Dark patches, blemishes, eye imperfections—these are all common skincare issues. Aside from a thorough cleansing and daily moisturizing, what more can a girl do?

That’s where a good concealer brush comes in handy. In this guide, you’ll get the 4-1-1 on how to skillfully use this essential makeup tool to even-out your skin tone and hide your imperfections.

Before Getting Started

For easy use and optimal results, you might consider getting a concealer brush with a wide, angled tip. The slant of the bristles allows you to get those hard-to-reach places like right below your eyes and the contours alongside of your nose. You can also use this brush separate from your applicator just for blending and buffing. 

Along with an angled concealer brush, here are a few others to add to your arsenal, such as a thick flat-top. It’s ideal for applying mineral or powder concealers and can also be used to set liquid or cream concealers with powder. Another great concealer brush to have is one with a small, narrow tip, which is used for more precision work, like covering up blemishes or scars.

Finally, every woman needs a flat and narrow classic-shaped concealer brush, which allows for blending and buffing in hard-to-reach places.

Plus, you’ll need to find two distinct shades of concealer to match your skin tone—one that is a shade lighter than your skin tone and one that is a bit darker. Having both options better prepares you for adjustments due to sun exposure, blemishes, or dark circles under your eyes.

Some makeup artists suggest having multiple shades that are specific to the end effect that you’re aiming for, such as brightening or contouring. However, the two previously mentioned options will suffice for beginners. And don’t forget to prime before starting your makeup routine.

Step 1: Under the Eyes

First, you’ll apply a small amount of concealer to your brush. Then, gently sweep the brush from the inner corner of your eye to the outer corner, carefully blending in the concealer. You'll notice the difference immediately.

From there, sweep the concealer brush from the outer corner to the inner corner working in a back-and-forth motion, ensuring that the concealer is blended in thoroughly. Then repeat this same process under the other eye. Once you have applied and blended the concealer under both eyes, you’ll lightly buff the outer edges of the concealer to eliminate any “makeup line” that’s left.

Helpful Hack

Use the entire side of the brush to wipe the concealer in. For blending and softening, you’ll use just the tip, in short, even strokes.

Step 2: Avoiding Dark Corners

Now that you’ve eliminated the “racoon” circles, it’s time to brighten up the inner corners where your nose meets the eye area. You’ll need just a little dab of concealer on the very tip of your brush. When you apply the makeup, you’ll use short, vertical strokes around the inner corner of the eye until the darkness disappears.

Helpful Hack

Avoid the outer corners of your eyes if you have fine lines. Concealer tends to make them stand out more. A good thorough blending and buffing of the concealer underneath the eyes and in the inner corners will achieve the “wide awake” look.

Step 3: Right Under Your Nose

After dipping your brush into the concealer, you’ll turn your attention to the area around your nose and the bridge.  First, you’ll focus on the areas underneath each nostril since they tend to get a little red from blowing your nose or from sun exposure.

Using the side of your concealer brush, form a U shape, starting at the top of your nostril and looping underneath. Then, repeat the same formation under the other nostril. Finally, you’ll use the brush’s tip to blend the concealer in and then flick outwards.

Next, apply the concealer down the bridge of your nose, using the side of the brush. From there, you’ll use the tip to blend it in completely to cover up any redness.

Helpful Hacks:

The weather can wreak havoc on your nose’s skin tone, turning it various shades of red or blue, depending on how much you’re exposed to heat or cold. So, if your nose has a slight tinge of blue going, try using a “yellowish” shade to cancel it out. If you’re more on the red side, a concealer with green undertones will do the trick. Also, don’t forget to use an oil-free formula if you’re prone to blackheads.

Step 4: Say Bye-bye to Blemishes and Dark Spots

Another common problem that concealer fixes (even if it’s temporary) is the almighty blemish. For this quick fix, you’ll need a finer tip. After dipping the tip of the brush into your concealer, you’ll lightly dab on top of the zit and then around its base. Then, you’ll use a different concealer brush with a wider tip to blend lightly back and forth across the blemish until the color is even.

In addition to hiding blemishes, you can use a flat or wide-tip concealer brush to conceal dark spots and even out patches. First, you’ll dab some concealer onto the area that you wish to cover using the tip of your brush, and then blend using gentle strokes back and forth. Next, buff around the edges and set with powder.

Helpful Hack:

Set the concealer with powder too, so that the product stays on longer. Using a wide concealer brush for dusting the powder on and blending it in will achieve your desired finish.

Summing Up

As you can see, concealer brushes serve quite well in covering up imperfections and evening out skin tone. The bonus is that when you use a concealer brush, you’ll never have to touch your face while applying and blending your product. So, try different shapes and sizes of brushes to see what works best for you. Happy make-over!