Latoya Grindley, Staff Reporter

A blemish-free, flawless skin is what many women strive to achieve. And while some are blessed to have beautiful skin, there are others who have to put in twice as much work to get this ultimate beauty goal.

While some may opt to get prescribed medical treatments or engage the services of a plastic surgeon to correct problem areas, many women shy away from the more radical approaches, preferring instead to camoflauge and or conceal.

Foundations and concealers when used properly are a must-have in a today's woman's arsenal of beauty products. Flaws to be minimised and hidden include age spots, dark spots, uneven skin, redness and puffy eyes, and dark circles under the eyes.

These beauty defensive products can give medium to full coverage, depending on the state of the skin. The perfect corrector can even out skin discoloration and 'erase' blemishes.

Well known professional makeup artist Paul March shares with Flair that the techniques used are dependent on the flaw(s).

He noted that, for example, when a complete look with high-coverage is desired, a foundation is used first and where unevenness or discoloration is seen, a matching concealer should be applied.

"The concealer should definitely match the foundation so that they blend together to result in an even smooth and clean effect," noted March.

And on an ordinary day for someone who has relatively good skin, a matching concealer and powder are good enough to result in an even skin tone.

"If the person has say 80 per cent clear skin, she doesn't have to use foundation. She can use a concealer which matches her complexion to create an even skin tone," the make-up artist said.

Another problem area for many women is discoloration under the eyes. Caused by varying factors, March highlighted that the dark circles tend to have a blue undertone and the correct shade of concealer should do the trick in covering it.

"With the blue undertone, a concealer with an orange tone is the best choice. With orange being the opposite of blue, the blue undertone found in the dark circles will be cancelled and neutralised," March said.

For this method, the concealer is first applied to the dark circles and then evened out with the use of foundation.

When deciding on a concealer, March said price can really determine quality. And so what you pay for is really what you get in results.

There are also some noticeable features that are attributed to concealers made of high quality.

"A good concealer should have a nice, smooth, buttery feel which glides on when applied," highlighted March.

A worthwhile investment, March noted that there is much to gain by always including it in make-up kits. "You never know when you might just need to cover up something, even if you have relatively good skin."

latoya.grindley@gleanerjm.com

Great concealers

Maybelline Fit Me concealer

It's colour guide makes it easy for you to choose the right match once you know your number. It also glides on smoothly.

Coastal Scents Como Quad concealer

This concealer comes in a compact with four different colours. This is a plus as you can combine colours to get the best use out of it.

Avon's Anew Age transforming concealer

This blends really well with dark skin tones and it doesn't come with any of the yellow found in other brands, and is a little easier on the pocket when compared with others.

Extra Help concealer by BeautiControl

This has a great natural finish and comes in three great colours.

Bobbi Brown Face Touch-up stick

This is a great pick. The colours are light and blend perfectly, and a liitle does the job. It also works well when paired with any other foundation.

http://www.mightybeauty.com