A Guide to Choosing the Right Concealer

Hey Ladies! In the past I have done blogposts on How to choose the right foundation and also the Right Tools for Applying Foundation.This next post will deal with concealers and how to choose the right one for you and also how to apply them. Hope you enjoy and find it helpful!

A lot of people are under the illusion that foundation is the way to cover up imperfections and this is why we see many girls with caked on makeup which infact draws attention to the problem areas rather than masking them. It is true that foundation does help to even out skintone and reduce some redness but for really prominent blemishes and under eye circles concealer is our skin savior. Concealers are specifically designed to deal with problem areas and when used correctly they can transform your makeup look. They are also great as they give you full coverage without having to use too much makeup.

There are TWO Types of Concealers. One for under eye and one for covering blemishes on your face.

Credited to Bobbi Brown Cosmetics

UNDER EYE CONCEALERS: These are used to conceal discoloration and dark circles. It is designed to work with the very delicate skin around the eye area. They should be light and creamy in texture. It should also be subtle and hydrating as the skin under your eye tends to be drier and thinner than elsewhere on your face. There are two types of under eye concealers. The first one is a light reflecting one which instantly brightens the area while the other is for hiding discolouration. A lot of products on the market can do both and these are the products I would recommend.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT SHADE FOR YOU: The trick is to find a concealer that is light enough to brighten the eye area and conceal your under eye circles but not too light that it will not blend with your skin tone. I would suggest getting a concealer one or two shades lighter than your own skin. In normal circumstances choosing a yellow based under eye concealer will cover discolouration and brighten the under eye.

APPLICATION: Depending on the type of product I am using I would use different application techniques. For products that come in pumps or tubes I always put the concealer on the back of my hand, this not only warms the product before application to the skin but it also allows you to control the amount of concealer you apply to the under eye area. I would recommend using a concealer brush or even your finger (be very delicate) to apply the product. If I am using a concealer wand such as YSL Touche Eclat I would apply the product directly from the wand under my eye and dab in with my ring finger. You do not want too much product under the eye as it will sit in fine lines so I would recommend multiple light applications rather than one thick application. When applying concealer apply to the undereye areas, including the inner and outer corners of the eye. You should always set your concealer with a really light dusting of powder to set the eye.

QUICK TIP: If your under eye concealer has light reflecting particles in it do not use this to cover blemishes as it will only draw attention to the area rather than covering it.

                                                                                    

                                                       

MY FAVOURITE CONCEALERS FOR UNDER EYES: Both Makeup Forever and Mac do a great range of concealers light enough to use under the eye area. Liquid Lift by MUFE is excellent and I also love Mac’s Pro Long wear(this can be used for blemishes also but make sure the colour matches your skintone if you use it to cover blemishes). Bobbi Brown's Correctors are fantastic if you have discolouraton under thr eyes. Refer to my previous post on how to treat and hide dark circles for great little tips. A cheaper alternative would be Maybelline’s DreamLumi Touche concealer wand or Collection 2000’s Illuminating Touch concealer. I am also a big fan of Maybelline's Age Rewind Concealer.

 

CONCEALERS FOR BLEMISHES ETC: These are used to cover pimples, veins, redness, broken capillaries etc. and are thicker in consistency and can often be much drier. Its recommended to try find a concealer for problematic skin if you are suffering from ache etc as they will have antibacterial properties in them which will not only cover the area but will treat the underlying problem also.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT SHADE FOR YOU: Unlike the undereye concealer this type of concealer should match as close as possible to your natural skin tone. It’s a good idea to buy the same colour or as close as possible to your foundation. Often makeup brands have the same colours in foundations and concealers which makes it easier for you to choose the right shade. If not you can use the tip for choosing the right foundation in my previous post(Link at top) .

APPLICATION: This really depends on the size of the area you wish/need to cover. The application is very similar to before. Apply the product to the back of clean hands to warm the product. Take some product up on the brush and wipe off excess. Light multiple applications is a must as otherwise you will have a very clumpy area which makes the area more noticeable than before. For small areas like pimples, veins etc. use the tip of the brush and dot or draw on the area as delicately as possible. For medium sized areas use the side of the brush and for larger areas I would recommend using fingers. This is great to cover any areas of rosacea or pigementation. When using the fingers push the warmed product into your pores with your fingers.

QUICK NOTE: If your blemish concealer is thick in consistency do not attempt to use this under the eyes as this area is too delicate and thick consistency makeup will sit in the fine lines under the eye causing the makeup to crease. This is not a good look. 

                                                                                                            

                                                         

MY FAVOURITE CONCEALERS FOR BLEMISHES: I like Revlon’s Photoready concelealer (this product is ok for use under the eye also) , Rimmel Hide the Blemish Concealer,MUFE  or Ben Nye Concealer palettes or Laura Mercier's Secret Camouflage Concealer.

So that’s all folks. I hope you found this helpful and please feel free to contact me with any questions you might have and be sure to let me know what you think of my post.
Thanks everyone and stay tuned for the next post which will be on how to choose the perfect powder.

Love Anita xxxx

October '13 Beauty Favourites

Yep another month has come and gone and because I didn't do a favourites post last month I have alot to share with you all this month so I will get straight into it.

Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation

I was and am still loving Matte skin. It just makes me so happy when my makeup stays flawless all day long. To achieve this my go to foundation was definitely Rimmel's Stay Matte Liquid Mousse. Absolutely adore this foundation because it gives great coverage and is so easy and beautiful to apply. You can read my full in depth review here.

Benefit's The POREfessional Primer

I am testing lots of new primers at the moment (stay tuned for a primer post) and so far my favourite is benefits Porefessional Primer. This claims to minimise the appearance of pores and fine lines while at the same time create a flawless canvas for your makeup to stay in place all day. I am not sure if it actually helps prevent or reduce with fine lines and pores but it definitely masks them and my makeup does definitely stay on longer when I use this. Very impressed so far!!

Urban Decay Vice 2 Palette

I got the Urban Decay Vice 2 Palette less than 2 weeks ago but I literally haven't used any other palette since getting this. It has such a huge variety of colours in it and you can create endless looks with it. The pigmentation of the shadows are amazing, they go on like cream but last so long. I just wish there were more matte shades in this palette because it can be shimmer overkill at times but other than that its great. Be sure to use a primer on your eyes to get the most from these shadows.

Gosh Growth Mascara

Staying with eyes I am loving Gosh's Growth Mascara. This makes my lashes look really voluminous and intense and doesn't smudge at all during the day. I did a review this month on this so for more info please take a look here .

Maybelline Masterdrama Eyeliner

I have been a fan of Avon's supershock gel pencil liner for years but when Avon was discontinued from Ireland I was on the hunt for a really intense black pencil liner, that looked like gel and lasts all day long. I think I may have found it. Maybelline's masterdrama eye liner is fantastic. The colour is super black and this will not budge throughout the day. I use this on my upper lid as eyeliner. I have also tried it in my waterline but it doesn't last as well there.

Urban Decay Venom Revolution Lipstick

I have been varying my lip colours a little this month. I adore Lime Crime's Lipstick in Geranium which is a pinky coraly colour but at the same time I am loving the berry lips this season and my favourite lipstick to achieve this look is either Mac's Rebel or Urban Decay's Venom. Both are really beautiful takes on this A/W trend and are definite staples in my lipstick collection for Autumn and Winter.

Karora's Express Bronzing Mousse

My favourite Fake Tan of the month has to be Karora's Express Bronzing Mousse. This gives the nicest glow to the skin without looking unnatural. It also wear extremely well and is so easy and fuss free to use. I have a full review here if you want to have a look see.

Indeed Labs Pepta-bright

I have been on a mission lately to finally get my skincare in line and to start working on my acne scarring. Indeed labs Pepti-bright has really made a difference to my skin. It is amazing to say the least. Again you can read my full review here. This is definitely my holy grail skin serum.

Pixy Lime Sorbet Shower Mousse

Finally I have been loving taking long shower or hot baths for the last few weeks now that the weather is getting colder and my two all time favourite products to help me on my way to bath time bliss are from the great Irish Brand Pixy.


For the shower I am literally obsessed with their Lime Sorbet Shower Mousse. This is a glass jar that has some semi solid product in the end and a shower puff which you wet and lift the product up then rub all over your body and it foams up to a beautiful creamy feeling foam that really hydrates, freshens and invigorates the skin. It is amazing to use in the morning time to wake up the senses.

Pixy Sensual Bath Oil

When I want to relax I reach for Pixys Bath Oils. You add a few drops to a warm bath and they tranform your bath into a luxury treat. Your skin feels wonderful after using these in your bath. Adding one of Pixy's bath bombs is great if you want that little something extra. Oh Bliss.

Well that's it for this months favourites. Thank you all for taking the time out to read my blog and please let me know what your favourite products are for October or if you have done a blogpost on these or Youtube video please leave the link down below.

Have a wonderful day
Take Care
Anita xxx

Products I Regret Buying Part One!!

I often find blogs can concentrate on reviewing products that they love. I have to admit this has been the same for me so far on my blog. I tend to pick things that I like to write about because I find it easier to review them. However, I think that often we get more information from reviews of products that people don't like simply because it will give us an insight into why the product didn't work for that person and maybe make us more cautious of buying the product in the future.

Just a little disclaimer before I begin. This blog post is my honest opinion and the products mentioned are ones which I found didn't work for me or ones that I found a better alternative product for. This doesn't mean that they won't work for you and if you have tried them and loved them please comment below this post as this will also be helpful for other readers to see who the products do work for. This post is not being in any way offensive to the brands, its simply me telling my readers what I would not buy again.

So lets begin....

I am a big fan of the Macadamia Deep Repair Mask. This leaves my hair super soft. However, the same cannot be said about their Rejuvenating Shampoo and Moistuirizing Rinse Conditioner. These products did nothing at all for my hair. They made my hair greasy and I felt like no matter how much I rinsed my hair it always felt like there was still product left on my hair. I couldn't style my hair properly afterwards either. Definitely didn't like these products.

I bought a Mally set from QVC over a year ago and the kit contained a face primer, eye gel and eye primer. I liked the face primer and I used up all the eye gel but I really didn't like the eye primer. It says to apply this under your concealer to make it last longer and keep the skin hydrated. All this did for me was make my concealer crease and eventually disappear from my under-eye. Mally in general is a great brand but this product just did nothing for me.

Another eye product which I bought and didn't feel stood up to the claims was Boots Botanics Hydrating eye cream. As the name suggests this is supposed to hydrate the eyes but it didn't do this for me. I didnt see any difference in my eye area after using this product and I used almost the full tube.

It's all about eyes for me in this post so far and another one to add to the list is Clinique's all about eyes (rich formulation). This claims to help diminish the look of dark circles, fine lines, shadows and puffiness. I have used this for a long time now and really have not seen any of the above improvements.

Now on to some makeup....

Everyone and their mother seems to love the Collection 16 Hour Wear concealer and I did love this for awhile last year but for some reason this year it just isn't doing anything for me. If I apply it under my eyes it makes me look like I have 90 year old wrinked eyes and if I apply it to a spot I feel it just cakes over the spot and makes it look more obvious. For me their are much better products on the market than this one.

For a while everyone in the blogging world raved about the Chanel Soleil tan de Chanel Bronzing Makeup base so of course being the addict that I am off I went to Chanel and spent a ridiculous €40+ on this bronzer. When I got it home I was happy enough with it and did use it. I would have a relatively sallow complexion but this is a little too orangey on me. I also don't like the way it is such a hard consistency. This means you have to really work your brush into it to get some product out and then your brush bristles end up getting stuck in the product.....not a good thing at all. To be honest its not the worst product but for the price I would have expected something amazing. I have found a much cheaper and in my eyes a much better product in the Boujour bronzing primer. You can read my review on this beauty HERE.

I trained as a makeup artist with Makeup Forever and am a massive fan of their products. Their foundations for me are second to none. So on a trip to top up on some kit essentials I decided to try one of their liquid highlighters. I bought the Uplight Face Luminizer Gel in Shade 22. The girl in the shop said it looked great on skin over foundation or mixed in with a foundation. I tried it both ways and when I layered it on top of foundation it was very intense looking and almost glittery looking and when I mixed it with foundation it just made my skin look oily and way too shiny. Also this product seemed to go off very quickly. After awhile it began to smell funny and broke my skin out very bad. This was over €30 so I definitely regret buying it because I didn't get much use out of it.

Bobbi Brown bronzers have been a favourite of mine for over a decade and on my trip to IMATS in June I decided to pick up one. The makeup artist there recommended I bought shade Medium 2. I thought this was fine because I used this shade previously but when I got it home and tried it it was completely the wrong colour for me. It was very dark and had a red tonne of it which is not suitable for my skin tone at all. I was watching a Youtube video and one of the girl I am subscribed to who is much darker than me had the exact same problem as me. So I included this bronzer in this blog, not because the product isn't good but because the shade they recommended for me was totally wrong. I would recommend the bronzers in general but just be very careful what shade they give you.

I love the look of bright undereyes and so was very excited to try the Bare Minerals well-rested eye brightener. The idea of this is that you can use it alone or over concealer under the eyes to make your eyes appear brighter. This really did not work for me and I tried it every way possible. It dried out my under eyes and made my fine lines much more visable. I have heard other people rave about this so it may be worth a  go but I just didn't like it at all.

MUA (Makeup academy) do some really great product at very reasonable prices but one product I have tried that really didn't work for me is the Brush-On Concealer pen. This claims to hide under eye discoloration and blemishes on the face. I tried it for both and it did neither. It is too watery and thin to give any amount of coverage.

Another Makeup Forever product that I wasn't too happy with is the Aqua Eyes pencil in 0L Black. This is a waterproof eyeliner and I have to say it does last all day. My main problem with this eyeliner is the colour, it is almost like a dark grey colour rather than a carbon black colour. Really not what I was expecting from this pencil. I wouldn't purchase this again because I believe there are alot of other much cheaper and much better products on the market.

Another eyeliner that I bought which I was let down on was the infamous Mac Blacktrack Fluidline. Don't get me wrong its not a bad eyeliner but when compared to the likes of Inglot's gel liner in No 77 it really doesn't stand up to the challenge. It is not as long wearing or as dark as the Inglot or other liners on the market. I definitely will use this on myself for everyday use but wouldn't repurchase it because I know there are better alternatives.

I also do not like the e.l.f Cream eyeliners. They are not very strongly pigmented and they dry out super fast. Not my favourite e.l.f product at all.

I always loved Hypnose mascara by Lancome and purcahsed this a few months back. It just didnt give me the same wow factor as before. With this mascara you can build up layers to create more impact. I found with one coat my lashes just looked darker and when I began to build it up it would add slightly more volume but the mascara would clump. Again this won't be a repurchase for me and I have tried many other mascaras which for me work much better.

Another mascara I am just not pushed on is Maybelline's the Falsies. It did nothing for my lashes and really didn't make them look like I was wearing fake lashes. In general I like Maybelline mascara's but this one was not for me.

Some lip glosses which I really do not rate are e.l.f's minty lip gloss or their Luscious Liquid Lipstick. I do love alot of e.l.f products which you can check out in this older blog post.

I adore some of the Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker lip glosses but the shade pink apricot is not for me. It went off very quickly and the shade was in my opinion not the nicest. It isn't a peach nor a nude shade so I didn't think it looked great on the lips.

Last but not least is Stila's Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer. This is supposed to add luminosity to the skin and make it looks fresh but it just made me look overly shiny, greasy and just down right unattractive. This didn't come cheap so I was very disappointed with this purchase.

I think that is enough for now. I have rambled on long enough. I hope you found this useful and I will continue to take note of the products I don't like because I think this would be so useful to my readers as it will save them wasting time on money on buying products that really don't live up to the hype.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and let me know if you found this helpful.

What products do you regret buying? Do you love any of the products I mentioned above, as ever you are welcome to comment below and tell me what you think.

Have a wonderful day xxx

How to Treat and Hide Dark Circles

Whether it was a late night last night or if you have inherited them from your Mam (thanks Mam) dark circles under the eyes are something that we have all had to deal with at some stage of our life and let's face it, they really are not the most attractive. Let alone adding years on to you, they make you look washed out, sick and down right miserable. But not to worry I have compiled a few little tips that will have your eyes bright and glowing in no time. No one will ever know that you only had 2 hours sleep the night before.

There are definitely ways to conceal dark circles with makeup which we will talk about later on in this post but firstly let's talk about how to actually treat them rather than just disguising them.

-There are many causes of dark circles under the eyes which include lack of sleep, dehydration, allergies, congested nose and sometimes it can be hereditary. There isn't much you can do to prevent the lather but to avoid the rest happening be sure to get your beauty sleep, drink plenty of water every day and if you have any allergies be sure to consult your doctor or pharmacist so they can treat it effectively for you.

-Smoking is also a large contributor to dark circles as it causes the blood vessels under the skin to become blue hence adding to the darkness under eyes.

-Eating a well balanced diet, full of fresh fruit and veg is essential for your everyday health but will also contribute to reducing darkness under the eye. Too much salt in your diet causes water retention which in turn creates darkness and puffiness under the eyes so be sure to keep salt intake to a minimum.

-Using a really good eye cream is essential. Some skincare brands do have specific eye creams designed to tackle the problem of dark circles but if you cannot find one you like be sure to find an eye cream that is jam packed with Retinol and Vitamin K as both ingredients are a great way to help reduce dark circles. My recommendation for an eye cream to aid with dark circles would be Clinique's Even Better Eyes Dark Circle Corrector which is €38 from Boots or any Clinique counter.

-Keeping yourself stress free is a great way to keep under eyes bright and radiant.

- Plenty of exercise is also great for distressing and keeping healthy but be sure to protect yourself from the sun as over exposure to the sun creates pigmentation which will only add to darkness.

A quick little remedy to help reduce dark circles is to take 10-20 minutes out and place two used teabags (can be warm or room temperature) over your eyes and lay down and relax. Do this once a day for two weeks and you will see a difference. Slices of cucumber can also do the same thing and also help reduce puffiness too.

Now we will deal with how to use makeup to conceal these dreaded dark circles.

-The main thing to be aware of when concealing the under eye is that less is more. Packing too many heavy products under the eye will only make the area look old and caked and will draw more attention to the eye.

Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer

-Peach, salmon or orange toned concealers work really well under the eye to correct any discolouration.
If your dark circles are not too bad then I would opt for a concealer like Maybelline's Age Rewind Concealer especially in the shade Nude (if this colour isn't too dark for your skin) as it has a peach tone to it, is very light weight but covers very well.

Bobbi Brown Corrector

-If however your dark circles are bad I would suggest using a peach toned corrector under the eye first, the best one on the market is Bobbi Brown's Corrector which comes in a huge range of shades. For best results I apply this with my ring finger, gently pressing it into the skin. By using your finger you are warming up the product which will help give a light even application that won't cake under the eyes.
Once this corrector has had time to set I would then apply a concealer on top of this to match your under-eye with the rest of your face. Apply your foundation and make sure they all blend well.

Ben Nye Banana Powder

-Setting your under eye concealer to me is the most important step as there is no point applying expensive products if they are just going to settle into fine lines or worse run off your face during the day. Only use a very light textured powder for under your eyes and use a very small amount of it. I like to set my concealer with an eye shadow blending brush because I know that this will not add too much product. My favourite powders for under the eyes are Ben Nye's Banana powder available here from Ireland or can be bought from ebay or amazon aswell (this is a yellow powder that adds light to anywhere it is applied) or Mac's minerlaized skin finish natural powder. Do not use any mattifying powders under the eyes!!

Rimmel scandaleyes waterproof kohl in Nude

-Another little tip is when you are applying eyeshadow do not add too much darkness under the eye as this will only make your eyes look worse. Also applying dark eyeliner in the inner rim is often too much so opt for a flesh coloured pencil on your waterline to add brightness to your eyes. My favourite is Rimmel's scandaleyes waterproof kohl in the shade nude.

Well I think thats enough rambling for one day....I hope you found this post helpful and please feel free to comment below and let me know if my tips have helped you with your dark circles.

Have a great day wherever you are.

Anita xxx