Concealing 5 o'clock shadow... advice?

[This Wreckage]

As I've had no facial hair removal yet, my cheeks show a bluish tinge no matter how closely I shave. Someone recommended from personal experience using a colour corrector, in their case Mehron CreamBlend sticks which are a theatrical makeup product. How do others choose a shade for foundation and treatments like this one? I don't want to visit a local beauty counter under false pretences, and there are a lot of different shades which look suitable. Also any general advice on concealing that shadow would be gratefully received.

[VickySGV]

Brick red lip stick under your foundation does an adequate job. A foundation labeled as a tattoo concealer will also work very well. 

[Jupiter]

Having indian herritage in me I get a 5'oclock shadow about 5 seconds after the closest shave its possible to get, which is extremely annoying.   Basically as Vicky above has noted, you need to nutrliase the blue with another colour on the reverse of the spectrum which is why reds/oranges are always pulled out as a suitable colour corrector.  Lipsticks and lip liners are the easiest methods but you need a light one, and it can be enough to just put it on your finger and smear it over sometimes depending on the brand.  

 

You can also use stuff like dermablend and see if it works for you (I think they sell it in Boots now).

[VickySGV]

39 minutes ago, Jupiter said:

Dermablend

 

This is the brand name of one of the Tattoo concealers I recommended above.  It is available in many skin tones. 

[KathyLauren]

On 3/18/2023 at 12:12 PM, This Wreckage said:

I don't want to visit a local beauty counter under false pretences

 

There are no false pretences involved.  I asked a trans friend to accompany me to the cosmetic counter of my local drugstore.  Someone with experience with cosmetics will be able to help you match your skin colour.  My friend was just there for moral support.  The sales associate was invaluable for doing the colour matching.  She was very pleasant and helpful and had no problem at all helping a trans customer.  Most will be like that.  They know that a first-time buyer will be getting more than $100 of cosmetics, and they don't want to lose the sale.  So it is in their interest to be nice.

 

These days, after quite a lot of electrolysis, a regular foundation works well, with a little bit of blush over it.  Back when I had more facial hair, I'd use a theatrical concealer.  Basically the same stuff but with more pigment so it is opaque.

[VickySGV]

9 minutes ago, KathyLauren said:

 

There are no false pretences involved. 

 

I agree fully with that.  I overlooked that part of the earlier post.

[Nicole D]

I found that visiting a dedicated beauty chain (in my case sephora, not sure what stores you have in UK) on a weekday morning when there were few people around was a very pleasant and helpful experience. The staff were all very friendly. I was dressed as a man and it was understood that i was buying makeup for myself, and nobody batted an eyelid. The woman who helped me did a color match and suggested products. This was a dedicated store and not in an open plan department store setup like Macys, so that made it a lot more comfortable. I didn't buy color corrector but I think they would probably be able to suggest one. Hope this helps.

[stveee]

FWIW when I have to wear concealer under foundation on a few days post-laser, silicone primer smoothes things so everything doesn't look caked on as much too. I was suprised how effective it was, you only need a small bit.

[Betty K]

I use Nars Radiant Creamy Colour Corrector in a peachy orange tone, but I have also used cheaper brands and brighter oranges and thought they worked fine.

 

As to buying make-up dressed like a man, I used to buy it at the supermarket and use the self-serve aisle to scan it, but I have also walked brazenly into an upmarket make-up shop in broad daylight and... no-one batted an eyelid. We care way more about these little perceived transgressions than most anyone else does. You'll be fine.

[Birdie]

I'm doing electrolysis on a battery operated home kit, and it's thinning my beard out nicely. 

What I have left is gray, so I really don't need anything more than a close shave and foundation. Most days it's powder, some bronze and white highlights, mascara, and a bit of lippy. 

 

I do roll right into JC Penny cosmetics dept and work with the SA. I'm always addressed as ma'am.

 

I'm using a 'Verseo Smooth' electrolysis device, but I use it only once a week because I have sensitive skin (recommended 3 times per week). 

I started on my face only and avoided under the chin to do a comparison.

 

I can run the back of my finger up my face and feel where I have and haven't treated, so it's slowing working. 

[Sally Stone]

If you look at a color wheel, orange is directly opposite blue.  To neutralize one color you are supposed to use the color directly opposite on the color wheel, so orange tends to be the best choice for blue beard shadow.

 

 

My regimen for applying foundation is to apply just enough orange concealer to make the blue disappear.  How much you apply depends on how dark your shadow tends to be.  Once the concealer sets, then it is important to apply the correct shade of foundation, one that matches your natural skin tone.  Foundation needs to be the full coverage type to hide the orange underneath and it you may  need to build the coverage slowly until the orange tone is covered.  Even when using full coverage foundation, I have found the results come when you slowly build the coverage in very light layers.  This prevents the foundation from looking caked on or unnatural.  

[KayC]

After reading this thread previously - and concerned about my mustache shadow - I tried a reddish-orange lipstick (lightly applied) and that worked pretty good. 
But the best thing I found was an orange colored Burt's Bees lip balm.  It's light enough but color matches the orange-ish tinge on @Sally Stone's chart. 

I put a Maybelline flesh-toned eraser/concealer on top of that, and then my normal foundation.  It lasts most of the day.

[Rachel Searching]

I used to use a dedicated orange colour corrector, however it was ludicrously expensive, so switched to a red or orange lipstick which works fine. I hope to get to eventually have my facial hair removed, so researched IPL products and found one which they said works on male facial hair, which is apparently hard going for an IPL. It's a Lumi and although it's taking a long time, I have definitely noticed a decrease in my facial hair growth and now only need to colour correct above my upper lip. It works on body hair much quicker, the only downside is that it doesn't work on grey hairs so they still grow at the same pace and it requires a colour difference between hair and skin, lighter skin with darker hair being the best combination.