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Every time I use a concealer, it never seems to make a difference. Am I doing it wrong?

 
Concealer is one of most useful products you can have in your makeup bag, as long as you know how to use it! Here are a few tips for foolproof application.
Choose the best color for the job
Before you use just any concealer, consider what you are trying to cover. A flesh tone concealer is great as a foundation replacement for small areas you’d like to cover, while color correcting concealers (yellow, green, mauve) hide discolorations on the skin like dark purple under eye circles or red blemishes. Color correcting concealers can be tricky to use, but it helps to at least understand how they work. Yellow or yellow-based concealers are designed to cover dark blue or purple under eye circles (the yellow “cancels out” the blue/purple), green is for concealing redness on the face like acne scars or birthmarks, and mauve is to correct overly yellow skin tones. Personally, I find green the most useful if you have a small red area that doesn’t get fully covered by regular skin tone concealers, like a pimple.
Timing is everything
If you are using a concealer in coordination with foundation, always apply it AFTER the foundation so you know which areas of your face need more coverage. If you apply the concealer first, it’ll just get wiped away when you blend your foundation.
Use the right tools
Apply concealer either with a clean fingertip, wedge makeup sponge or a small, square or slightly pointed synthetic makeup brush (you can find great ones at any art supply store). Start with a small amount of concealer applied in a gentle dabbing motion to the area you want to cover. Don’t rub or apply pressure. In the theatrical makeup world this technique is called stippling. Continue to dab and blend the concealer until the area is covered. If you are using a color correcting concealer, use just enough to cover the area, then very lightly apply a flesh tone concealer over the top with the same gentle dabbing technique. Carefully blend the edges into the skin so you don’t see an obvious line.
Finish with loose powder
Whether you are covering under eye circles, blemishes, or splotchy patches on your skin, always set your concealer with loose setting powder. Not only will it keep any oily shine to a minimum, loose powder sets the concealer so it will last longer and crease less. For large areas, I like to use a powder puff to press the powder into the skin, then use a large powder brush to remove any excess. On blemishes, I also press a small amount of powder very gently over the concealer either with a puff or a clean wedge makeup sponge. For under eye circles, I find concealer lasts much longer without traveling or creasing if I use my finger to press on some loose powder.