Makeup 101: Bobbi Brown’s 3 Tips for Choosing Concealer

— -- How important is the use of concealer in a woman’s makeup regimen?

Makeup guru Bobbi Brown, the editor in chief of Yahoo Beauty, said it’s essential.

“I think concealer is the secret of the universe,” Brown said during an appearance Friday on “Good Morning America.” “If you do one thing only … you have to wear concealer.”

She added: “If you don't have the right concealer, the rest of your makeup isn't going to work."

Brown – who was on “GMA” as part of the Yahoo Your Day collaboration – offered three tips for choosing the right concealer. But first, it’s important to understand the purpose of concealer.

“A lot of women think it's to conceal a blemish. It's not,” she said. “The only thing you do with concealer is lighten dark circles and brighten up under the eyes. Because if you're going to put it on something on your skin, it's too light, it's going to make your spots stand out.”

Concealer is only meant to be used under and in the inner corners of the eyes to lighten the area under the eye, she said.

The Tips
1. Pick a concealer with a yellowish tone.
"Most of us have yellow tones in our skin … you need a concealer that has a little bit of yellow in it, not pink,” she said. “If you go lighter, it might look ashy … you want something that lightens and brightens under the eyes, but doesn't get rid of them artificially. And if you're going to do something white, it's not going to work."
2. Select the right shade.
“You can't have a concealer that's too light,” she said, adding that women should choose concealer that’s one to two shades lighter than the color of their foundation. “One to two shades … the right color blends itself. It makes a big difference."
3. Make sure your concealer has the right texture.
The concealer should be creamy – not greasy or dry, Brown said.
“And you also have to make sure you put a little bit of eye cream on first,” she said. “The correct way is put eye cream on first, then apply your concealer. And if you use a concealer brush, it really gets a nice amount of concealer there. Because then you want to blend it into your skin. Then you set it with a little powder. And then it's good to go.”
Women can also use their fingers to apply the concealer, Brown said.