You have been using one concealer for everything: under the eyes, over spots, around the nose, everywhere. And it looks slightly off everywhere you use it.
Under eyes
slightly off
Over spots
slightly off
Around nose
slightly off
One tube
everywhere
One concealer cannot do two jobs well. The shade that brightens your under-eyes will highlight your spots. The shade that matches your spots will not brighten under your eyes.
Concealer has two different jobs, and they require two different approaches.
Job One
Spot concealing
Covering acne marks, pigmentation spots, dark patches, hyperpigmentation. Shade: same depth as your foundation, or one shade lighter at most. Same undertone.
Job Two
Under-eye brightening
Making the under-eye area look lighter, more awake, more open. Shade: one to two shades lighter than your foundation. Slightly peachier or pinker depending on undertone.
01
Job One
Spot concealing
The goal is for the concealer to match your skin so well that the spot disappears into the rest of your face. If your concealer is too light for spot concealing, it highlights the area instead of hiding it. You draw attention to the very thing you were trying to cover.
Shade rule for spot concealing
Foundation depth→Concealer = same or one shade lighter
foundation
→
same ✓
or
1 lighter ✓
never
too light ✗
Best formula type
Full coverage, longer wearing. Needs to stay in place over a mark without shifting or sheering out through the day.
02
Job Two
Under-eye brightening
The goal is to reflect light upward and counteract the natural shadow that sits under the eye. This makes the eye area look more awake and open. For this you need a concealer that is lighter than your foundation, which is the opposite of what you need for spots.
Undertone adjustment for under-eye
Warm undertone
Go slightly peachier than your foundation. Peach warmth reflects well against warm skin and counteracts darkness.
Cool undertone
Go slightly pinker. Pink-toned concealers reflect light cleanly on cool skin without reading orange or muddy.
Best formula type
Hydrating, slightly luminous. Under-eye skin is thin and prone to creasing. A matte formula will look dry and emphasise fine lines. You want light reflection, not flat coverage.
Job
Shade rule
Formula to look for
Spot
concealing
Same depth as foundation, or one shade lighter at most. Same undertone. Never lighter than 1 shade or the spot gets highlighted.
Full coverage, long-wearing, matte or satin. Stays over marks through the day.
Under-eye
brightening
One to two shades lighter than foundation. Slightly peachier for warm undertones, slightly pinker for cool. Reflects light upward.
Hydrating, luminous, thin coverage. Resists creasing under the eye. Never matte.
You may need to own two
Spot concealer
Same depth as foundation. Full coverage. Matte or satin finish.
Under-eye concealer
One to two shades lighter. Hydrating, luminous. Never matte.
You do not need to own ten concealers. You may need to own two.
Dear Brown Girl, one concealer cannot do two jobs well. And now you know which job needs which shade.
One concealer cannot do two jobs well. Now you know which job needs which shade.
HerShade recommends concealers for each use case separately.