Still Struggling To Conceal Acne, Dark Circles and Spots?

24 Jun, 2025

By Valda Noble

Have you ever got frustrated when you’ve tried to cover up a pimple with concealer – but are still seeing some redness peeking through? Or you never seem to really hide those dreaded under-eye circles or dark pigmentation marks?

There is a very simple trick that all makeup pros use to correct this. It’s all about the magic of opposite colours on the colour wheel cancelling each other out - just by using colour correctors on the blemish or mark before you apply your concealer and foundation. A red pimple will be cancelled out by using its opposite colour green. And those under-eye circles and dark marks will disappear if you counter them with yellow, peach or orange.

But a good concealing makeup job is not only about colour correcting. It’s also about using the best skin-toned concealer for your skin type and concern. Different types of concealers can either cover blemishes, pimples and dark spots, lighten and brighten under-eye circles, or hide bad acne, dark marks and scars.

There’s actually an art to applying your colour corrector and concealer properly to get a perfect cover up without any uneven patches, cakiness or show through. It also has to work together with your foundation to give you the even skin tone and flawless finish you’ve always wanted.

Find out what the different types of concealing makeup do (and for what) as well as some tips to help you apply concealers to really work for you and your skin - plus the best concealers you can find instore…

Different Types of Concealers And Their Uses

Many of us are guilty of just grabbing and dabbing on just any skin-toned concealer and hoping for the best. But there’s a lot more to what concealing makeup can do than just that. Different concealer textures are suited to different skin types, and using the wrong one can actually exaggerate certain skin conditions.

Liquid concealer: Best for normal, oily/combo, sensitive and acne-prone skin.

This type is the most versatile as it offers light to medium coverage, is buildable and suited to most skin types (except dry). It’s a best for covering up pimples - and is less likely to settle in those creases under your eyes or clog pores.

Some liquid concealers include light reflecting, illuminating particles which are by far the best for dark undereye circles, but be aware can draw unwanted attention to acne or dark spots.

How to use: Apply a liquid concealer either with a concealer brush, or use your ring finger to lightly tap and dab the product onto your skin. Your ring finger is the ‘weakest’ so would be less likely to drag or stretch your skin.

Stick concealer: Best suited to normal, dry and sensitive skins.

Coverage tends towards medium to full so a stick concealer is not always suitable for oily/combo skins as it tends to clog pores. Best for red spots, acne scars dark marks, and other blotches you want to hide.

How to use: Dot or swipe on a stick concealer and lightly tap it in with the edge of your ring finger. Otherwise, use a stippling or concealer brush in an outwards feathery tapping motion.

Cream concealer: Best for normal, dry, combination, or sensitive skin.

This also provides medium to full coverage and is most likely to be found in a palette or pot. It is one of the best options for covering discolorations and colour correcting (think acne scars, under eye circles and dark marks), and also for red inflamed pimples.

How to Use: Apply by lightly tapping the concealer into the skin using the tip of your ring finger or a stippling brush. Your ring finger is the weakest of them all and therefore less likely to pull or drag the delicate skin around the eyes.

How to Use Concealing Makeup

The basic rules of using concealers are to apply your colour corrector first, followed by your foundation, and finish off with a skin-toned concealer.

Colour Correct:

Colour-correcting makeup uses colour theory principles to neutralise unwanted tones before you apply your foundation so that you will ultimately have more even-looking skin.

Most of us will need a little bit of help covering up pimples, blemishes, dark spots and marks, skin discolorations or under-eye dark circles, which means some form of colour correcting before you apply your foundation and basic concealer.

Some of us may have dull skin and need to colour correct to brighten up our skin tone. Still others have dark pigmentation marks or acne scars which require a total cover up.

Apply Foundation:

Once you have colour corrected, apply your foundation. It’s best to avoid a heavy hand so you don’t destroy all your colour correcting work.

Choose a flat ended foundation brush so you can lightly tap on the foundation at right angles to your face. Otherwise lightly tap it all over your face using your ring finger (the weakest so it’s the gentlest on your skin).

Cover Up:

We also all need a basic skin-toned concealer to blend seamlessly over our foundation to even out our skin so we can achieve that ultimate flawless finish. Choose one that blends well with your underlying skin tone (a warm olive/yellow, cool red/pink or neutral). For darker marks and scars, opt for a cream concealer as it will give you better coverage.

Many beauty experts recommend one shade lighter than your skin (so it doesn’t look muddy when applied), but this can sometimes highlight the very problem you are trying to solve. It will definitely work by lifting your eyes but you don’t really want to highlight that pimple – do you? In this case, rather match a concealer as close to your skin tone as possible.

The bottom line is that unless you have perfect skin (lucky you!), you’ll probably have to invest in a few different concealers. Sounds complicated? It’s actually not that hard – you just need to know which colour corrector and concealer are best for which condition and you’ll have your skin sorted in no time.

Here’re some of the best of the different types of concealers available at drugstores…

Best concealers for colour correcting.

Yes, these concealers are green, yellow, peach, orange, pink and lilac. And, yes, you will want to put these little miracle workers on your face.

The basic rules are mint green to cover anything red, including acne and pimples; yellow, peach or orange (or an orange-red lipstick if you have a darker skin) for dark spots and under-eye circles; lilac to lift a yellowish tint, and pink to neutralise light spots and perk up skin.

See our full inside story on how to decode colour correcting for all skin problems and skin tones.

The basic rules of using concealers are to apply your colour corrector first, followed by your foundation, and finish off with a skin-toned concealer.

Our colour correcting concealer product picks:
- LA Girl Pro Concealer - Colour Correctors in Orange, Yellow, Green and Peach.
  With a creamy, yet lightweight texture and a convenient brush tip applicator, their top selling colour correctors camouflage dark circles under the eyes (orange for dark skin; yellow for light skin tones), reduce redness (green), and eliminate dark marks and hyperpigmentation (orange for medium/dark skin; peach for lighter tones).
- Essence Conceal Like A Pro Colour Correcting Palette. With its four colour-correcting shades, this colour correcting palette makes all imperfections vanish! The soft, creamy concealers have an instant effect: Green neutralises redness, yellow evens out pigmentation, red covers dark circles and violet ensures a radiant complexion! You can't do better than that!
- Catrice Allround Concealer Palette. A whole palette of options for the girl who wants convenience in one package and always look great. With this set of five shades, it’s easy to even out small skin irregularities (beige shades), cover dark shadows under your eyes (pink shades) and conceal redness (green shade). And application is super easy thanks to the creamy texture.
- Catrice Liquid Camouflage High Coverage Concealer in peach offers full coverage to hide imperfections, dark circles and blemishes. Has a deep orange tone which is also suitable for a darker skin, and offers long-lasting coverage for up to 12h and even covers tattoos.
Read More. Colour Correctors Are Your New Insta-Filter When Concealers Are Not Enough

Best concealers for dark under-eye circles and brightening.

Under-eye concealers are the best way to cover up dark circles and disguise any signs of late nights (or very early mornings).

The skin under your eyes is very delicate so the best concealer for this area will be feather-light but still good enough to cover up shadows, as well as smooth out any fine lines. Many under-eye concealers have light reflecting particles to help open up and brighten the entire eye area.

Our product picks:
- Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Concealer instantly creates a radiant, refreshed looking eye area. This super-concentrated treatment concealer is Infused with goji berry and Haloxyl™ and features a micro-corrector applicator to help instantly erase dark circles and fine lines.
- Catrice Under Eye Brightener - Bye-bye, dark circles! A pink concealer cream specially developed for the under-eye area and enriched with hyaluronic acid and shea butter. The result: a fresh, alert look and a radiant complexion.
- Revlon ColorStay Skin Awaken 5-in-1 Concealer to erase, perfect, brighten, hydrate and refresh skin. 5 in 1 easy ways to look more awake for 24-hours. Infused with Caffeine + Vitamin C to depuff and brighten while delivering a boost of freshness.
- Essence Correct And Conceal Under Eye Brightening Concealer with a medium to high coverage that will leave your under-eye area looking fresh and smooth. Thanks to the aloe vera, it also gives your skin the care it deserves.
Under eye circles can be a real challenge for some of you and may need a little more to help to reduce them. Here’s some cool 30-second exercises which can help lift and brighten those eyes.

Read More. Desperately Need to Remove Dark Circles and Puffiness Under Your Eyes? Here’s How

Best Concealers For Acne, Dark Spots And Marks

Much like an under-eye concealer, these ones need to even out your skin tone while covering any blemishes or redness. The only difference? You don’t want the lightening and brightening effect. When you’re aiming to hide the redness of a pimple or dark spots, you definitely don’t want to attract attention to the area. So look for a concealer without the brighteners.

There are a number of options which are perfect for hiding the odd pimple or other imperfections. If you have oily skin that needs coverage that won’t slip throughout the day, or you’re looking for a melt-proof concealer for summer, opt for a long wear concealer such as Revlon Colorstay.

Once you have applied your colour corrector and foundation, the best way to apply concealer onto a pimple or dark spot is to layer some onto a thin flat pinpoint brush, dab directly onto the spot, and lightly tap and blend.

Try avoiding rubbing it on with your fingers as it tends to either disappear or go on unevenly which just emphasises the bump. However if you prefer to use your fingers, then lightly dab it on with the ring finger as this is the weakest and so will be less likely to pull or drag the skin.

Our product picks:
- Maybelline Fit Me Concealer – oil-free, matt formula for a flawless, natural looking finish suitable for all skin types. A breathable formula perfect for concealing redness, blemishes, and undereye circles.
- Yardley Oatmeal Blemish Stick 2in1 – a stick which both conceals and helps treat pimples and dark spots thanks to tea tree oil and oat extract.
- Revlon Colorstay Full Cover Flex Wear Concealer – our go-to long wear cream concealer for a 100% full-coverage finish that’s comfortable, breathable, and transfer-resistant. Infused with Hyaluronic Acid to hydrate + Vitamin E to nourish skin as it conceals imperfections - from redness to undereye circles for up to 24HRS.
- L'Oréal Infallible More Than Concealer – a multipurpose ultra-long wear formula for blemishes, dark circles and uneven skin tone with full coverage finish and a lightweight feel.
- Yardley Liquid Concealer– another multipurpose concealer which is a high cover liquid to crème concealer, ideal to correct imperfections, cover blemishes and to contour.
- LA Girl's HD Pro Concealer is crease-resistant, long wearing and very purse friendly.
- Best Concealers For High Coverage & Camouflage
  
  For when you need a little more than the coverage a light cream offers, then these concealers are for you.
- Black Opal Total Cover Face & Body Concealer. A high-pigment concealer which effectively covers acne, hyperpigmentation, blemishes, scars and other imperfections.
- Catrice Liquid Camouflage is an ultra-covering high pigment waterproof liquid concealer with a matt finish. Instantly covers dark circles and shadows under the eyes as well as any blemishes and dark marks (and even tattoos) thanks to its high-coverage.
Read More. Natural No-Makeup Makeup: The Savvy Girl’s Guide to Dewy Fresh-Faced Skin

How to Apply Colour Correctors and Concealers

The process is simple and a lot easier than you think, even if you’re a beginner. The main rule to remember is to colour correct your skin before you apply your foundation and only after this, dot on and blend in your normal skin-tone concealer to finish your skin off to a flawless finish.

Prep your face with your usual moisturising and priming routine.

To start, use complementary colour correcting concealer colours to cancel out the unwanted blemishes and tones on your face and wait for the magic to happen.
- To cover up the redness of a pimple or flushed cheeks use a mint green colour corrector.
- For those stubborn blue under eye circles, dark marks or veins on your cheeks, apply a yellow or peach colour corrector.
- A yellow or peach however may not be good enough to counteract bluish under eye tones on darker skin. In this case, it's best to use an orange or orange red colour corrector (or if you can’t find, use lipstick instead).
- If you have a light skin and your under-eye circles or blemishes are not too dark, try a pink colour corrector to brighten up all those uneven patches on your skin.
- To help reduce a yellow tinge and brighten up your skin, use a lilac colour corrector.
When applying, use a light touch with a small blending brush to avoid any colour peeking through once you’ve added your foundation and concealer. You just want to neutralise the unwanted colour tone on your skin so just stick to the exact problem area you want to cover up, and not the surrounding skin as many You Tubers do.

View Video. Color Correcting DOs + DON'Ts
- Next, apply your foundation with a light patting or stippling motion so you don’t rub off or smudge the colour corrector underneath. Use a flat-topped foundation brush or a beauty blender.
- Even out your skin tone by patting on a skin-toned concealer onto the dark inner corners of your eyes and any other problems areas on your face. For the best results, choose a colour one shade lighter than your skin for under eyes and a close skin match for any other blemishes.
  
  Again, do not rub and apply the product sparingly – you don’t want big globs of product beneath your eyes which will crease, or a thick uneven layer on blemishes which will just draw attention to them. The key is to blend it in lightly, preferably by tapping and stippling with a small concealer brush – and blend again. Did we mention blend?
- Set your makeup with a light dusting of translucent or banana powder, or use a fixing spray. It’s not a good idea to use a shaded powder as this can lead to creases and cakiness under your eyes and on your face.
Read More. The Ultimate Pro Guide: Tips On How To Apply Foundation Perfectly

See how beauty vlogger and makeup artist Heidi Hamoud does a perfect cover up in this step-by-step tutorial.

View Video. HOW TO: Cover Dark Circles + Flawless Foundation