Using a concealer that’s one shade lighter than your skin tone is great for brightening the under eyes, but it’s not going to perform well if you’re going otherwise makeup-free. Your skin likely runs a few shades deeper in the summer, as your face is more exposed to UV rays on the daily, which can make a too-light concealer read flat.
Rather, it’s worth taking the time to assess your closest shade match and spot-conceal strategic areas: Use the concealer under your eyes and add a single dot of the lighter concealer at the inner corners to help brighten the area and create dimension.
As makeup artist Bobbi Brown previously told mbg, “Think about it: If you used the shade you used for your under-eyes on any other part of the face, it would make that area stand out instead of blend in. Then the color you need to match your forehead will probably be a slightly different shade than that of your cheek or nose,” she says, noting that the forehead tends to get more sun and therefore is often darker. “Just put some concealer on it and then blend it out so it matches the rest of the skin.”
