November 4, 2016

Why I Started Applying My Concealer After My Eyeshadow

concealer-after-eyeshadow-application

I have always applied my concealer and foundation prior to any of my other makeup contrary to the many videos I’ve seen of youTube gurus applying all their base makeup AFTER their eyeshadow. Might I add, I’ve always cringed when they worked on their eyeshadow and later applied concealer. Surely, they were doing it all wrong!!!

But this is why I started applying my concealer after my eyeshadow too!

Actually I recently started applying concealer before and after I did my eyeshadow. GASP! SHOCK! HORROR! Maybe you’re already applying your concealer after your eyeshadow application! In this case, you need not read this post. But if you’re like me and believe the order of application was always base makeup prior to color cosmetics, well, here’s why I started to apply concealer after my eye makeup.

I don’t have major dark circles but my eyes are always tired look and puffy with finer lines. I’m a stomach sleeper and I realize how bad that is but I’ve tried to quit and it is damn hard! So, puffiness is a way of my life for me. I’m also a gamer which I totally believe makes my eyes look puffy and tired when I’m not blinking for hours on end. And lastly, I’m a night owl. When it’s day I want to sleep, when it’s night I’m wide awake! This doesn’t help puffiness and tired looking eyes. Moral of the story? I need to hydrate well and concealer as much as I can.

Now, everyone knows that eyeshadow fall out is a pain. A good creamy base like MAC Paint Pots or a solid primer will go a long way at eliminating fall out bu sometimes you’ll still have clean up duty after application. I really believe this fall out sometimes contributes to my problems. I tend to apply my concealer first, my eyeshadow primer, and after Benefit Lemon-Aid, and finally, I apply eyeshadow, mascara, liner, etc…after eyeshadow I sweep a little Ben Nye Banana Powder under my eyes to brighten my eyes and set my concealer. This takes care of fall out most times but sometimes darker shades will smear under my eyes and give them a dark cast which makes me look a bit undone or even tired looking.

So, I decided to go the youTube guru route and try out applying concealer after. And I couldn’t get used to it for some reason. So, what I did was I applied my concealer like normal, applied my eye makeup, and than after I applied a second lighter, sheerer application of concealer. And BAM! Suddenly, my eyes were sparkling like new. I actually couldn’t believe how visible the difference was. My fine lines practically disappeared, my puffiness was gone, and the concealer just seemed to be doing a better job all around.

If you aren’t already doing it try applying your concealer after your makeup or do what I did apply it and follow up with a sheerer second layer of concealer after your eyeshadow. I think you’ll be raving the results as much as I am! This is so my new routine!

What order do you apply your makeup in?

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Christina Pilat

    It’s funny because I’ve never actually done this but I’ve thought about and now I’m even more curious to try this. But my thing is, don’t you feel really dewy under your eyes? Especially with 2 coats of concealers? I hate that feeling like my face is melting off, so I have a hard enough time sometimes applying concealer under my eyes at all. But I think I may give this a try. I just have to alter my order of application and see.

    • Isabella Muse

      I have always, for all my life, applied my concealer and foundation before makeup! I honestly felt it would be messy applying it after I did my eye makeup. But no, not dewy at all, I use shape tape from tarte and it’s quite a satiny matte so not dewy in the least. The trick is to apply the heaviest layer first before your eye makeup, later after your apply your eyeshadow, apply the second layer very, very sheer! If you use a concealer brush there might be still remaining on the brush so you won’t even need more than that! Just buff whatever excess is on the brush under your eyes, blend with your finger, and BAM insta-bright 🙂 but keep in mine I’m dry, so dewiness wouldn’t be an issue for me no matter what formula I used! Let me know how you do!

  • blee

    I’m the same way in application- so Ill give this a try too. But I use Sephora’s foundation that is sprayed on and I put a liner of Smashbox 24 eye primer under my bottom lash line. This is where the fight of messing up my eye liner would be. I do a fine smokey liner look. I may have to do it last. 🙂

  • Zovesta

    Interesting post! I’m a side sleeper – I get eye (and bosom ;-;) wrinkles. So I feel you there. I’m not picky, if I have time to kill, I do foundation/concealer first, then color cosmetics. If I’m rushing, I apply my primer, a touch of concealer on my eyelids, then do my brows while my concealer dries, then eyeshadow. By the time I’m done with eyeshadow, my primer’s usually set. ;P I never noticed much of a difference, to be honest!

    • Isabella Muse

      Honestly, on my side I’m ok! No issues with my eyes but when I sleep on my stomach, forget it! It’s probably because you’ve always done it this way! I’m just starting to do it and my eyes are looking WHOA! 🙂

  • Kat M

    I have always done eye makeup first, just seems logical to me…especially since that’s where my focus is, so it takes at least half the time to do. Unless I do a very simple look…sigh…which never seems to happen. I always think, Oh, a little more there, add a little blue, a little pink….

  • BabyBeans

    I started applying eye shadow before any face stuff due to shadow fallout. I brush/makeup wipe away fallout and then go for the face. I just use the pointy end of my blender to carefully apply foundation and concealer right around the eye area but not into the eyeshadow. I somehow touch my face a lot while applying eyeshadow so it works for me personally. 🙂

  • zVintageFashionizta

    I always apply my eye makeup first, clean off any fallout, moisturize the area again and then I apply my concealer and Foundation.

  • Judy Ruffolo

    I have also just started this. To me it’s a little tricky though when I’m trying to conceal my inner eye.

  • Mrs C M Dyson

    Hi, I’ve been greatly helped in the puffy eye department by olay eye transforming cream.

  • Renu

    I do my eyes first because of the fallout, and because I’m clumsy enough to get my mascara elsewhere lol.

  • Jean

    I’m the same way. I’m a big stomach sleeper and have been forever and also a gamer (not lately since I have other things I need to focus on) and night owl (not since I got a full time job though). Fortunately I don’t have much under eye problems but fine lines are starting to show and minimal dark circles since a few years ago. Anyway, I’ve had the same problem with fall out where it smudged under my eye and it kept happening so like you, I started putting concealer and foundation after eye makeup. It makes it easier to rub the fallout off and cover over it. I used to struggle with concealer. Not enough didn’t cover enough and too much looked caked on and I could never get it to work right. Just last week I started using light and dark foundation to contour my face and brighten under my eye. I couldnt find my concealer so i just dropped it. So under my eye would be light foundation, a brightening contour shade and at the darkest spots, yellow corrector. It works so much better than concealer!

    • Isabella Muse

      Likewise! I haven’t had the time to enjoy a good game in a bit. Real life :-/ haha! I really need to STOP sleeping on my stomach! It’s soooo bad! I’m starting to embrace this applying concealer later method 🙂

  • Lesley A.

    Hmm. My problem is if I run out of time, eyeshadow is the thing I’m gonna skip. If I do it first, then I’m committed to taking longer because I won’t be skipping concealer and foundation. And honestly, I have not had a fallout problem, maybe because I always tap excess off the eyeshadow brush when applying.

    I do sometimes add a touch more concealer after I’m done if needed, though. That can really help. So it’s concealer either just before, or both before and after for me.

  • Honey

    Ever since I started wearing makeup in highschool (I’m now 32yrs old) I’ve always done my eyes first before applying anything else on. Afterwards, I would clean my face up with a damp face towel then apply my foundation primer and do the rest. Back in highschool I also used a creamy sheer eye pencil to use as primer before eye primers were even around! 🙂

  • Nicole

    I will try this method of concealer application out Isabella! It sounds odd to me because it is so out of order compared to the order I apply makeup now. On the other hand if I never tried anything new I’d never learn anything new! 😉

  • Bela T

    HAHA I should have known you were a night owl! Just like me! And yes I am a side sleeper and stomach sleeper so I know what you are talking about. (trust me it gets worse as you get older, just a bit of a warning no dark circles just the a bit “tired” look) I put on my foundation and my concealer let it set, do my eyes etc etc, powder after. I just started this too so it’s funny how you happened to mention this, when I’m all done, I apply a bit of concealer (ELF because it’s nice and bit watery not thick at all), after I’m done, and I had a WHOA moment as well. And since I work 10 hour shifts I noticed the concealer doesn’t fade at the 5 hour mark anymore! I don’t have to do any touchups at all, so that’s a bonus! When I do my eyes I don’t “tap off the excess” because to me that’s just wasting product and $$$ especially the high end shadows, I “trained” myself to have a light hand is all. Ok I am rambling, my coffee is kicking in, and I have tonight off, if I don’t stop this will turn into a book! LMAO!
    Talk to ya Later!!!

    • Isabella Muse

      I am SO a night owl 🙂 likewise! I don’t have super dark circles but I do look tired! OMG! I’m so happy someone else is noticing a major difference. I typically apply primer, concealer, foundation and proceed with color! The other day I was doing a really dark eyeshadow look and the clean up was a hassle and even after cleaning up my eyes looked tired! So, I took a little more concealer and brushed under my eyes and OMG made such a difference! And yes, it seems like my concealer wears longer using this method!

  • genevieve

    I always do my foundation first and then the rest of my face, with eyeshadows and concealer last. It works for me.

  • Monica

    Hello gorgeous! Have you ever tried Laura Mercier’s concealer setting powder http://www.sephora.com/secret-brightening-powder-P109911 ? It’s $25 and will last you almost a year, sets your undereye concealer, has microparticles that diffuse light away from fine lines, is completely undetectable, and makes sure that the concealer stays right where you put it all day long. I have the oiliest and most sensitive skin EVER, and it works wonders even for me!

  • VAdoglover4

    I have always applied my eye makeup before foundation for as long as I can remember. Eye makeup takes me the longest, so it always made sense for me to apply it first. I also apply my lipstick or some sort of lip gloss at the same time. I feel like having my lips on gives me a better idea of how my face is going to come together.
    However, I do add my face primer and Becca under eye corrector, so the time I spend applying my eye makeup allows to these to absorb. Once my eyes are finished, I apply my foundation and concealer, plus I find that I often use less of both.

    • Isabella Muse

      haha Stephanie! Sorry delayed reply, had a back up of comments to get to! Currently Final Fantasy XV and Dishonored 2 🙂 How about you?