A Celebrity Makeup Artist's Concealer Hack For A Natural, Fresh Face

For some, even a lightweight, natural-looking foundation can feel like too much of a lift. However, going in with just concealer can oftentimes leave behind sporadic light patches, making your complexion look even more uneven. 

Using different shades of concealers is no rare strategy for the pros. Sometimes you need a lighter shade to highlight certain regions or mask under-eye circles, or you might grab a richer concealer for contouring purposes. 

"Take a concealer and just do some tiny little spots around the face on any areas where there's a blemish, redness, or discoloration," Hughes says. Use a featherlight pressure, then build with more dots if need be. 

"I call this pinpoint concealing," Hughes says. "It's not my technique; it's been around for a very, very long time. I'm just the messenger," she jokes. It's true—this method may not be new, but it's certainly different from the large under-eye triangles and long-stroke concealing we've seen in the past. 

Hughes follows this concealer routine with blush, using red lipstick on the end of a blush brush. This step will help add the natural flush back into your face, which, contrary to how it might seem, will help the whole look appear even more natural. 

After that, Hughes goes in with a light brown lip liner and a rust-colored lip. This step will add more definition to the lips and prevent a washed-out look. It's not an essential step for everyone, but if you're hoping for a full, "no-makeup" makeup routine, well, Hughes has you covered.

If you've struggled to find a complexion routine that actually appears invisible, try pinpoint concealing. With a light hand, add a tiny dot of concealer on any blemishes, red areas, or discoloration. Blend it in with a big eyeshadow brush and finish the look off with blush, mascara, or whatever you see fit.