Concealers are a versatile product, as not only can you use them to hide dark circles, blemishes, redness, and more, but you can also use a concealer for contouring. And that’s pretty cool if you like the contoured look but also want to keep things minimal with your makeup products. You won’t need to buy another product strictly for contouring.
Celebrity makeup artist Carolina Dalí says that using a concealer as a contour is a play of light and shadow to brighten and shape the features. “You can use a concealer several shades darker than your skin tone to create dimension and contour the face,” celebrity makeup artist Tobi Henney adds. “By placing it under the jawline, cheekbones, temple, and side of the nose will create a more defined structure to the face.” And the best part? Dali says that using a concealer to contour means the coverage stays put and lasts longer.
1. Use a cream concealer: Both Dalí and Henney suggest using cream concealers for contouring since they’re buildable, easy to blend, and give you the most seamless, true-to-skin finish.
2. Blend with a brush: Henney recommends blending the concealer out with a makeup brush.
3. Work with different concealer shades: Dalí suggests choosing three different concealer shades. “One that’s a shade or two lighter than your skin tone to brighten,” she explains. “One that’s the exact shade of your skin to conceal imperfections. One that’s a few shades darker than your skin tone to add warmth/shadow and shape your features. Use a brush to shape, for target application, and to blend.
Want to put some concealers to the contouring test? Try these below.