Gen Z has canceled the makeup product you’re probably using every day: ‘Times are changing’
There’s no hiding it: This is the one makeup step that’s aging you — according to Gen Z at least.
Concealer is, apparently, on the outs, according to the young TikTokkers who have sworn off the under-eye camouflage, calling it a “game-changer” for their complexion.
While some are swapping concealer for bronzer to hide their dark circles, others have ditched the product altogether, arguing that it accentuates fine lines and doesn’t look as natural.
“I’m never using concealer again,” vowed one creator.
Even makeup artists agree that heavy-handed under-eye concealer is suffering the same fate as liquid eyeliner or skinny jeans — also canceled by Gen Z.
“I have ditched super bright undereye concealer on myself and on my clients,” Los Angeles-based makeup artist Delina Medhin told Allure, adding that “less makeup looks better in person.”
“The times are changing.”
After the pandemic and the subsequent emergence of the “clean girl aesthetic” — marked by minimal makeup, sleek style and slicked-back hair ‘dos — the rejection of dense, caked-on products seems like a natural progression.
Anita Bhagwandas, a beauty writer and author, thinks “people are fed up” with the over-filled, overdone, overly-perfect appearance touted on social media, prompting “a movement towards embracing ‘real’ skin and ‘real’ skin texture,” she told Refinery29.
And, NYC makeup artist Karol Rodriguez told Allure that people are now “questioning the true need of every product.”
“Everyone’s trying to achieve maximum impact with minimal effort,” they said. “In the same way, I don’t know anyone who wears wired bras anymore, a super bright under-eye feels a bit overdressed.”
But, because not all complexions are equal, not everyone is so quick to trash their holy grail products. For those with darker skin tones and noticeably dark under-eyes, concealer is a must, one woman, whose name had been changed to Aliyah, told Refinery29.
“This trend is a no from me. I need concealer as the bare minimum,” the 27-year-old told the outlet. “My dark circles are literally purple, and I know if I go to work without concealer everyone will be like, ‘Honey, are you okay?'”
While experts hope the san-concealer trend will inspire widespread acceptance of the nuances in skin tones and complexion, Medhin has a piece of advice for those who are still clutching to their under-eye products but want to look au natural.
“If you insist on less concealer, just put it in the inner corner in the darkest hollow of the eye and the outer corner to brighten up and lift the eye,” Medhin told Allure. “The trick here is: make sure the concealer matches your skin tone so it looks like nothing.”