Coverstick Basics

Life lesson #415 that I learned: sunscreen and make-up don't always mix. I wrote about it in my How to rock orange spotted skin post. After I eventually cleaned my face and weighed the long term effects of UV ray damage against the importance of covering zits, I reapplied my sunscreen and went bare faced. For a while.

It didn't take me long to start looking through my cosmetics bag for something else to cover my blemishes with and found my Essence coverstick in 06 Matt Ivory.

I love coversticks. They are compact and thus perfect to carry around for touch-ups during the day. They are also a cream formula which means that they give full cover over blemishes and does not oxidise which is why it was perfect for above mentioned dilemma.

I do, however, feel compelled to cover a few coverstick basics as I see too many women using their coversticks as if they are crayons.

Despite the lipstick tube format that coversticks come in, they are not meant to be applied to your skin the way you would lipstick to your lips . Because of their very heavy, creamy consistency, crayon application of your coverstick concealer is a foolproof way to make your skin look cakey and unnatural. The idea is to conceal your blemishes, not to replace it with an odd-looking splodge on your skin.

When applying your coverstick, dab a sponge or concealer brush on the coverstick tip and apply the concealer with the tool. If you don't have any of these handy, a clean finger will do. This is a good technique for three main reasons:

1. Pressing the coverstick directly onto your blemish transfers any of the bacteria on your skin to the coverstick. By contaminating your concealer, you are not only shortening the life of your make-up but aggravating your acne or zits.
2. Dabbing your tool over the blemish creates a lighter, more even application which blends into your skin or foundation.
3. You are pressing the concealer into the skin and therefore prolonging its wear, as opposed to concealer just sitting on top of the skin with crayon application.

It is also necessary to set the coverstick concealer just like you would your liquid concealer and foundation with powder.

Coverstick concealers were meant to disguise blemishes and discolouration but that does not include the blue bags under your eyes. You are sure to get heavy creasing if you attempt to use this under your eyes. Rather use a liquid concealer for your eye that is known for its non-creasing quality.

I find that it is not necessary to spend a lot on a good coverstick. Most drugstore brands' coversticks are great and inexpensive so adding one to your cosmetic collection won't break the bank. The Essence coversticks are R36.95 and you can pick up a Yardley Oatmeal one for about R59.95  at Dischem and Clicks. Just don't let their containers tempt you into lazy application.