The Right Way to Apply Concealer on Your Wedding Day

Regardless of whether you’re doing a glamorous face of makeup or a simple everyday look, there’s one cosmetic product that you’re almost guaranteed to reach for: your concealer. It’s often one of the most important parts of your beauty routine, helping you cover up any acne spots, discoloration—or those dark circles under your eyes. And it becomes even more vital on your wedding day. But how do you know if you’re applying it correctly? On TikTok, many users swear by a concealer-placement technique, putting the product on just the inner and outer corners of their under-eye area before blending it in. Yet that may not be the best method to use, particularly when it comes to doing your wedding-day makeup. 

“Don't be afraid to use concealer to cover the entire under-eye area,” says Bobbi Brown, a makeup artist and the founder of Jones Road Beauty. “If you isolate the concealer to just the inner and outer corners of the eye, you're not evening out the discoloration we all have under our eyes, which is the whole reason we use concealer.” This full-coverage approach is especially critical when it comes to your wedding-day makeup. “You want to make sure your makeup looks flawless and that it looks great in every setting—for photos, video, and in person,” Brown adds. 

Below, she breaks down the right way to apply concealer for your wedding, offering tips and tricks on some of the best techniques to use for that photo-worthy look. 

Where to Apply Concealer

Regardless of whether you just had the best sleep of your life or the worst, make sure to apply the product to your under-eye area. “You should always be applying concealer to the entire under-eye area,” Brown says. Focus on the corner of your inner eye before extending the concealer to the outer end of your eye, closely following your lash line, she says. Trying to figure out the best product to purchase? Brown advises using an under-eye concealer that’s two shades lighter than that of your foundation.

However, if you want to cover up any spots of redness or bumps on your face, you’ll need a different concealer shade. “Test the shade on your cheek and pick the shade that disappears on your cheek when you test it,” Brown advises. And if you want to conceal any discoloration or sunspots, she suggests using a neutralizer before reaching for your concealer. “If you have blue undertones, you want to use a pink-based neutralizer, but if you have more yellow undertones, a peach-based shade will work best to neutralize any discoloration,” she says. 

How to Select Your Concealer

When selecting your wedding day concealer(s), you may be overwhelmed by the number of products you have to choose from. Brown recommends opting for a cream-based formula, which is often easier to control and blend. “It's also buildable, so you can continue to add more coverage throughout the day as needed,” she says. You also may want to consider purchasing a pencil concealer. “What's great about using a pencil concealer is that it's perfect for spot correction wherever you need it, and it's never messy,” Brown says. “Just go in with the pencil wherever it's needed and be sure to blend it carefully.”

A Step-by-Step Guide to Nailing Your Wedding-Day Concealer

Here, Brown offers a step-by-step tutorial on how to correctly apply concealer for your wedding. 

Step One: Hydrate

Start by hydrating your under-eye area with eye cream. Doing so will make sure your concealer lasts—and prevent that "cakey" look.

Step Two: Target Dark Spots

Use a neutralizer pencil on the dark or red areas under your eyes. Blend it in with your finger or a detail makeup brush.

Step Three: Add Concealer

Add concealer on top of the neutralizer. Blend it in with your fingers or a brush. 

Step Four: Address Other Areas

Do the rest of your makeup—except for your lip gloss or lipstick. 

Step Five: Check Your Concealer

Check all of the areas of your face (particularly under your eyes) to ensure that everything is well-blended and doesn’t have creasing. If needed, buff out any cakey area or bits of concealer that collected in your creases. 

Step Six: Powder

Set your makeup with a finely-milled face powder. Use an eye-blending brush to apply the powder under your eyes. Avoid using a heavy powder, which can make you look cakey.

Step Seven: Final Touches

Finish off your look with your lip color and gloss.