Buying makeup online can be TOUGH, but obviously, some products are just more difficult than others.
Making the wrong Lip and Blush color can certainly suck but nothing is more catastrophic than picking the wrong foundation or concealer shade.
The good news?
The internet is filled with resources and tools you can use to help you choose the right foundation or concealer shade online.
Lucky for you, we put together a list so you don't have to go digging in google.
Here are some resources to help you choose the right concealer shade online:
- 3 Tools To Help You Find Your Shade
- Finding The Right Concealer Based On Skin Type
- How You Use Concealer Could Impact Which Shade To Buy
- Do You Tan In The Summer? Then Read This To Find Your Concealer
- Finding Your Concealer Shade Based On Undertone
- How To Use Swatch Photos To Find Your Concealer Match
Our Online Tool For Choosing Your Concealer Shade
Our subtl stak quiz is a tool that allows you to plug in your current concealer brand and shade to find your perfect subtl stak concealer match.
Findation Shade Search Database
This is the motherload of all concealer shade finders and we.are.loving.it!
What It Is
A tool you can use to search by brand, product, and shade, which will give you a list of up to 100 different brands their products and the shades that you would most likely match.
What We Like
It's super detailed and the database is rich with information.
Finding The Right Concealer For Your Skin Type
There is an equally important consideration for finding your concealer online and that is your skin type.
The best concealer for dry skin will have a dewy finish. You’ll want to avoid matte liquid concealers and opt for a cream concealer that has a thin consistency to avoid creasing and drawing attention to flakiness. A great concealer for dry skin is the subt stak concealer. It’s a pot cream concealer that offers buildable coverage and a dewy finish that can be left as is or set with our shine control powder.
The best concealer for oily skin has a mattifying finish with oil-absorbing ingredients. That’s why so many people are in love with liquid concealers like Shape Tape and Fit Me. Liquids often offer a mattifying finish that can be easily set with a layer of powder to keep oils in their place.
Finding The Right Concealer For Your Usage (Under Eye Vs. Blemishes)
Finding the right type of concealer is all going to depend on what you plan to use it for.
For Under-Eye Coverage
If your goal is to cover under-eye/dark circles or to brighten your eye area, you want a concealer that is one to two shades lighter than your actual skin tone (and one that is more peach-based is preferred).
For example, If you matched with the subtl stak concealer in 008W for blemishes, you will want to opt for 005C for 003N or under eye coverage.
For Blemish Coverage
If your goal is to find a concealer to cover redness/blemishes, your shade of concealer should match your skin as closely as you can get it. These tones tend to be more yellow-based, rather than the peach/orange base that we recommended for under-eye concealing. If you’d like to learn more about this, we wrote a full blog post about it.
Finding The Right Concealer Based On The Season
Another thing you want to consider is the time of year and if your skin tends to change color with the season.
If you’re stocking up on concealer as you head into a warmer season, it might be best to go up a shade or two, especially if you tan easily in the sun or plan to frequent your spray tan salon.
For example, my subtl stak concealer is 003N and my Summer shade is 005C. It’s not a huge jump, but I don’t tan in the sun so Arlington is my post-spray-tan shade. If I tried using Arlington in the winter it would look mismatched.
Whether you tan a little or a lot, chances are you’re going to want to keep two shades handy as you transition into a new season.
Finding The Right Concealer Based on Undertone
Undertones play a huge role in finding your perfect shade, but trying to figure out your undertone can be a little tough. We ask you a series of questions that will help you figure out your undertones:
How Does The Sun Affect Your Skin?
“I burn really easy!” - Cool Undertones
“I never burn, I tan right away.” - Warm Undertones
Roll Up Those Sleeves, Let’s Check The Color Of Your Veins
“My veins are kinda green.” - Cool Undertones
“Eh, mine are blue, almost purple.” - Warm Undertones
“Wait, you guys can see your veins?” - Neutral Undertones
How Does Jewelry Look on You?
“I only wear yellow gold.” - Warm Undertones
“The only gold you’ll catch me in is Rose Gold, everything else is silver.” - Cool Undertones
“Idk, I wear both?” - Neutral Undertones
Finding The Right Concealer Based On Swatch Photos
A concealer swatch against a white background can look a lot different to a swatch on someone’s skin, so using swatch photos can be a great way to gauge what your shade might be. For example, we use both arm swatches and cheek swatches for our concealers.
The arm swatches are done across three different skin tones to serve as a quick reference to narrow down your choice, and our cheek swatches are across 5+ skin tones to help you identify your perfect concealer shade.
Still not satisfied? Take the subtl stak quiz