mbg Assistant Beauty Editor
mbg Assistant Beauty Editor
Hannah Frye is the Assistant Beauty Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.S. in journalism and a minor in women’s, gender, and queer studies from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Hannah has written across lifestyle sections including health, wellness, sustainability, personal development, and more.
Image by DGLimages / iStock
January 8, 2023
For some, even a lightweight, natural-looking foundation can feel like too much of a lift. However, going in with just concealer can oftentimes leave behind sporadic light patches, making your complexion look even more uneven.
The answer? Pinpoint concealing. In a recent Instagram post, celebrity makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes breaks down exactly how to make your concealer actually look invisible (and save you time), while still covering up what you want to disguise. Here’s how she does it.
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1.
Grab your true shade match.
Using different shades of concealers is no rare strategy for the pros. Sometimes you need a lighter shade to highlight certain regions or mask under-eye circles, or you might grab a richer concealer for contouring purposes.
However, this method calls for an exact shade match. The goal here is to minimize any contrast between your concealer and your real skin, so do your best to find a close match. Remember: Undertones matter, so check out this guide if you’re unsure how to find your true color match.
2.
Place your tiny dots + blend.
“Take a concealer and just do some tiny little spots around the face on any areas where there’s a blemish, redness, or discoloration,” Hughes says. Use a featherlight pressure, then build with more dots if need be.
“I call this pinpoint concealing,” Hughes says. “It’s not my technique; it’s been around for a very very long time. I’m just the messenger,” she jokes. It’s true—this method may not be new, but it’s certainly different from the large under-eye triangles and long-stroke concealing we’ve seen in the past.
“Delicately blend in all of those areas with a small but large eyeshadow brush (technically small face brush, large eyeshadow brush),” she says. And if you watch the before-and-after results in Huge’s video, you can’t even tell she’s wearing concealer.
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3.
Finish up with light color contrast.
Hughes follows this concealer routine with blush, using red lipstick on the end of a blush brush. This step will help add the natural flush back into your face which, contrary to how it might seem, will help the whole look appear even more natural.
After that, Hughes goes in with a light brown lip liner and a rust-colored lip. This step will add more definition to the lips and prevent a washed-out look. It’s not an essential step for everyone, but if you’re hoping for a full, “no-makeup” makeup routine, well, Hughes has you covered.
Finally, she finishes off the look with a light brown liner and mascara. If you want to add a bit more life to your look, feel free to pop a bit of cream highlighter on your cheekbones as well. And voila! The perfect concealer routine for anyone who’s short on time and actually wants to appear makeup-free.
The takeaway.
If you’ve struggled to find a complexion routine that actually appears invisible, try pinpoint concealing. With a light hand, add a tiny dot of concealer on any blemishes, red areas, or discoloration. Blend it in with a big eyeshadow brush and finish the look off with blush, mascara, or whatever you see fit. Not sure which concealer you should choose? Here’s a list of our best picks, with every skin tone in mind.
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