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Your Ultimate Guide to Strategic Concealer Placement

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Concealer is one of the few makeup products that can dramatically transform your entire appearance, making it an essential in every cosmetics bag. Along with mastering the art of how to apply concealer and finding your perfect shade, learning where to apply concealer is equally important. Not only can concealer even out your complexion, but different placements can also create different effects, from brightening the under-eye area to adding dimension to the face. Below, celebrity makeup artist Omayma Ramzy gives us the scoop on six key places to apply concealer.

Under The Eyes

The under-eye area is one of the most common concealer placements. Ramzy likes to start with concealer in the inner-corner area under the eye, working her way outwards, then blending the two areas together with a fluffy brush. If you want to also brighten the center of the face, she suggests creating a little concealer triangle under the eye to the nose, connecting the area between the eyes with concealer as well and then blending it all together. Use a shade one or two shades lighter than your foundation to give the under-eye area a brightening effect.

On Dark Spots

To help even out your skin tone, add concealer to any dark spots or scarring on the face. For this purpose, Ramzy recommends choosing a concealer shade that matches your foundation, so it blends seamlessly without attracting attention to it.

On Blemishes

Apply concealer to any blemishes you'd like to camouflage. The same concealer shade principle that applies for dark spots goes here, too: match it to your skin tone and foundation, so it blends rather than brightens the area. The best way to conceal blemishes depends on the stage of the blemish. "If the skin is intact — fingers crossed you didn't squeeze or pop — the skin should remain dry. 'It’s just a matter of putting on a dot of concealer, leaving it to set and then blending it out," she says. "If it's oilier, you might want to use a mattifying primer first, or go in with a matte finish concealer, so that it doesn't slide off." Dealing with a particularly hellish breakout? Check out this guide for more tips on prepping acne-prone skin for makeup.

Around The Lips

Concealer also comes in handy for accentuating different features, such as the lips. This technique works best when wearing lipstick because it creates contrast resulting in a more dramatic lip look. "I like to take concealer on a flat brush, outline the lips in the corners and then blend it out," Ramzy says. "I love to do this also around the cupid's bow and bottom center too to add fullness." The trick with this technique, she adds, is choosing a concealer with a consistency that isn’t heavier than your foundation, allowing it to effortlessly blend into the rest of your makeup and resulting in a more finished look.

Around The Nose

Here's another concealer placement you may not have thought of before: around the nose. This move can help cover up any redness, and also helps sculpt the nose. "I'll place the concealer in the corners of my nose and then take a fluffy brush [and] blend it out into the rest of the complexion," Ramzy says. "A little concealer on a brush down the center can enhance the sharpness of the shape of the nose, and a little in between the eyebrows can create a little highlight, which can make your eyes look wider and brighter."

Under The Cheekbones

Concealers can also help add dimensions to the entire face by lightening up areas you'd like to appear fuller. "For example, on the upper cheekbones, you can add a brightening concealer to make them look fuller,” Ramzy says. "I love using concealer to brighten down the center of the face to add dimension and light to the face, and blending it out with a damp beauty blender."