BEAUTY ARTICLE
CONCEALERS

 
Choosing the right concealer can be as difficult as choosing the right foundation.
But I'm going to show you today, how easy it really is.

Step 1. Choosing the right concealer.
When looking for the best concealer to hide away 
those dark circles, blemishes and such,
you need to remember the following:

- Your concealer should be a little lighter 
   than your foundation shade.
- It should have a buildable coverage
- Must not be drying on the skin
- Have SPF (optional)

If you're having difficulty in finding the right
shade as a concealer, try taking a small sample
of your foundation from home. This makes it easier
for you to test out products.

My top picks:
These are currently the 4 multi-winning, top concealers in the industry today.



Shu Uemura Pro Concealer:
The Shu Uemura Pro Concealer has a creamy texture, that allows it to have
flexible and buildable coverage. It also contains moisturizing emollients to
help give long-lasting results. It is available in 6 shades. 
It is the winner of Cosmopolitan's Best Of The Best Concealer Product 2008.

Laura Mercier Undercover Pot: Take me with you, everywhere.
The Undercover Pot is a travel-friendly pot which features two concealer shades
that are able to blend, helping you to create a flawless touch-up.
It also contains Laura Mercier's Translucent Loose Setting Powder which is a
lightweight, silky powder- adding a velvety finish to any make-up.
It is awarded not only for it's ability to conceal dark circles and blemishes,
but it was also praised for it's great, efficient design.

MAC Studio Finish Concealer SPF 35: Emyli's choice.
You know what's great about MAC products?
Most of them will have SPF, which is great for those who are concerned about skin.
I love this concealer. And you will find, 80% of beauty bloggers will agree with me.
It has a really nice creamy texture, that is flexible, workable and blendable.
With my Studiofix Foundation, this product makes an excellent weapon for
concealing dark circles. And with SPF 35? What more can you ask for?

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat: The light expert.
It is a multi-award winning product- a beauty cult loved by celebrities,
models, and make-up artists around the world.
This was the first ever concealer that I bought and used.
It was my greatest love, and I worshipped it.
It's a great product, that brightens up dark, dull complexions like
nothing I have seen before. It's light in a stick.
I loved it so much, that I even bought the Touche Eclat Radiant Foundation
which was made after the Touche Eclat that had become a great success.
However, I stopped using it as I felt it was a little drying to my skin,
leaving the finelines under my eyes clearly visible (and the finelines doubling up!) 
As a verdict, I think that is offers more 'brightening,' rather than 'concealing.'

The Secret.
The secret to hiding dark circles, is to work with light and shade.
Not just using one light concealer, but blending it with your own foundation.
Most make-up artists use the power of light and shade to to hide away dark cirles
and blemishes. The secret, is to add light under the shade- not on top of it.

Step 2. Concealer Tools

1. MAC Studio Finish Concealer NC30 with SPF 35
2. Make-up Sponge
3. MAC Brush 100 (discontinued but you can also use MAC Brush 150, or 188.)
4. MAC Brush 194
5. Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder 02

Laura Mercier's Secret Brightening Powder is my secret to creating brighter
looking eyes.  I use it as a setting powder over my concealer for dark circles, but you
can use it as a loose powder for all over your face.
You might not notice it, but under the naked eye and when you see yourself in pictures-
what big difference does it make! Its translucent, "lighter-than-air" powder 
gives an instant lightening and brightening boost for make-up.
When used under the eye, it creates a subtle glow, creating brighter-looking eyes.
I love it, make-up artists love it, and beauty bloggers rave on and on and on about it.


Step 3. How To Apply Concealer for Dark Circles


Before make-up- skin should be cleansed and moisturized. 
An eye cream should be applied on the eye area. 


Step 1: Apply foundation all over the face, and including the eye area. (optional)
Using a concealer brush (MAC Brush 194) take a little of your liquid foundation,
and blend it with your concealer. Take a small amount of concealer and dab lightly
under your eyes. (You can also do this on the upper lid.) As you can see from the picture,
I haven't applied the concealer directly under the lid.

Step 2: Using a make-up sponge, press gently over the concealed
areas, and sweep lightly across in quick, light movements.
Make-up sponges help to absorb the excess product, helps set and give a matte finish
to your foundation.

Step 3: Using MAC Brush 100, take a small amount of Laura Mercier's
Secret Brightening Powder, and gently sweep across under the eye to finish.



Finishing notes:
To be honest, if you have a good medium coverage foundation-
you won't even need to use a concealer.
If your dark circles are horrendous, medium coverage foundations are able to conceal them,
and only a little concealer is often needed!

Many thanks to:
www.maccosmetics.com
www.lauramercier.com
www.shuuemura.com
www.ysl.com