Concealer has an amazing ability to cover under-eye circles, scars, acne, and other blemishes, but its versatility goes far beyond that. The much-loved product is also one of the easiest and most effective ways to define and sculpt your facial features.

Thankfully, this technique is simple to master once you know the right products, shades, and tools to use.

Learn how to use concealer to contour and highlight your face with Clé de Peau Beauté’.

Can You Use Concealer for Contouring and Highlighting?

While concealer is a wonderful product to use for contouring and highlighting, not just any concealer will do. Makeup professionals recommend using a stick concealer that is neither too dewy nor too matte. A dewy formulation is more likely to wear off over the course of the day, while a matte one may be too drying, making it more difficult to blend into a natural-looking finish.

A stick concealer is perfect to use as a contour and highlighter for numerous reasons. Firstly, it comes with an extra-large applicator, making it easier to contour with just a few strokes. It’s also a product that comes with a wide range of different shades to suit all skin tones and undertones. Finally, a concealer's formulation is both high-coverage and long-lasting, meaning your contours and highlights are less likely to smudge or fade throughout the day.

One of the most common questions when considering this makeup application is “do you contour before or after foundation?” Contouring makeup is generally applied after foundation, as your foundation serves as the base for your entire makeup application. Concealer sticks apply directly on top of foundation and are blended out using a brush or sponge for a seamless finish.

Choose Your Concealer Shades

When using concealer to contour and highlight, you only need to choose two different shades—in addition to your regular concealer—for the perfect sculpted look.

A product such as Concealer SPF 27 comes in a wide range of colors to suit your natural undertones, making this perfect for both contouring and highlighting. With 12 shades to choose from, selecting your ideal shades is easy.

How to Choose Concealer for Contouring

To contour, you will need a concealer that is 2-3 shades darker than the natural color of your skin.

Although this should be at least two shades darker than your base, you’ll want the contouring concealer to contain the same undertones as your own—whether that’s cool, warm, or neutral. This helps the formula to blend in with your natural skin tone or foundation, giving you a more seamless look.

Some of our most popular Concealer SPF 27 shades used for contouring include Espresso, Nutmeg, Cocoa, Hazelnut, and Toffee.

Contouring allows you to add depth and dimension to the parts of your face where shadows would naturally fall, such as underneath your cheekbones. You also want to use this darker concealer to make the angles of your face pop more or even to slim down particular features. Therefore, contouring concealer is often added around the sides of the forehead, the bridge of the nose, or along the jawline

How to Choose Concealer for Highlighting

To highlight, you will need a concealer that is up to 2 shades lighter than the natural color of your skin.

Using a lighter shade allows you to conceal dark spots and draw attention to the high points of your face from where light would naturally bounce off. This includes the tops of the cheekbones and the cupid’s bow. Applying a highlighting concealer underneath the eyes can also help you to achieve a bright-eyed, fresher look

As with contouring concealer, you should select a shade that seamlessly blends in with your natural skin undertones.

Some of our most popular Concealer SPF 27 shades used for highlighting include Ivory, Ocher, Beige, Almond, Honey, Mocha, and Buff.

How to Highlight with Concealer

The first step to any makeup look is applying your base, such as Radiant Fluid Foundation Natural SPF 25, Radiant Cream Foundation SPF 25, or The Foundation SPF 22.

Then, using your highlighting concealer stick, gently glide it onto the t-zone area (the forehead, nose, and chin) and underneath your eyes. Make a ‘c’ shape from above your brow to the top of your cheekbone. Apply the concealer along your cupid’s bow and the outer corners of your top and bottom lips. Finally, glide a small amount down the center of your chin.

For greater precision, consider using the Concealer Brush for natural-looking coverage with a flawless finish. It gently applies the product to the delicate contours of your face, while minimizing friction and creating a silky-smooth look.

Then, use The Sponge to diffuse and seamlessly blend your highlighting concealer.

How to Contour with Concealer

Once you’ve successfully applied and blended your highlighter, it’s time to use the darker concealer to contour your face. Apply the product directly below the cheekbone, as well as above the top of the eyebrow. Depending on your desired look, you might also consider adding the contouring concealer along the edges of the hairline, down the outer bridge of the nose, around the temples, or under the jawline.

You can also use the Concealer Brush for greater precision when applying the darker concealer. To finalize the entire look, use The Sponge to gently blend the darker concealer in and diffuse it. The final step is to then gently press The Sponge over the areas you highlighted and contoured to absorb any excess product and give you a flawless finish.

Keep in mind that you shouldn’t see where any of the concealer shades start or stop, as each color should be a natural transition from one to the next. When applying concealer to highlight and contour, it’s also best to start with less product, rather than more. This is because it’s much easier to apply more concealer as you go, rather than remove it and start again.

Using Concealer for the Perfect Contoured Look

Using concealer to highlight and contour the face is both a quick and simple process that doesn’t require a lengthy list of products or tools. All it takes is some trusted staples, like the Concealer Brush and The Sponge, as well as the smooth and long-lasting Concealer SPF 27 in shades that are both lighter and darker than your natural skin tone.