of different shades, though: You’ll find a full range of shades for color correcting in our Color Corrector Palette. After using your color corrector, add a few dots of full-coverage concealer in a shade that matches your skin tone to give dark circles the boot.

The best color corrector for dark spots really depends on your skin tone and the shade of your dark spots. Dark spots that have a red tint can be camouflaged with a green color corrector. For purple or grey-ish spots, a yellow or peach-tinted color corrector will help balance them out. A full-coverage concealer in your skin tone can also do the trick—just be sure to blend it out and lock it all in place with setting spray for an all-day slay.