Concealer Archives - mamabella

The Ordinary concealer range is finally on sale in the UK: Shades, price and where to buy

Victoria Woollaston-Webber — Tue, 20 Dec 2022 07:00:08 +0000

UPDATE: The Ordinary is discontinuing its Colours makeup range. The concealers are on sale until 30 January at which point they will be removed from stock. You may still be able to buy them from third-party retailers for a few weeks after this fact, but then they will be gone.

The Ordinary foundations are also being discontinued but you have until June to stock up on these before they leave shelves for good.

You can read more about the reasons behind this decision, and get alternatives to The Ordinary foundations here.

FURTHER READING: We’ve tested 100+ foundations to find out which is the best foundation makeup in the UK

The original The Ordinary Colours concealers article continues below

Although The Ordinary is probably best known for its incredible range of skincare products – honestly, we’re obsessed with them and their ability to solve a whole hose of different skincare concerns – the Deciem-owned brand also sells makeup.

We recently reviewed The Ordinary Silicone Primer, and are big fans of The Ordinary’s Serum Foundation and now the brand has launched a new range of The Ordinary concealers, as part of its The Ordinary Colours range.

This range is on sale at Cult Beauty and Beauty Bay and is available in 21 shades, with each concealer coming in around the £5 mark.

At the time of writing, two of the concealers for deep skin have already sold out via Beauty Bay.

FURTHER READING: The best The Ordinary products for all your skincare concerns

Buy now from Cult Beauty

The Ordinary Concealer

When the brand first teased its The Ordinary concealers, there were reports they’d be available in 36 shades – which would be a great range. Of course, 21 is still a decent amount when you consider some brands don’t venture beyond 10 but the more the better. Especially for people at the ends of the spectrum.

This is even more impressive when you think that these concealers are under a fiver!

The good news, though, is that by sticking to 21 shades in the UK, each of the concealers matches directly with The Ordinary’s Serum foundation shades, so if you already know your shade in the foundation range, you can just buy like-for-like in the concealers.

If you don’t know what shade you need, check out our guide on how to find your perfect foundation match online and in-store.

The Ordinary

The concealer promises full coverage and is said to contain colour pigments suspended in The Ordinary’s proprietary ‘spreadability system’. The company claims that this means the coverage is both full, while being natural, and the colour is more even.

It also is lightweight enough not to gather in the fine lines under your eyes.

We’ve ordered The Ordinary Concealer in 1.1P. With both these concealers, as well as The Ordinary’s range of foundations, the number represents how light the foundation is and the letter represents that particular foundation’s undertone.

So 1.1P is Fair with Pink Undertones. By comparison, 1.0N is Very Fair with Neutral undertones, 1.2Y is Light with Yellow undertones – all the way up to 4.1R Deep with Red undertones.

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Victoria Woollaston-Webber

Victoria is founder and editor-in-chief of mamabella, freelance journalist and Mum. She has a passion for empowering people to feel beautiful whatever their age, size, skin type and budget

The post The Ordinary concealer range is finally on sale in the UK: Shades, price and where to buy appeared first on mamabella.

How to use concealer on mature skin

Victoria Howe — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 07:00:26 +0000

As we age, the makeup techniques we used when we were younger no longer work like they used to; it’s not possible to cake our eyes with thick products as seen by influencers on YouTube and Instagram.

As early as our mid-20s, our skin tone changes, fine lines and wrinkles appear and what looked great in our youth can often now look out of place. Our tastes change too, and this is especially true when it comes to choosing the best concealer for mature skin.

In the latest in our Ask the MUA series, Victoria Howe, owner and Chief Makeup Artist at Victoria Howe Make Up reveals how to prepare your base and the best way to apply concealer on mature skin. You can also follow Victoria’s looks on her Instagram page, @victoria_howe_makeup.

How to apply concealer to mature skin

1. Prepare the skin

Getting your skin ready for any form of makeup is absolutely key and nowhere is this more important than around your eyes.

The skin around, and particularly beneath your eyes is thinner than anywhere else on your face and this makes it more prone to breaking down, becoming fragile and losing its elasticity. It’s also missing any form of soft tissue, such as fat or muscle, that’s found below other parts of your skin and this increases the chances of it sagging and sinking.

With this in mind, it’s vital to use a good eye cream that contains retinol. If it contains vitamin A and C, peptides and hyaluronic acid then even better but fundamentally you just need a cream that ensures your under eyes are soothed and hydrated.

At the cheaper end of the scale, the best eye cream we’ve used is L’Oreal’s Revitalift Pro-Retinol Anti-Wrinkle eye cream, which costs around the £10 mark. If you’re willing to invest in a more expensive brand, Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Eye Rescue is a fantastic investment.

2. Choose a lightweight liquid concealer

If you have mature skin, it’s best to choose a hydrating, lightweight, liquid concealer. Try to avoid thick, cream concealers or anything gloopy as this will only draw attention to the areas you’re trying to conceal. Think more “serum” than “moisturiser” when considering your concealer’s consistency.

While you may think a cheaper concealer, which is typically thinner in consistency, would be best it’s a false economy because cheaper makeup doesn’t last as long as more expensive brands. This means you may end up applying more product to begin with, or find yourself reapplying throughout the day. You then end up buying twice the amount for the same price as a long-lasting, more expensive concealer and could end up spending more over the course of a couple of months.

With this in mind, we highly rate MAC’s Studio Waterweight Concealer. It costs £19.50 for a 10ml bottle and while this may seem a lot, you only need a tiny amount meaning the small bottle lasts a very long time. We’re currently up to 11 months of the same bottle using it most days.

3. Selecting the correct shade

The shade of your concealer is really important.

You want to highlight and brighten up your eyes, so pick a shade that’s one lighter than your natural skin tone and it will bring out the natural highlight in your face, where the light hits.

READ NEXT: How to apply foundation like a pro

For the rest of your skin, keep with a shade that is exactly matched to your natural shade. We’ve detailed some tips on how to determine your natural shade in our How to apply foundation like a pro article, and explained the types of skin tone in our science of foundation explainer.

4. Avoid fine lines and wrinkles

Completely avoid putting concealer on any lined areas of your face, such as smile lines or crows feet. Adding product to these areas will do the opposite of what you want; they serve only to highlight and enhance these areas further, rather than blending them away.

5. How to apply multiple layers

In our How to apply foundation like a pro guide, we explained the importance of using a damp beauty sponge to apply your base but when it comes to concealer, the rules are slightly different. To get the best results, and great, even coverage, apply your first layer of concealer with a dry sponge and wait for the concealer to dry.

You can then apply the second layer with a damp sponge.

6. Blot and set

Once you’ve applied your concealer to the areas of your face that need it, while it’s still slightly wet and tacky, take a thin sheet of tissue paper and gently blot over the area. This will remove any excess.

Don’t rub the skin, especially not the delicate skin beneath the eyes, as this will remove or smudge any product you’ve added. Instead, tap the tissue gently onto the areas and then set with a setting powder straight away.

A setting powder, as opposed to finishing powder, works to smooth out your concealer, preventing it from creasing and helping it last longer.

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Victoria Howe

Victoria is Chief Makeup Artist and founder of Victoria Howe Make Up. After graduating from The Academy of Freelance Makeup in Soho two years ago, Victoria now owns and runs her own studio called The Beauty Barn in Havant specialising in helping women of all ages feel beautiful

www.victoriahowemakeup.co.uk/

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Best concealer: Discover which concealer is best for your skin

Libby Mewes — Fri, 22 Apr 2022 10:39:04 +0000

If your foundation doesn’t quite give you the coverage you need, or you have problem areas you need to cover, choosing the best concealer is worth taking the time to get right.

Concealer is used for more than just covering spots or blemishes. It can brighten your skin, create clean lines for eyeshadow or when contouring, and it’s perfect for when you want to get rid of dark circles.

READ NEXT: How to apply concealer

Confusingly, there are hundreds of shades and formulations designed for different skin types, not to mention a wide range of prices.

To help you find the concealer best suited to your needs – from the best concealer for dark circles to the best concealer for acne – we’ve handpicked our favourites below which cost from as little as £4.

Best concealer

Editor’s Pick/Best concealer for oily skin: Glossier Stretch Concealer – £15
Bargain Buy/Best all-rounder: Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer – £4
Luxury Buy: IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Breakout – £27
Best concealer for different skin tones: NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer – £24
Best for mature skin: MAC Studio Waterweight – £19.50
Best for plumping your skin: Charlotte Tilbury Magic Away Liquid – £24
Best concealer for oily skin: NYX Professional Makeup Can’t Stop Won’t Stop – £8
Best for acne-prone skin: Benefit Boi-ing Industrial Strength – £18.50
Best concealer for dark circles: Clarins Instant Concealer – £22.50
Best all-day concealer: Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra-Longwear – £25
Best hydrating concealer: Revolution Pro Ultimate Radiant Under Eye Concealer – £8

1. Editor’s Pick: Glossier Stretch Concealer

£15 | Buy now from Glossier

Glossier

Why we love it: “A concealer inspired by skin” Glossier’s Stretch Concealer leaves a much sought-after dewy yet undetectable finish. It’s hypoallergenic, fragrance and cruelty-free and is ideal for the most sensitive of skin types. This concealer is buildable, flexible and nourishing, too, while coming in at just £15. This is why it’s our Editor’s Pick.

Buy now from Glossier

2. Best concealer on a budget: Collection Lasting Perfection

£4 | Buy now from Boots

Collection

Why we love it: Don’t be fooled by the low price of this concealer, it is absolutely full to the brim with quality. It’s a sure-favourite with bloggers because of its long-lasting lightweight finish that covers any blemish with ease. This product also comes in a wide range of shades, and on the best (or worst) of days it won’t come off with a little sweat and/or a few tears.

Buy now from Boots

3. Best luxury concealer: IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Breakout

£27 | Buy now from Cult Beauty

IT Cosmetics

Why we love it: Designed with the help of cosmetic surgeons, the Bye Bye Breakout from IT Cosmetics is a spot treatment and concealer in one. Perfect for acne-prone skin, this camouflage doesn’t crack, dry out or budge all day. It’s also infused with effective spot-fighting ingredients, such as witch hazel and kaolin clay, age-defying peptides and hydrolysed collagen, oil-absorbing zinc oxide, tea tree, sulphur and a gentle complex of alpha and beta hydroxy acids. Combined, this formula means that – much like a lot of IT Cosmetics products – this makeup can also double-up as a form of skincare and get rid of blemishes rather than just hide them.

It’s available in six colours, which isn’t a huge selection but there should be something for almost everyone, particularly because concealer doesn’t have to as closely match as foundation does. These options include Deep, Fair, Light, Medium, Rich and Tan.

You can pair this concealer with the fantastic IT Cosmetics Better than Your Skin CC+ cream. Despite being called a CC cream, this is more than adequate enough as a foundation. It’s buildable, lightweight and looks after your skin as you wear it. Read more about it in our best foundation guide, or in our guide to the best multi-purpose makeup. It really can replace your primer, foundation, moisturiser, CC cream and more!

Buy now from Cult Beauty

4. NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer

£24 | Buy now from NARS

NARS

Why we love it: America’s best selling concealer, this liquid concealer from Narsissist does exactly as its name suggests. It has a luxurious, creamy texture and a long-lasting, glow-inducing finish. It is packed full of goodness, and comes in an impressive 30 shades. It can also be used to highlight and contour the face meaning although you’re spending a little more on it compared to others in this list, it’s better value for money and more versatile.

We love the creamy texture of this concealer and being so creamy makes it easier to blend into the skin. It works well when blending with a makeup sponge or fingers. A little goes a long way with this. There is an instant lift and brightness on the under eye area. The skin around our under eye is dry and this concealer does not sit in the dry areas around the eye, we also like how this concealer is buildable too. It doesn’t have any issues with any setting powder too and we have to say a little goes a long way, it may not be the best to cover any blemishes but it does a fantastic job of lifting and brightening the under eye.

FURTHER READING: Best foundation

Buy now from NARS

5. MAC Studio Waterweight

£19.50 | Buy now from MAC

MAC

Why we love it: If your skin is showing signs of fine lines or wrinkles, MAC’s Studio Waterweight is perfect for giving you fantastic lightweight coverage. It’s much more watery than others in this list (hence its name) but it performs as well, if not better than some of its thicker counterparts, especially on mature skin. Its handy pipette helps control how much product you use and it blends effortlessly into the skin with just one coat.

READ NEXT: How to apply concealer to mature skin

Don’t be put off by the small bottle, you get a lot of value for your money with this product because you only need to use a single drop. Seriously, a tiny dot of this concealer is more than enough to brighten the skin under your eyes, onto your cheeks and your nose. We’ve had bottles of this last for more than a year and counting and go everywhere with it due to its handy travel-size.

Buy now from MAC

6. Charlotte Tilbury Magic Away Liquid

From £24 | Buy now from Cult Beauty

Charlotte Tilbury

Why we love it: Unlike others in our list, the Magic Away Liquid from mamabella favourite Charlotte Tilbury comes in wand form for both ease and precision. It has ingredients to lift, plump and soften any type of skin, leaving you looking airbrushed and ready for anything. This concealer is particularly effective around the eyes but can blur the most irritating of imperfections and works particularly well when paired with Charlotte’s Magic Foundation, which features in our best foundation list.

This concealer does have quite a thick texture so won’t suit mature skin or people with fine lines or wrinkles quite as well and we’d recommend blending it with a brush, as opposed to a beauty blender to get a better finish.

Buy now from Cult Beauty

7. NYX Professional Makeup Can’t Stop Won’t Stop concealer

£8 | Buy now from Cult Beauty

NYX

Why we love it: This lightweight liquid matte concealer claims to last for an almost unbelievable 24 hours, keeping your face blemish-free through any occasion.

It works effectively at keeping the oily T-zone at bay and comes in 24 waterproof, transfer-proof shades. NYX Professional Makeup has made this product for those of us always on the move and who don’t want to have to stop to retouch makeup.

You can read more about why NYX Professional Makeup is one of the best affordable makeup brands around in our Brand Spotlight.

Buy now from Cult Beauty

8. Benefit Boi-ing Industrial Strength

£18.50 | Buy now from Benefit

Benefit

Why we love it: If you’re looking for a concealer made of tough stuff, this is the one. Benefit’s medium to full coverage Boi-ing concealer is perfect for the days you need that extra push to get out the door. It’s most effective as an under-eye cream, but with a brush can be just as powerful on those irritating spots and blemishes.

If you do find the texture of this concealer a little much, yet still want to stick with the Benefit brand, we also recommend the Boi-ing Airbrush concealer. It’s softer and lighter without sacrificing too much on coverage.

We love Benefit makeup here at mamabella. So much so, it features in our best cheap makeup list.

Buy now from Benefit

9. Clarins Instant Concealer

£22.50 | Buy now from Feelunique

Clarins

Why we love it: Clarins Instant Concealer is a worthy rival to MAC’s Waterweight range in terms of lightweight feel and great coverage. A tiny amount of this concealer goes a very long way and because of the way it’s tinted, it offers correction for, and has been created with dark circles in mind. all types of dark circles.

Whereas some concealers can look cakey under the eyes, or are too bright making it looking noticeable, the fluid texture of the Clarins Instant Concealer blends flawlessly into the skin and smooths the eye contour area. We were recommended this by a mamabella reader and haven’t looked back since.

Buy now from Feelunique

10. Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra-Longwear

£25 | Buy now from Cult Beauty

Laura Mercier

Why we love it: This concealer is designed to give your skin a warm glow. It lives up to its name by truly delivering a flawless finish, effortlessly smoothing out the skin below the eyes into the rest of the face. This product is also especially hydrating, making it perfect for dry skin. The shades are divided into categories, cool, warm and neutral, making it even easier to find the right match for you.

Buy now from Cult Beauty

11. Revolution Ultimate Radiant Concealer

£8 | Buy now from Revolution Beauty

Revolution Pro

Why we love it: The absolute perfect budget creamy hydrating concealer that brightens and colour corrects around the eye area is a work of art! This comes in 14 shades and these are based on the undertone of your skin. It gives great coverage to conceal dark circles, and the texture is creamy and blends beautifully. We love that it contains hyaluronic acid to give the boost of hydrating under the eyes. With the help of niacinamide and vitamin C this can really boost the skin’s complexion. It also gives a lovely, healthy, dewy finish being a creamy concealer. We like that it doesn’t sit in fine lines or dry areas around the eye.

You don’t have to use a lot, one sweep with the applicator is enough to blend in, it is also buildable to, if you feel that you need just that extra coverage.

Buy now from Revolution Beauty

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Libby Mewes

Libby graduated from Bournemouth University with a degree in Multimedia Journalism. She’s worked as a researcher and writer for Heart Radio as well as a features writer for a Somerset newspaper. She’s since taken time out to travel, manage a hotel restaurant, do a lot of dog walking, and now works in London’s West End

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Best concealer for acne: From Tarte to Revolution and Maybelline, cover those spots and blemishes with ease

Victoria Woollaston-Webber — Thu, 20 Aug 2020 16:18:29 +0000

Blemishes, spots, zits, pimples. Whatever you call them, breakouts are annoying and frustrating and covering them up can feel even more so. This is where the best concealer for acne comes in.

When looking for a concealer to cover spots, it can be tempting to go for the thickest you can find. The problem with this is that it can sometimes draw more attention to the breakout, can clog your pores and, unless you match the tone correctly, can make matters worse.

What’s more, people with breakouts tend to have oily skin – this isn’t always the case, but the two usually go hand-in-hand – and this means the coverage and formula also needs to last. It can be minefield.

To help you out, we’ve tried and tested various products to uncover what we consider to be the best concealer for acne and our resident makeup artist, Victoria Howe, recently revealed her top tips on how to get rid of spots fast with failsafe makeup tricks.

We’ve also previously handpicked the best foundation for oily skin and the best BB cream for oily skin.

Best concealer for acne

Editor’s Pick: IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Breakout – £27
Budget Buy: Maybelline FIT Me Concealer – £5.99
Luxury Buy: Tarte Shape Tape – £23
Best concealer for full coverage: Revolution Pro Full Cover – £5
Best concealer for scarring: Jeffree Star Magic Concealer – £21
Best concealer for colour correcting: NYX Professional Concealer Jar – £6
Best concealer with skincare: bareMinerals Blemish Rescue Spot Concealer – £24
Best concealer for tattoos: Kat Von D Lock It – £21

1. Editor’s Pick: IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Breakout

£27 | Buy now from Cult Beauty

IT Cosmetics

Why we love it: Designed with the help of cosmetic surgeons, this absolute wonder product from IT Cosmetics is a spot treatment and concealer in one.

Perfect for acne-prone skin, this camouflage doesn’t crack, dry out or budge all day. Infused with effective spot-fighting ingredients, such as witch hazel and kaolin clay, it’s also as much skin care as it is makeup.

Which goes some way towards justifying its high price.

Buy now from Cult Beauty

2. Budget Buy: Maybelline FIT Me Concealer

£5.99 | Buy now from Superdrug

Maybelline

Why we love it: For this price, it’s hard to find a concealer better for spots than this bargain from Maybelline.

We’re big fans of the FIT Me range, generally, and this concealer leads the pack.

Its gel-based formula doesn’t contain any oils or waxes, meaning that your skin will also thank you for it later when there’s no more makeup-induced breakouts, plus it’s light enough for mature skin and the delicate eye area.

Buy now from Superdrug

3. Luxury Buy: Tarte Shape Tape

£23 | Buy now from Tarte

Tarte

Why we love it: When it comes to the best concealer for acne, it doesn’t get much more full coverage than Tarte’s iconic Shape Tape.

It’s easy to blend, lasts all day and is filled with nourishing ingredients. What’s more, it’s become a go-to favourite among influencers and makeup artists alike because it’s guaranteed to cover up redness, dark circles and spots.

It also comes in loads of shades, which means that you shouldn’t struggle to find your perfect match. You can read more about this in our guide on how to find the perfect foundation match.

If you’re keen on trying Tarte’s Shape Tape, the brand also sells one for your body. Designed to cover up varicose veins, age spots and more.

Buy now from Tarte

4. Revolution Pro Full Cover

£5 | Buy now from Beauty Bay

Revolution

Why we love it: If you’re after coverage on a budget, you don’t need to look further than this little beauty from mamabella favourite, Revolution.

A little goes a long way and this baby, from what we consider to be one of the best cheap makeup brands around, hides everything from blemishes to birthmarks and even tattoos.

It comes in 18 shades and caters for all undertones.

Apply with a small synthetic brush for the most precise application and blend with a damp sponge. For even more staying power, set with a loose powder and finish with a spritz of setting spray. You’ll be amazed.

Buy now from Beauty Bay

5. Best concealer for acne scarring: Jeffree Star Magic Concealer

£21 | Buy now from Beauty Bay

Jeffree Star

Why we love it: This one is the perfect all-rounder, particularly if you’ve got scarring but it is quite thick, so it’s worth building up to the coverage you want.

We love using the peach shade underneath our foundation to hide darker marks and scars, and we combine it with the green shade to hide any current redness.

If you need any extra coverage or even highlighting, this concealer comes in shades for the fairest of skin tones and the deepest, so you’re covered for finding those perfect highlight and contour shades.

FURTHER READING: Best CC creams

Buy now from Beauty Bay

6. NYX Concealer Jar

£6 | Buy now from NYX Professional

NYX Professional

Why we love it: This small jar sure does pack a punch.

Creamy and pigmented, the NYX concealer blends like a dream with either a sponge, brush or even your fingers.

It’s available in more than 30 shades to cater for a number of skin colours and, what’s more, for those nightmare breakouts, opt for the green colour correcting shade, which will minimise that redness – just make sure to apply this before your foundation.

FURTHER READING: Discover which colours suit your skin, eyes and hair with our guide to colour theory and makeup

Buy now from NYX

7. bareMinerals Blemish Rescue Spot Concealer

£24 | Buy now from Feelunique

bareMinerals

Why we love it: Formulated with a host of great skincare ingredients, this concealer for acne goes a long way in actually treating those spots, rather than just covering them up.

It uses salicylic acid to hydrate the skin, mushroom stem extract to sooth the sore spots, licorice root extract aims to help minimise and fade any scarring, while kaolin clay helps to reduce shine and mattify your skin.

It comes in a handy pencil-form, so you can be sure you’re targeting the right parts of your face. Plus, it comes with a built-in sharpener, so you’ll never go without!

Buy now from Feelunique

8. Kat Von D Lock It

£21 | Buy now from Debenhams

Kat Von D

Why we love it: For those of us who like to be 100% sure a product is vegan and cruelty-free, look no further than Kat Von D.

Used by the artist herself to cover her tattoos, you know it’s got coverage, but the bit we like the most is the applicator.

Modelled off Von D’s paint brush, it means the narrow tip can get into hard-to-reach places or precise spots, while the base can be used to cover bigger areas, such as your under eyes, in one sweep.

Buy now from Debenhams

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Victoria Woollaston-Webber

Victoria is founder and editor-in-chief of mamabella, freelance journalist and Mum. She has a passion for empowering people to feel beautiful whatever their age, size, skin type and budget

The post Best concealer for acne: From Tarte to Revolution and Maybelline, cover those spots and blemishes with ease appeared first on mamabella.

There’s now a concealer for your body to hide varicose veins, dark spots, tattoos and more

Victoria Woollaston-Webber — Wed, 25 Mar 2020 21:17:03 +0000

A tube of Tarte’s regular Shape Tape concealer is sold every 12 seconds, according to the company. It’s rated extremely highly among influencers and beauty bloggers for its flawless coverage and even has its own menu on the Tarte website’s navigation bar.

We’re currently in the process of putting the original Shape Tape to the test, to see if it makes the cut for our best concealer page (spoiler alert: it’s good!), and we’ll update you once we have a final verdict. In the meantime, the company has launched a version of Shape Tape for your body.

READ NEXT: How to get rid of dark circles under eyes fast

That’s right, Shape Tape Body concealer can be used to get rid of varicose veins, spider veins, dark spots, uneven skin tone, scars and birthmarks, blemishes, and more. Tarte even claims it can cover tattoos effectively. It’s not cheap, with a £33 RRP, but that’s cheaper and less painful than surgery we guess…!

We honestly believe every body is beautiful with or without these marks but we’re also about boosting confidence, so we’re pleased to see a product that gives people more options. However they feel about their bodies!

Buy Shape Tape Body now

Tarte

Inspired by the original concealer’s formula, Shape Tape Body is water-resistant and promises full coverage. It contains nourishing maracuja, Vitamin E and antioxidants to actually treat and brighten skin while you wear it.

Tarte’s Shape Tape Body is sold with a soft mitt that helps you easily apply the concealer to a large area. This mitt is similar to the kind of mitts that are used for self-tanning, which makes sense as Shape Tape Body can be seen as a form of temporary self-tan that you can wash off at any time.

Tarte

To apply, use the mitt to apply to the areas you want to conceal and blend. It’s absolutely key that you match the Shape Tape Body concealer to your skin tone – or as close as possible – and you *may* need to conceal your entire lower leg, for instance, to get even skin tone. Depending on what you’re covering up. It comes in six shades – Fair, Light, Medium, Tan and Deep – and you can read more on how to determine your skin tone in our foundation match article.

Shape Tape Body comes in a relatively small tube (125ml) so we’d assume – hope – that a little goes a long way. For some reason (and we’ve asked the company for more information), Shape Tape Body isn’t available via the UK version of the Tarte website but it is on sale via QVC in the UK. It does appear on both sites in the US.

Buy Shape Tape Body now

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Victoria Woollaston-Webber

Victoria is founder and editor-in-chief of mamabella, freelance journalist and Mum. She has a passion for empowering people to feel beautiful whatever their age, size, skin type and budget

The post There’s now a concealer for your body to hide varicose veins, dark spots, tattoos and more appeared first on mamabella.

How to get flawless skin: A top makeup artist reveals the secret to a perfect base

Victoria Howe — Tue, 04 Feb 2020 15:22:22 +0000

Knowing how to get flawless skin when applying your makeup can make a world of difference to your finished look.

It does take a little more effort than just wiping on foundation with your fingers, but the extra time spent getting your skin ready will not only enhance your look, it will help your makeup stay put for hours – saving you time touching it up during the day, and saving you money on using more makeup than you need.

Our resident makeup artist Victoria Howe has already let us in on the industry secrets around hiding spots and blemishes, applying concealer to mature skin and how makeup can be used to reduce the appearance of dark circles, and in the latest in our Ask the MUA series, Victoria reveals how to get flawless-looking skin every time.

READ NEXT: How to apply foundation like a pro

Victoria is founder and Chief Makeup Artist at Victoria Howe Make Up and you can follow her stunning looks on her Instagram page, @victoria_howe_makeup.

1. Don’t skip on skincare

Do not underestimate the value of prepping the skin when it comes to achieving clear-looking skin. A simple cleanse, tone and moisturise will work wonders for achieving a flawless base, and it doesn’t need to break the bank either. In our best cleanser, toner and best moisturiser lists we’ve handpicked our favourite skincare brands for those of us on a budget.

If you don’t have time or the budget for all three, we recommend you at least treat yourself to a moisturiser to hydrate and protect your skin.

Top tip: Always wait 15 minutes between moisturising and applying makeup to give you skin time to absorb the products.

2. After the prep comes the prime

There are hundreds of primers on the market. Smashbox – a brand often credited with bringing the first professional primer to the masses – has 16 types of primer for different skin types and needs, and that’s just one brand. This shows just how vital beauty experts consider the primer stage to be.

Yes, using a primer adds an extra step, but we promise you it will make the whole process of applying the rest of your makeup easier, enhance your look and make it last longer.

Put simply, primers re-texturise and even out the skin’s texture. Some primers can also help balance your skin’s tone, too. We recommend using different primers for different skin conditions – hydrating primers are best for dry patches, for example, and silicone primers are ideal for open pores and fine lines, however, if you can’t stretch to multiple primers, buy one based on the biggest concern you have about your skin. Whether that’s a mattifying primer for oily complexions or one with a built-in SPF.

Spending the time on this step will help create a blank canvas for every other product that follows.

3. Bounce products into your prepped and primed skin

As we explain in our How to apply foundation like a pro article, bouncing foundation into the skin with a damp beauty blender or cosmetic sponge is a favoured technique among makeup artists. Brush application has its place, but it’s largely used for photographic makeup that can be retouched. You get a whole load more product on the skin if you use a brush, and even-ing it out and losing the fine brush strokes is hard work!

4. Use concealer sparingly

There is no need to cake your face in concealer. It can leave your skin looking clogged and create an opposite effect of drawing attention to problem areas rather than disguising them. Conceal only in the areas that need more coverage.

Avoid the outer ‘v’ of the eye area – there is little need for concealer there and it will always settle into fine lines and crows feet, so it creates much more work and much more frustration.

Do concentrate concealer around the inner ‘v’ of your eyes, though, and use it to target dark circles under the eyes. It’s also useful when used around the nose, when covering pimples and blemishes, and reducing redness.

Top tip: Concealer around the lip line will help to prevent your lipstick from bleeding.

5. Set your look

A step that’s often skipped is setting your makeup. This involves first using a setting powder followed by a setting spray to “melt” the layers of makeup together and sink them into your skin creating flawless-looking skin. Urban Decay’s All Nighter Setting Spray (£26) is a popular favourite, as is the e.l.f Makeup Mist and Set spray (£4.50).

You could also opt for a Korean beauty hack called Jamsu, which involves submerging your face in a bowl of cold water to set the makeup in place, but a setting spray is an easier, less messy choice!

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Victoria Howe

www.victoriahowemakeup.co.uk/

The post How to get flawless skin: A top makeup artist reveals the secret to a perfect base appeared first on mamabella.