Too often I have a can't-live-with-it-can't-live-without-it relationship with concealer. This is because I'm heavy-handed when I apply it to veil my natural redness, but get frustrated when it reads cakey or starts to flake. Thankfully, I've found a solution that teams solid coverage with TLC for the skin: Mixing moisturizer into concealer. Done right, you can conceal to your heart's content, while eschewing pilled dry patches.
"If you have a full coverage concealer that is on the dry or thick side, adding a little moisturizer can help the concealer blend and melt more easily into skin," explains Glamsquad makeup director Kelli Bartlett. "Think of this technique as a way to add more slip to your concealer while sheering it down."
However, this trick isn't a fit for all concealers. "I would not recommend this technique with a concealer that is already very hydrating or creamy, like YSL Touche Eclat or NARS Radiant Creamy," she says. "It will break the product down too much and you won't get the benefit of coverage."
Bartlett's favorite concealer-moisturizer cocktail is MAC's Studio Finish and Kieh's Ultra Facial Cream. "The emollient moisturizer mixed with the full coverage matte concealer yields a medium coverage that melts into skin beautifully."
Additionally, if your skin is very dry or flaking, Bartlett recommends dipping some moisturizer on a Beautyblender, dipping it into concealer then dabbing it onto your skin. "It provides coverage and hydration without irritating the skin," she adds.
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