Concealer is an amazing tool that, if used properly, can cover your acne, pimples, dark spots, or blemishes without anyone noticing. Personally, the most important thing for me is that I don’t want anyone to notice that I used concealer at all. Discreetness is key. To do this, it is very important to apply the product properly. Thus, after much testing, I’ve come up with a simple 3 step guide to use to make sure you are using concealer properly to cover up that spot.
(Note that this guide is focused on covering up pimples or blemishes, not the area under your eye. We will cover that in another article.)
Clean Your Face: Before you apply any product to your face, give your face a quick wash. You don’t need to do anything fancy like exfoliate or moisturize (though if you do, all the better), just a simple wash with water will do. After you wash your face, dry it gently with a towel and wait for about 30 seconds to let your face fully dry. Washing your face is great for your skin, and it sets the stage for next steps.
Dab Gently: After your face is dry, gently dab the concealer in the middle of your pimple or blemish and then slowly move outward. In other words, start with the area with the most discoloration and then dab around it. This is really important, as most people think that covering up your pimple means that simply put product only directly on the pimple. But that is a big mistake. You should also put product around the pimple. You will see why in step #3. If you are using a stick concealer, like the wonderful Stryx concealer tool, then you don’t need to use your fingers at all. You can apply the stick directly to your blemish and then move it outwards and around the area. Note that the key here is the word “dab”; don’t rub or push the entire area, just gently dab it.
Blend: Blending is the most important part of the process so pay careful attention to this step. After you’ve dabbed concealer on and around the blemish, gently tap the area until it blends into the rest of your face. Yes, some product will blend into the area around your blemish which has no discoloration, but this is important so that the coloring you are putting on the center of your pimple doesn’t become noticeable in the light as slightly discolored from the rest of your face. The blending part causes the concealer to “bleed out”, meaning that there’s no “center” area and it looks natural with the rest of your face.
If you follow these simple steps, then you will be able to effectively cover your pimple, blemish, etc in less than 3 minutes flat. And no one will notice! I’m sure for some of you out there, this is no big deal. But for me, as a man who only recently started using these sorts of products, it seems like magic every time I use it!
Don’t let a pimple or blemish bother you, just use these three easy steps to easily and comfortably look your best each morning. It’s really that simple!