Are wrinkles, age spots and dark circles making you look older than you feel? Blemishes got you feeling like a teenager again...in the worst way? Listen up! Laura Mercier reveals the best cover-ups in makeup—foundation, camouflage and concealer. Hide your little imperfections and allow the natural, youthful you to show through!





Foundation Fundamentals
Are you still using foundation all over your face, even to cover your flaws? Take off your mask of foundation and uncover the best use for this classic makeup item.



Camouflage Dos and Don'ts
Put your biggest flaws undercover with one of Laura's secret weapons—camouflage makeup. It's specially designed to hide your imperfections for hours on end.



Keep Your Eyes on Concealer
How is concealer different than foundation or camouflage makeup? The answer is in your eyes! Foundation Fundamentals
Do you use foundation all over your face or to cover any imaginable flaw, from wrinkles to blemishes? If so, Laura Mercier is here to tell you that you're making a mucho makeup mistake. Read on to learn the dos and don'ts of foundation.

Dos

• Do use foundation to even out your skin tone. Applied properly, foundation will help your skin look consistent in color and smooth.
• Do apply foundation only "here and there," just where your skin appears red or uneven in color.
• Do apply foundation by dabbing a bit on key areas and blending it with a damp sponge in a downward and outward motion.

Don'ts

• Don't cover your entire face with foundation like a mask.
• Don't use foundation to cover blemishes. Pimples are oily and slick, so foundation will slide off.
• Don't use foundation to cover wrinkles. It'll sink into the wrinkle, making it look deeper.

You've got foundation covered. Now find out how to hide blemishes, age spots, spider veins and scars Camouflage Dos and Don'ts
"You don't have to be a genius painter to cover age spots [and other facial imperfections]," says makeup artist Laura Mercier. All it takes is a little camouflage makeup and a small makeup brush. Laura says camouflage makeup is thicker and drier than foundation, so it's a much more powerful, longer-lasting cover for imperfections.

Dos

• Do cover pimples with camouflage makeup. The thick, dry formula will stick to oily pimples without looking clumpy or sliding off quickly.
• Do use camouflage to cover age spots, scars and spider veins. It's thick enough to smooth over bumpy flaws and conceal unwanted redness or scarring.
• Do dip a precise, flat makeup brush in your camouflage makeup and apply the camouflage with small, featherlike strokes.

Don'ts

• Don't use camouflage around your eyes. Camouflage is heavier and drier than concealer. It is, therefore, too harsh for the delicate skin around the eyes. If you don't have concealer, however, Laura says to blend camouflage with an eye cream to cover dark circles or spider veins around your eyes when you're in a pinch.
• Don't use camouflage all over your face. Only use it to cover and touch up problem spots.

Now conceal dark circles and spider veins around your eyes. Keep Your Eyes on Concealer
Concealer might sound like the answer to all your facial flaws, but it's actually not. Makeup artist Laura Mercier says many women don't realize that concealer should only be used under your eyes.

That means, don't put concealer anywhere else on your face! It'll either disappear easily or look greasy or clumpy. Laura says it's more emollient than camouflage makeup, which can be used anywhere on the face except under the eyes. Concealer is formulated to go under the eye on thin, translucent, dry skin. It covers dark circles and fills in fine lines, and it also moisturizers and doesn’t pull on the delicate skin in that area.

Dos

• Do cover dark circles under your eyes with concealer.
• Do cover spider veins around your eyes with concealer.
• Do apply concealer with a small, flat brush under your eye with featherlike strokes.

Don'ts

• Don't apply concealer to pimples because it looks goopy and may slide off due to the oiliness.
• Don't apply concealer other than under your eyes.

Learn more about the the best ways to cover up your facial flaws.