First skincare, then foundation and finally, a little concealer. That’s the order in which I have always applied my makeup—but as of today, I am doing it differently after speaking to makeup artist Diane Kendal. Kendal, who is currently the creative director for Rabanne Beauty, had a surprising piece of advice: Put on your concealer as the first makeup step, before foundation. “You’ll need less makeup in the long run by covering up everything you want to cover,” she says. “Skin looks much more natural.”
Kendal continues: “Prepping the skin for concealer is the most important step in application. It’s actually the only way to prevent texture from showing or settling in wrinkles.” So what is her skin prep trick? “I use rose water as a toner, and let the moisturizer sit for a few minutes before dabbing off the excess with a tissue—this way the skin is not greasy, but perfectly nourished and doesn’t absorb as much makeup.”
How to properly cover dark circles under the eyes
Kendal says first, start with your under-eyes (a trouble area for most)—but be wary of getting too close. “Many people make the mistake of applying concealer very close to the lash line, b ut that quickly makes you look like you have big bags under your eyes,” she advises. “And if you actually have them, it accentuates them even more.” She goes on to say it’s better to apply three to four dabs of concealer just in the dark area, known as the tear trough, then blend out from there.
If you are going to go in with foundation, heed Kendal’s warning to be sparing: “It is a misconception that putting on a lot of makeup means something is hidden. If too much product settles on raised pimples, it actually accentuates the uneven skin structure.” It is better to apply a green corrector (the complementary color of red) to pimples or veins you are looking to camouflage. “This evens out the complexion and you need less foundation.”
Last but not least, Diane Kendal has a backstage trick up her sleeve: “Before applying makeup, some models dip their face in a bowl of ice-cold water for a few seconds. This reduces swelling. After that, you don’t need to do much trickery on puffy eyes.” I haven’t been able to bring myself to do that yet. But if you dare, report back.
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