You know those snippets often spouted by those in the makeup know: “Only apply foundation where you need it”, “Begin with light layers and build up your coverage”, “Just stick with concealer on good skin days” etc etc. Although I like to think I follow the beauty rules to the best of my ability, more often than not I splodge out a big ol’ blob of foundation and apply all over, completely ignoring well-intended advice and ending up with a face of slap that I don’t really need (debatable, but you get the gist). With this all too frequent scenario in mind I thought I’d throw a bit of caution to the wind and try skipping foundation all together covering where needed with a lone slick of concealer instead. Perfect for lazy days, weekends or a quick duck into Sainsburys; I’ve really been favouring the natural finish and it’s quite nice to hold onto that post-cleanse sheen throughout the day. I’m showing some skin people.
For me to embrace the concealer-centric base completely there is a bit of prep work required. Now of course a well-thought out skincare regime is a good starting point; I change mine up all the darn time but my current reachables aren’t much of a deviation from my latest skincare lineup. Another thing that helps make the foundation-free shift a little easier is a bit of warmth to my skin. Clarins Liquid Bronze Self Tanning for Face sorts me out on that front without a streak or strange scent in sight; a sweep as the last step of my skincare routine every other night does the trick. The next prep step may be a little bit of a cheat, but This Works Perfect Look Skin Miracle has been coming into play as my daytime hit of hydration, a sort of caramel tinted moisturiser that adds a hint of glow to the complexion – sshhhhh, we just won’t tell anyone about that. Now for actual concealing, here’s my top three:
Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer in Sand: well, dur. The one concealer that I come back to time and time again. I dab on with my index finger and blend under my eyes and on the end of my sometimes Rudolph-ish red nose. Perfect for when you need a touch more evening-out.
YSL Touche Éclat in 2.5*: the classic, that doesn’t necessarily fall into the concealer category, but I find the shade I have to be the perfect companion for tired eyes and slightly red patches. I keep this bagside at all time and there’s been a high amount of occasions where I’ve panicked gone a little frenzied with this. Opps.
L’Oreal The Touche Magique True Match Illuminating Concealer in Ivory Biege: a budget-friendly version of the luxe YSL click-on with a slightly more matte texture – just ignore the ‘illuminating’ claims in the name. I actually find this best for pimples – dotted onto my finger first then smudged on, ta-dah!
Cutting down yet another step of my makeup muster, following MUA’s advice and no foundation fluffing – au natural concealer-only base? I’m pretty into you.Â
*PR Sample
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