Is Your Concealer Looking Ashy? Here's Why!

How do I keep my concealer from turning gray?

Have you ever applied concealer to find it looked ashy instead of bright and smooth?

There are many reasons why your concealer might look grey.

We all know that a good concealer is an essential step to complete any makeup look. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to fix this ashy look.

Concealers might separate or make your dark circles look worse, so by following some simple steps; you can get a flawless look that can last all day!

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How Do You Make Your Concealer Not Look Ashy?

Choose the Right Shade

A good concealer brightens up the undereye area, which makes us look more awake.

However, sometimes the concealer can make the skin look grey and ashy.

The main reason why this happens is that your concealer is too light for your skin tone.

Using a concealer two or three shades lighter than your skin tone might cause your under-eye area to look greyer.

If you have dark circles or an uneven skin tone, then it’s best to stick with a formula that’s one shade lighter than your skin to brighten up the under eyes.

There are many reasons why your concealer or foundation can look grey. Using a concealer that is too light for your skin tone makes your under-eye area look very pale, which isn’t the most flattering look. It makes you look older than you are, not in a good way.

On the other side, choosing a dark shade can make your concealer look orange and dark.

Tip: Mix your concealer with foundation to get a darker concealer shade. You can also mix moisturizer and concealer to get sheer coverage.

Find the Right Undertone

Your skin tone is the first thing to consider when shopping for a new concealer. Choose a concealer with the correct undertone for your skin.

Warmer skin tones should look for a concealer with yellow or orange undertones, while cooler skin tones should use a concealer with pink undertones.

What Is the Difference Between Skin Tone and Undertone?

Skin tone is the surface tone of your skin, and it’s the color you read on foundations such as light, ivory, or beige…

Undertone is the muted color that is beneath your skin’s surface.

Learn how to know your undertone with this simple guide:

WARM UNDERTONE	COOL UNDERTONE	NEUTRAL UNDERTONE
the base tone of your skin is yellow or gold	the base tone of your skin is pink, blue, or red	a mixture of both warm and cool

The easiest way to find your undertone is to check your veins. If they tend to be blue or purple, then you have a cool undertone.

If they are more on the green side, you have a warm undertone.

If they are a mixture of both green and blue, then you have a neutral undertone.

Another hack to find your undertone is to test which jewelry looks better on you. If gold jewelry suits you the best, you have a warm undertone. If it’s silver, your undertone is cool. If both look good on you and you don’t notice a difference, then your undertone is neutral.

Color Correct

If your concealer is still looking ashy, that means you might have very dark circles that are showing through your concealer. To fix this issue, you might need a high coverage concealer or a color corrector. To know more, check the difference between concealer and color corrector.

Tip: if you have very dark circles, choose a concealer with an orange tint. It will help color correcting and concealing dark circles at the same time.

Many full-coverage concealers are available on the market. This bestselling liquid concealer helps to brighten the under-eye area while hiding dark circles.

It has a thick formula, and a little bit goes a long way, so you only need a tiny amount.

Full-coverage concealers might look heavy under the eyes, so you need to prepare your skin very well before makeup application.

Hydrating the under-eye area is an essential step before applying a full-coverage concealer.

Use a lightweight eye cream like this banana bright Eye serum with vitamin C.

It helps to hydrate the under-eye area, and it has an orange tint that helps to conceal dark circles.

If you have dry under eyes, you can use an eye sleeping mask like this one formulated with avocado. It also has glycerin and helps improve the look of the uneven under-eye area.

If nothing is working, try a color corrector…

We usually prefer to apply fewer layers of products on the eye area, but if you’re still getting an ashy look, you can try color correcting. Use a color corrector underneath your concealer to help to hide the skin’s discoloration. Peach, salmon, or orange color correctors work best to hide dark circles.

Many brands offer color correctors for the under-eye area. This peach color corrector helps to minimize the look of dark circles. It has a very pigmented formula that is also long-wearing.

A little bit goes a long way with this product, so you only need a tiny amount. Dab it gently with your fingers and blend it with a sponge for a seamless look.

Tip: You can cook the concealer on the skin for a crease-free look.

When applied incorrectly, concealer can make your eyes look smaller. Make sure to blend the concealer seamlessly for a flawless look.

Read More: Concealer Vs BB Cream

How to Correct the Ashy Look of Your Concealer?

A quick and simple hack to correct the grey look of your concealer is to apply peach powder over it. This can add warmth to the concealer, which helps correct the ashy look.

Choose a finely milled powder that doesn’t look heavy under the eyes.

If you have warm undertones, pick a shade with an orange peach tint like this Peach Perfect Mattifying Setting Powder. If you have cool undertones, pick a salmon shade with a pinkish-orange undertone like this fair loose powder from the drugstore.

Final Thoughts: How Do I Keep Your Concealer From Turning Grey?

The solution is simple! Prepare your skin for the makeup application, and choose the right concealer shade and undertone.

Be sure to hydrate the under-eye area before applying concealer to ensure no dryness or flakiness, which can lead to creasing and settling into fine lines later during the day.

Choose a lightweight under-eye cream and dab it gently under your eyes using your fingers. Wait a few minutes, so the cream gets absorbed by the skin, and then apply your concealer.

Define your undertone and choose a concealer that’s one shade lighter than your skin tone. Blend it using your fingers or a damp sponge.

You can also set the concealer with a finely milled powder to make it last longer. You can use a light banana powder for fair skin tones and a regular one for light to medium skin tones.

If you are still experiencing any issues, try using a primer underneath your concealer, which helps everything to stay put throughout the day.

Why does your concealer look ashy

How do I keep my concealer from turning gray?