Rules Of Use : Substituting Foundation For Concealer

I have been a long and hard victim of the raccoon eyes for many years.You know dark circles(blue black brown ...)all around my eyes.And I never felt the need to hide them.One because I hate piling makeup on my face and second I thought it would look unnatural on me.Then one day on a whim I decided to give it a shot.Now I didn't have any concealer at hand so I used a tiny bit of foundation instead.And voila it worked.And the best part was it looked absolutely normal and natural on me.

My eyes brightened up instantly and I was amazed at the transformation it brought about.So much so that ever since I have never felt the need to purchase an exclusive concealer for my eyes and make do with foundation only.

The one that I used first was from Cover Girl's Clean Makeup range and it works well for me,though only as a concealer and not foundation.It was actually a souvenir from my aunt's trip to the US(I always insist on MU souvenir's).The color was an absolute match but it was too creamy to be used in the summers for my oily skin.So I stashed it away until the experiment where it proved to be my savior.

I did try using a couple of other foundations as an under eye concealer with various techniques but kept coming back to the original one.Not because of the brand I guess but for various other reasons which have led me to believe that a foundation can be substituted for a concealer.


A concealer is essentially a thicker and creamier version of foundation so it makes sense to replace it with one.But make sure the foundation you substitute is not water based.If it is creamier it will adhere to the skin and blend easily.You could also keep it in the fridge for cooling it and making it thicker.Also the skin around your eyes is very delicate and needs to be hydrated at all times.Here are some rules of using a foundation as a concealer : 

1. Many makeup experts are of the opinion that the concealer should be a shade lighter than your foundation.I strongly disagree especially if you don't wear heavy foundation.Use the exact shade to match your skin tone.This means you could use your regular foundation as a concealer instead of buying a separate one.
2. The foundation should preferably provide at least medium to heavy coverage in order to work.Tinted moisturizers might do the trick if you need to brighten the eye area but for intense dark circles use foundations that offer better coverage.
3. The application technique also makes a huge difference.Don't rub the foundation instead dot the foundation on your problem areas and then lightly dab.Alternatively you could use a concealer brush also and in case you don't have one using a thin bristled paint brush.
4. Don't do an overkill.You want to achieve a natural look and not enhance the areas around the eyes but blend it with the rest of your face.Apply a little at first and then if you need apply more.You could also apply pressed powder for additional coverage plus it helps to set in the foundation.
5. Finish off with a highlighter and light eye makeup.The idea is not to make your eyes stand out so use subtle eye makeup.

Concealers are basically a gimmick of the Makeup world and I know some people swear by it, but first give your humble foundation a shot and who knows you might convert.Just like me.  

You can check my two eye looks with Cover Girl Foundation as a Concealer here:
A Lazy Sunday Well Spent : Two Eye Looks