Unless you have a glaring pimple or a hormonal breakout, sometimes concealer can feel like a bit of an afterthought. But that little tube of liquid can do so much more than cover up annoying spots!

Here are a few of our tried-and-tested concealer hacks, as well as a few uses that definitely aren’t listed on the box!

1. Apply it like a pro
Rather than swiping concealer in a horizontal line under each eye to cover dark circles, apply it in an upside-down triangle shape, with the two outer points at the corners of your eye and the inner point hitting the apple of your cheek. Dab it on in lines or dots and blend to cover the whole area. This technique will reflect light upward giving you instantly brighter skin.

2. Don’t waste it!
When you apply your foundation over concealer, you end up wiping away most of your hard work. Use your foundation as a base and apply concealer over it – you won’t need to use as much to cover blemishes AND you’ll get longer lasting coverage!

3. Know your colours
Concealer is not just made to suit your skin tone, you know. Most shades can be divided up into peach, green or yellow-based hues. Peach is best for hiding dark circles, while yellower shades balance out uneven skin tones. A green-tinted concealer should be the go-to choice for those prone to acne or breakouts – it’s perfect for combatting redness.

4. Run out of concealer?
Panic not! Your trusty concealer is basically a more concentrated version of foundation. If you’re stuck, apply a small amount of foundation to the skin and let it set for a minute or so before blending. Allowing the thinner liquid to dry out and thicken on your skin means you’ll get almost the same coverage as you would from a standard concealer.

5. Get lighter coverage
If you’re not in the mood to slap on a full face of make-up but just know today will be the day you randomly bump into your ex while looking wrecked and pale, throw together a makeshift tinted moisturister using a blend of your regular day cream and some concealer. The thickness of concealer means the light mixture won’t slide off your skin when applied.

6. Combat puffy eyes
Nothing is a bigger giveaway for a hangover or lack of sleep than that telltale puffiness around your eyes – but we have the solution. First tap gently across your eyelids and under your eyes to encourage movement of fluid under the skin. Then apply a mix of eye cream, highlighter and concealer under your eyes, on the outer edges and across the brow-bone. This will not only hide any dark circles but will brighten the whole area. Instant facelift!

7. Use it all over!
If you’re dying to wear that backless dress but have some less-than-glamourous “bacne,” your concealer is here to help. Lightly apply it to the spot, then follow up with some translucent powder. Repeat this process until the blemish is completely hidden. The powder holds the concealer in place so you don’t need to worry about it fading– just go and strut your stuff!