The Difference Between Concealer and Foundation
Although both foundation and concealer have the ability to create a flawless finish, it can be difficult to determine whether you need both products. While one product may work better for you than the other, our team at 100% Pure explains the differences between them and why having both might be beneficial.
In this article, you will learn the difference between concealer and foundation, when to use each one, and get some professional tips on how to apply them both.
Face Makeup
Face Makeup can be broadly classified as foundation or concealer. Face makeup usually serves to:
- Balance your skin’s natural tones
- Diminish the appearance of redness
- Brighten up dark areas
- Conceal blemishes
Most face makeup comes in colors designed to match various skin tones, though some products (like concealers for covering up blemishes) may come in other shades like olive green or yellow.
Why Is It Needed
Face makeup not only aids in evening out your skin, but it also primes your face for color cosmetics. This helps with even application and makes sure the colors of your products remain true to their shades.
Do You Need To Use Concealer and Foundation at the same time?
The amount of makeup you need depends on the look you’re going for. If you want a natural look, less is more. You can just use concealer on the areas of your face that need it. If you want or need more coverage, though, then using both foundation and concealer is a good idea.
Both products have similar ingredients, but they’re slightly different in formula, which makes them better suited for their individual tasks (like concealing dark circles or evening out skin tone).
Concealer Tips & Tricks
If you want to cover up minor areas of imperfections, such as dark circles under your eyes or blemishes, then concealer is the product for you. Usually thicker than foundation, it’s ideal for hiding bumps and other difficult-to-cover flaws.
Ways To Apply Concealer
Depending on what you need it for, concealer can be used to cover up three main areas: under-eye darkness, blemishes, and redness. Here’s how to apply it perfectly every time.
Under the Eyes
Usually, the darkness under our eyes is a result of aging. The skin thins as we get older, which makes it easier to see the blood vessels beneath the surface. This can give the area a blue or grey tint that can make us look hollow around the eyes.
The best way to apply concealer is to gently dab a small amount (with your finger or makeup sponge) onto the inside corner of your eye and blend it downwards towards your nose. Usually, this is where it’s darkest anyway.
If you want to avoid looking like a raccoon, you need to avoid using the wrong shade and don’t apply your concealer too close to your eyes. This will only emphasize creases and fine lines.
For Blemishes
When concealer is being applied to blemishes, a precision brush will be needed. With the brush dab a small amount of concealer around the edges of the bump and blend it inward towards the center so that less product would be used overall. If blending isn’t done in this way, then more product will go to waste as you try to cover a larger area than necessary.
For Redness
To fix smaller areas of redness, use a concealer and your fingertips. Dab a small amount of the concealer onto the area with your fingertip until it covers the entire area around the edges of your nostrils or on your chin.
A Good Option
100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Long Last Concealer with Super Fruits is the perfect product for concealing without covering and caking. Available in 16 shades, you can use this as both a concealer and a foundation (which we’ll cover later).
Auto-adjusting minerals work to cover imperfections and create radiant skin without caking, cracking, or settling into pores or fine lines.
What Does Foundation Stand For?
Foundation is a product that is applied over a larger area than concealer and helps to create an even skin tone. Foundation provides the base for the rest of your makeup, so it’s important choose a shade that matches your skin tone well.
Foundation can be used with a concealer, although this isn’t necessary. Some people prefer to work with foundation because it tends to be more flexible than concealer.
Applying Foundation: A How-To
Applying foundation can be a challenge. We’ve all had those days where we notice foundation lines on our faces and wonder how long they’ve been there. To avoid this in the future, always blend your foundation into your skin.
Using Your Fingers
If you use your fingers to apply foundation, it’s easy. To start, place a small amount of foundation on your fingers and rub them together so the product becomes warmer and more pliable—this will help with blending. Use broad, upward strokes to press the foundation into your skin until you’ve covered your entire face (or just the areas you want coverage). Begin with your forehead, nose and chin—these areas are typically called the “t-zone”—and then move outwards only if necessary.
Using a Brush
A Foundation Brush is the perfect tool for applying foundation flawlessly. Just add a pea-sized amount of foundation to your skin and use the brush to blend in an upward and outward motion. Because foundation is buildable, you can start with less product and then add more only in areas where you need it.
Using a Sponge
If you’re looking for a way to apply foundation so that it looks like skin and not paint, then using a beauty sponge is the best method. When using a beauty sponge, start with placing a small amount of product on the back of your hand.
From there, lift it with the sponge and bounce the tool onto your skin in order to press the foundation in place. In order to blend outwardly, avoid strokes dead-on but rather at an angle until sleekness is achieved.
A Good Option
100% Pure Fruit Pigmented® Full Coverage Water Foundation. Given the immense popularity of our “Un” Cover-Up concealer, we decided to create a lightweight and buildable foundation that is available in 16 shades. “Un” Cover-Up Cream Foundation provides users with an easy way to achieve a radiant and luminous finish without looking cakey or overdone.
Buriti oil, which is naturally occurring from wild crafting procedures, helps foundation to both hydrate and highlight simultaneously. By nurturing the skin while you wear it, this foundation leaves your skin healthy and dewy-looking.
Is It Possible to Replace Concealer For Foundation?
Many people believe that they can use foundation and concealer interchangeably because they have similar job descriptions and ingredients. While this is true to an extent, there are a few key differences you should be aware of before using them dichotomously.
- Test the concealer on a small patch of skin before using it all over your face. A heavy, thick formula might not be ideal for trying to cover large areas.
- Make sure to check the color of your concealer. Some are available in hues like green and yellow that cancel out redness or darkness. Obviously, you don’t want to use a green concealer as an all-over base like you would with foundation.
- If you need more coverage, don’t reach for your concealer just yet–try layering on your foundation instead. Thicker formulas will do the trick, but because foundation is typically thinner, you might need to apply a bit more product than usual to achieve the desired amount of coverage.
You can achieve different makeup looks by using concealer or foundation, or a combination of both.
Composition
The ingredients in your concealers and foundations are important. Any formula that contains sulfates, parabens, or synthetic fragrances should be avoided. These irritate the skin and can be toxic; they don’t belong in cosmetics.
Look for formulas with moisturizing ingredients that will help your skin while concealing imperfections.
- Jojoba oil is very helpful for keeping skin hydrated and balanced because it has a chemical structure that is similar to sebum, which is produced by the skin.
Rich in antioxidants, jojoba oil nourishes and protects skin by creating a barrier against external stressors.
- Cocoa seed butter has been used for centuries as a natural, skin-soothing moisturizer. Packed with antioxidants and skin-loving fatty acids, it makes the perfect ingredient in face makeup. When you wear foundation and concealer with this ingredient, you’ll be dosing your skin with free radical protection while giving it supreme hydration.
- Coconut oil is known to be antimicrobial, antibacterial, and antiseptic. This makes it perfect for those with sensitive skin as it helps balance the skin’s natural moisture levels.
Including living, nourishing ingredients in our foundations and concealers does double duty – not only providing you with beautiful coverage, but also benefitting your skin. Our coconut oil is cold-centrifuged to preserve all the skin-loving benefits so that your makeup works for you, not against you.
Trustable Foundation and Concealer
Foundation and concealer are both important makeup essentials. Use them both separately or together to create the flawless finish you need. Trust 100% Pure to give you the coverage you want with the best and most beneficial ingredients for your skin.
