CoverGirl Outlast All Day Concealer and Matte Finishing Powder Review

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I'm a concealer snob. I like expensive concealers. They're usually really well pigmented, blend well, and last all day. So, the fact that I've recently found two drugstore concealers that I can recommend and will keep using... that's pretty amazing! The other concealer is Maybelline Dream Concealer, which is great because it's a stick, but I don't think it holds up super great under my eyes. I use it only on my face for blemishes. The CoverGirl is more multipurpose, I've been using it under my eyes and around my face.


820 Light and 830 Light/Medium
The concealer comes in a very easy to use squeeze tube, it has a felted top. I have to be honest and say I don't care about the felt top, I put the concealer on the back of my hand and apply it from there as usual. I dot it in a triangle under my eyes, around my nose, and a little on any blemishes. I buff it in small circles a bit with a brush (usually my EcoTools MicroBlending Brush), and pat it once or twice with a slightly damp BeautyBlender sponge.

The concealer has medium coverage, though you can layer it to be more of a medium-full coverage, and I think it blends in very well.

I was a bit surprised to see the difference in undertones between the two concealers, I do think the 820 is less yellow and more pink than 830 in person as well. 820 is a good match for my skin, though my skin is more on the rosy side than yellow (which makes me strange, I know).

Overall, this concealer lasts all day for me without disappearing or needing a touch up. I've already been recommending it to friends!


810 Fair to Light and 830 Light to Medium
I go through phases of powder usage. Sometimes I want loose for months and won't touch a pressed powder, sometimes I get fed up with the loose powder and just want to pat my concealer and foundation with pressed powder on a puff for 10 seconds and be done with it.

I've been in a loose powder phase for the last few months, which surely means I need to try out a new pressed powder. This one is pretty good. It's pretty finely milled, which means it is hard to pick up that there's even powder on my skin. It does work all day, I don't have to touch up in the afternoon at all, which is great! If you're looking for a new powder, this is a good one to try.


You can find the Outlast All Day Concealer at Target, Walmart, ULTA or Amazon
Matte Finishing Powder is also at Target, Walmart, ULTA or Amazon

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Perfect for a Touch Up? Maybelline Dream Concealer Review

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For the last 6 weeks or so, I've been testing out a new concealer from Maybelline, their Dream Concealer. And it really has taken me this long to decide what I think!

I admit that at first I was in total love with this concealer! I love that it is in a stick form, you can just draw it where you need added coverage, blend with a fingertip or sponge. At first I was using it all over my face. But then I started to notice that it was looking pretty creepy by mid-afternoon, but only in my under eye area. It was better over a lot of eye cream, but still looked not quite right around dinner time. So, it needs a mid-day touch up when used under the eyes.

Where this concealer really does a great job is on the rest of the face. I had a few hormonal break outs last month, and there are still darker, pigmented spots on my chin, which will take a few more weeks to fully fade. When blending other concealers over them, I tend to blend so much that I remove most of the concealer with my fingertip. Oops! I don't do that when using this concealer. I dot it on over the affect area, if I have to I then tap it one time with a fingertip to blend, and leave it alone. The spots completely disappear for the entire day!

Similar to concealing spots on my face, this concealer is also great for contouring. A little line of one of the concealers under my cheekbone, down the sides of my nose, then I blend it in with a light buffing with a brush. It looks great all day and is very subtle.



I use Fair under my eyes, and Light on the rest of my face.

You can find Maybelline Dream Concealer at ULTA, or Amazon

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Teen Makeup: Get Great, Glowy Skin

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IMAXtree

I remember when I first started using makeup at 13 years old. I went crazy for foundation. It was a thick, cakey mask that I wore every day for a few weeks. Then I noticed a girl in my class pointing at me and whispering one day in the hallway, and I thought I had something stuck in my teeth or something. I went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror, but realized that wasn't the problem. The problem was the thick makeup, which wasn't something that I even needed!

Whether you're using foundation, tinted moisturizer, a BB or a CC Cream, the overall goal of skin coverage should be evening out your skin tone and making things look more even. And you need to try to do that with the least coverage possible. Show as much of your own skin as you possibly can, it just looks much better! When you're older, your skin tone will be uneven. The color will actually vary. It's quite sad. As a teen, you don't have this problem, so covering up with foundation that you don't need is just a waste of time and product.

Read on to learn how I recommend you do this.

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My Favorite Concealers: The Best Drugstore, Super Pigmented and Multi-Use Concealers Out There

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I have a confession. I have a concealer problem. I own quite a few, but I seem to keep buying them. I probably have at least 20 in my "face" makeup drawer.

As many as I've tried, there are some that I seem to go back to over and over. I repurchase them, they hang out on my vanity because they don't make it back in to the drawer, and they get mixed into other products.

Read on to see my favorites.

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Beauty Bloggers and Their Favorite Higher End Concealers

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1. MAC Pro Longwear Concealer
Buy it from Nordstrom or MAC
"MAC Pro Longwear Concealer has good pigmentation, is easy to blend, and is long lasting."
- Nancy from Beauty411, check out her MAC Pro Longwear Concealer Review

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer was also a favorite of:
- Tiki from Grow It Girl
- Nikki from Confessions of a Makeup Addict
- Stacie from Makeup Obsessed Mom

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The Best Under Eye Makeup Products for Looking Younger and Awake

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I'm one of those girls that fights their under eye area. I have a little discoloration there, and depending upon how much sleep I get, I can have bags. Note, this picture is unaltered, pretty close up, and was taken after I was up every 2 hours all night, after about 9 months of never sleeping more than 2-3 hours, and I'm 38 now. So, I'm pretty happy with how my eye area looks! (Though that little bit of redness in the circle wasn't visible in person. Thanks camera!) Trust me, before the steps below, things looked much worse that morning. And they could look much better if I photoshopped it, but that's not really the point, is it?

In the past, I have published posts on Dealing With Under Eye Puffiness, The Best Eye Creams According to Dermatologists, Concealer Tricks No One Tells You, All About Under Eye Primers, and How to Use Concealer and Corrector. And that doesn't even take into account the huge numbers of concealer reviews on 15 Minute Beauty!

Yes, there's a lot of obsessing over the under eye area. But, given my "real" job (the one that makes me money!) and my 2 little girls, I don't get much sleep. And I really hate having people ask if I feel ok or if I'm tired.

Here's a peek at my favorite products for the under eye area and a few tips for how I use them. I've tried to include all price points, let me know if you have any questions! Don't forget to check out my fellow Makeup Wars bloggers, they're sharing their favorite under eye problem solvers today also!

Eye Creams

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Skipping eye cream is not an option for me now that I'm in my late 30's. I apply it first thing after washing my face, and then usually my BB Cream goes over it. While I usually use the same eye cream in the am that I use in the pm, that isn't always true (I only use the YSL in the am). My criteria are a few anti-aging ingredients such as peptides and anti-oxidants, and caffeine to help shrink things and tighten, even if only temporarily. The main thing I look for is good hydration, and I want it to sink in right away. The hydration will help plump up my under eye area, helping it to look much better than it should otherwise!

iS Clinical Youth Eye Complex (buy it at DermStore or SkinStore): This eye cream was mentioned in my Best Eye Creams from Dermatologists post, and somehow has not had it's own post though I've mentioned it a few times! It has vitamins C, E, Retinol, tons of hydration, peptides to increase collagen and it also fights dark circles. I definitely think it makes me look more awake because my concealer looks so much better over it. It is pricey, but the bottle lasted me 6 months!

Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado (at Kiehl's or Nordstrom): I reach for this one mostly in the winter because it is heavier duty than the others in terms of hydration. A little dab goes a long way!

Rodan and Fields Redefine Multifunction Eye Cream (you can buy from Rodan and Fields, my consultant is in Michigan, let me know if you want her name): I'm using this currently after buying it from a high school friend, and so far I do really like it! It has peptides and anti-oxidants, not to mention some optical diffusers to make things look a little better.

Yves Saint Laurent Top Secrets Eye Roll-On Pen (get it at Nordstrom, Saks or Bloomingdale's): This one also has optical diffusers and it absorbs very fast. I only use it in the am because it doesn't offer as much in the anti-aging department, but it

Color Correctors

When there's a lot of discoloration, it can seem that many layers of concealer still won't hide everything. A little color corrector under concealer can work a lot of miracles. You can read more about it in my post on How to Use Concealer and Corrector, but the general idea is that an orange or peach tone will help hide blue-brown discolorations under the eye. For more discoloration, you'll need a more vivid tone. Pat it directly on the discoloration, then cover with concealer.

Note that most women need correction for brown-blue tones, personally I have mostly red tones under my eyes, so I use green corrector.

Bobbi Brown Corrector (at Bobbi Brown, Sephora or Nordstrom): This is the "classic" under eye corrector. There are a lot of different shades available, but they vary in how vivid the peach is and the tone of the underlying "flesh" is. Which means, there should be one for pretty much everyone!

FACE Stockholm Corrective Concealer (at FACE Stockholm or DermStore): This is the corrector that I reach for most days. It has a very faint tint, and a little goes a long, looooong way! I have had the same little pots of the redness and blue correctors for about 3 years and with daily use they aren't even halfway used up.

NYX Concealer Jar (from NYX or Drugstore.com): The consistency of the NYX correctors is pretty similar to the FACE Stockholm products, but the colors are much more vivid, so great for those with darker complexions or more intense color to correct.

Concealers

When it comes to under eye concealers, I look for very, very pigmented formulas that blend easily and don't crease throughout the day. In large part this is because I have a visible capillary under my skin on one side (it's been there since I was a kid), and if it's visible about every 30 minutes someone tells me that I have an eyelash there. It's annoying. So, I use more pigmented concealer.

As I've gotten older, I've definitely found that this can cause issues. I have to use very light layers of the concealer, blend it well, and I don't put much under the outer corner, where I don't really even have crow's feet, but a lot of concealer there definitely doesn't look so hot. So, use these concealers at your own risk, if you have more under eye issues, skip ahead to the next section!

Clarins Instant Concealer (fron Nordstrom, Clarins or Bloomingdale's: This is a new favorite, it was sent to me by Clarins for a post over the summer on 5, 10 and 15 Minute looks, and it hasn't left my vanity counter top since! I really neeeed to stock up. It is well pigmented, blends easily, and lasts all day. I can add a little to a BB Cream to increase the pigmentation, and it looks perfect (I've mostly been using the Bobbi Brown CC Cream in Blushed Nude). I have 2 sitting in my Nordie's cart now, waiting for me to spend my birthday gift cards!

It Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye (at It Cosmetics or ULTA): This is the most pigmented of the bunch, it really does. not. budge. in water! Yes, it's great if you have any issues with disappearing makeup. It's similar to the Clarins, but slightly more pigmented, and heavier duty.

Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer (at Sephora, ULTA or DermStore): This one comes in a ton of shades, and is similar to the Clarins but with a little less pigmentation. I love that it also comes in a slightly smaller travel size!

LA Girl Pro Concealer (at Walgreen's or Drugstore.com): This is the only "budget" concealer that I use now, though I admit that I use the others much more often. It is well pigmented (though less than the others) and it blends easily. It doesn't stick around as well as the others when I'm outside and sweaty, but it outperforms anything else I've ever found at a drugstore.

Highlighters

As noted above, lots of concealer isn't so great when you're getting older (like me!). It can really emphasize every little wrinkle that might not be a wrinkle yet even. And if your under eye area is dry at all (this is why I insist on eye cream now)... forget it! Heavy concealer will fill in any slightly dry area and make you look much older.

So, that's when it is time to look for something with less pigmentation and a bit of light deflection. There really are only 2 options to use "alone" in the under eye area I think (the YSL and Maybelline Dupe). Or, you can custom blend your own slightly more pigmented version, I will use the Smashbox with one of the above concealers, and add in a little eye cream. Then I mix it all up on the back of my hand and apply.

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat (from Nordstrom, YSL or Sephora): This is an expensive classic, it offers just a little bit of coverage and the perfect light diffusion. I do think you need to be "of a certain age" to appreciate this product. I reviewed it about 4 years ago and kind of panned it, I just didn't get it. Now on particularly rough under eye days (and the picture above wasn't one of those days), I'll grab this instead of concealer and it really does make me look more awake.

Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer (at ULTA, Amazon or Target): A decent replacement for the YSL, this one does have a little less light diffusion and a tad more coverage.

Smashbox Photo Op Under-Eye Brightener (get it from Nordstrom, Sephora, or Smashbox): This is a light rosy-champagne shimmer that would work anywhere you want to highlight, but is especially great to mix with a concealer! It diffuses the light and makes your eye area look better.




Want some more under eye products? Don't forget to check out what my friends in Makeup Wars are using to look younger and more awake!

An InLinkz Link-up

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7

Today's Special Value: It Cosmetics 4 Piece Customer Favorites

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In case you haven't noticed, I'm a pretty big fan of all things It Cosmetics (here's a peek at my favorite products from It Cosmetics, though I should update that list to include a few additional items). You can pick up It Cosmetics at ULTA, or from the It Cosmetics website.

But one of my favorite ways to try out their products, usually at a great discount, is over on QVC! It Cosmetics is featured at the Today's Special Value every few months, and the collections are always a steal (and usually they include a new product or two!)

The worldwide launch of the latest set will only be available for 24 hours as a TSV, starting at 12:01 AM EST on Monday, June 8th. So, in a few hours. Get ready to shop! They haven't announced the price in press materials, but it will be under $60, and it is an incredible deal because the products are worth over $150.



The products included in this kit aren't flashy, but they're some of It Cosmetics' best products!

Bye Bye Under Eye Concealer: You can take a peek at my original Bye Bye Under Eye Concealer Review, but this concealer has been featured on the blog so many times that I've lost count. It's also featured in my Favorite Concealers post. This is a very, very pigmented concealer that has been formulated to be crease resistant (though it will crease if you add enough layers. No one should need that many layers). I like to apply a little to the back of my hand to warm it up, then tap it over the area that needs to be concealed.

Heavenly Luxe Complexion Perfection Brush: This is an amazing brush! I have 2 of them already and I was pretty happy to have a 3rd. I have 1 in my office (yes, I sometimes apply makeup in there for blog pics), 1 in my bathroom and this one will be kept in my travel kit. One end is a smallish domed brush that is perfect for foundation or blending of face products. The other end is small enough to help apply concealer around your nose and under the eyes.

And a few new products (which are slight variations on previous favorites)
Naturally Pretty Face Palette: This palette is perfect for keeping some great face products you need in one place. Included in this palette are Hello Light Creme highlighter, Vitality Matte Bronzer, Bye Bye Pores Pressed Powder and Bye Bye Pores Pressed Blush (new in this palette). It's great for taking with you or just streamlining your makeup application in the morning!

Celebration Foundation SPF50: This foundation is a medium coverage powder, and I've heard about it's amazingness from my friends for years. I do think it is easy to apply, and you can use it as a powder or a foundation. The compact comes with a sponge in the storage area, that will give you a fuller coverage than if you buff on some of the powder with the brush. This formulation is new because it now includes sunscreen, an SPF 50! I wouldn't count on this to be your only sunscreen, chances are you aren't applying enough product to your entire face. However, it's a great "bonus" SPF for the summer!








Note that my set was in Fair, which is a good match for my skin. It is the lightest color available.

To find the set, head over to QVC's site and then click on Today's Special Value at the top. It's available for 24 hours starting at 12:01 AM EST!

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0

Tarte CC Undercover Cover and Eye Primer Review

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Have you seen the goodies that Tarte has been coming out with lately? I admit that I've been testing these two for a month or so, and I'm just now getting around to mentioning them. But, they're pretty amazing.




Tarte Colored Clay CC Undereye Corrector
"This multi-tasking, full coverage corrector expertly masks undereye discolorations and dark circles in two universal shades. The light-diffusing particles brighten undereye areas and soften the appearance of fine lines as color-correcting colored clay helps to offset the look of dark circles."

This is a faintly peach concealer, and while it comes in a pan, it does feel hydrating. I have the light-medium shade, there's also a tan-medium. The peach is just enough to color correct my undereye circles, though I think it is more of a light-medium coverage. I do still add a little concealer over the corrector, though I don't need much. This is only because I need more coverage, otherwise it blends into my skin and looks pretty natural.

The corrector stays put all day long. I've been using it quite a bit lately (I definitely have problems sleeping the further along I get in my pregnancy!) I know I'll be using this corrector after the baby arrives, basically every day!

Tarte Colored Clay CC Eye Primer Stick
"Infused with color-correcting and skin-nourishing colored clay, this smoothing eye primer absorbs excess oil on the lids, offering a neutral base for the perfect eyeshadow application. The lightweight waterproof formula works overtime to address the appearance of redness and discoloration... Simply prep the lid with the easy-glide, neutral pencil tip prior to makeup application for better wear and truer shadow payoff that can last for up to 12 hours."

This eye primer is pretty similar to the NYX Eye Shadow Base that I talk about all the time. They're both creamy and offer coverage to help cover up my visible vessels. I love that. But there are a few important differences. First, the Tarte is a bit... thinner? I'm not sure how to describe this. The consistency is a bit different (one is a stick and one comes in a pot afterall), and the Tarte definitely leaves a thinner layer on my lids. But it still covers everything up, and it is a little bit closer to my actual skin tone. And with the Tarte as a primer, my shadows do last a little bit longer.

Finally, it really is easier to be able to just draw the primer all over my lid and pat it in to blend it, rather than dipping my finger into a big pot. This is definitely a product that I'll be repurchasing!

Tarte Cosmetics
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9

My Favorite Under Eye Concealers

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It's my turn to share a beauty collection with the rest of The Beauty Spotlight Team, and today in honor of my lack of sleep, I'm selecting my concealers. It is a bit scary how many concealers I own, I really didn't realize the true number (pretty close to 30) until putting together this post!

So, after much debate, here are my 10 favorites. Mostly super highly pigmented, because that's how I roll. (And you would too if you were 7 months pregnant, had a 3 year old and also got phone calls all night long from work.)




1. Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil: Check out my review. This is really pigmented, creamy and you just need to draw it on and blend. It covers anything you would ever need covered.

2. IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye: Check out my review. Also very pigmented, but this concealer is a bit thick, so I usually mix it into other products or dilute it with a bit of eye cream. It won't crease after using it all day long and covers up everything!

3. Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer: Check out my review. Super easy to blend and it comes in a ton of shades, I liked this one so much that it delayed finishing my concealer review series a few years ago! I just wanted to use Full Cover every day.

4. Smashbox High Definition Concealer: I haven't reviewed this one yet, I bought it about 2 months ago and I've found it to be very similar to the MUFE Full Cover, but slightly more pigmented.

5. Laura Mercier High Coverage Concealer: Check out my review. Also very pigmented, lots of different depth and tone options, it blends really easily as well.

6. Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream Eyes: Another concealer that I bought a few months ago and still need to review, this one is a bit lighter in coverage (I'd consider it a 6 or 7 on a scale up to 10), but it is so hydrating that it is also like an eye cream. It is really great on days that I haven't gotten much sleep and have bigger bags under my eyes, it will not sink into any little areas.

7. Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer: I keep mentioning this concealer but I don't have a full post devoted to it! I've bought it 4 times now, and yes, it really is worth that high price tag. I think it is a little less pigmented than the IT Cosmetics, but easier to blend in seamlessly.

8. CoverGirl TruBlend Fixstick Concealer: I know I have a review around here somewhere, I just can't find it! This is pretty similar to the Urban Decay concealer stick, but a little less pigmented. It blends in flawlessly with just a few pats of your finger, which I love! It is great for using to contour.

9. Dermablend Quick Fix Concealer: Really easy to use, this stick is very pigmented and won't budge.

10. NYX Dark Circle Concealer: This has a little bit of a peach leaning, so it helps color correct under eye circles while covering them up!


What are your favorite concealers? I'm always looking for a new one!

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18

L'Oreal Visible Lift Blur Foundation and Concealer Review and Swatches

Product Sent for Review


You've probably seen the displays popping up at drugstores and big box stores near you. For Fall 2014, L'Oreal is launching a new foundation and concealer duo, Visible Lift Blur. The products contain "blurring" technology, very similar to what you'll find in the currently popular blurring products like L'Oreals Miracle Blur. Here, some of that same technology has been incorporated into the foundation, saving you a step!


The foundation comes in 12 shades, unfortunately the darkest shade is Classic Tan, which is somewhere in the mid-tone range when you compare this foundation to the L'Oreal True Match Foundation range of 33 shades. I was sent 4 shades (3 from L'Oreal and 1 from CVS), and the Honey Beige on the far right is the 2nd darkest shade. I'm hopeful that if this formulation is around for a while that L'Oreal will add darker shades.

Classic Ivory is usually the best match for me in L'Oreal foundations, but this shade seems a bit pinker than my other Classic Ivory foundations. Luckily with blending it does blend in to my skin, but I would prefer a closer match.

The foundation is pretty sheer in coverage, the formula is a bit more liquidy than other foundations, and while some online have described it as oily, I didn't really think it was oily. It just seemed more watery than I had expected, and when I applied it, the formula sat a little more on the top of my skin. After a minute or so I was able to blend it in to my skin, I think this was all due to the blurring effect.

The coverage from this foundation is pretty sheer, and due to the consistency of the foundation, I think that it isn't really able to be layered for more coverage. I have combination skin, and I do think that this foundation would be better suited for drier skin, which is usually what more mature women have. I noticed that it did help cover up some skin imperfections more than I thought it would. Meaning, my pores were less noticeable than they should have been with such sheer coverage. The foundation did last most of the day, and I think on someone with drier skin it likely would have lasted longer.

If you have drier skin, want sheer to light coverage and have a few skin imperfections that you'd like to cover up, this foundation is a good pick for you. Personally, it didn't last quite as long as I had hoped due to my combination skin, and I think a different shade than my normal Classic Ivory (maybe Nude Beige, #203?) would have been a better match for my skin. The tubes are clear, so you're seeing the foundation through the packaging. It is probably worth picking up the 2 shades you think will be best, rather than just one!


I tend to use very, very pigmented concealers, in large part because I have a visible blood vessel under one eye to cover up, and I like to mix concealer into other products (foundation, BB Cream) to increase their coverage. However, super pigmented concealers can be a big mistake if you have any problem areas around your eyes, they tend to be drier and settle very easily into fine lines, pores and other imperfections.

The Blur Concealer is mid-range in terms of coverage. It definitely has more coverage than a few other drugstore concealers that I've tried, but it is less pigmented than my usual Amazing Cosmetics Concealer. I did find that the concealer is able to be built up for more coverage, which is great for that blood vessel I already mentioned.

This concealer did seem to be a bit more liquid than concealers that I'm used to, but this was probably because I've been using mostly those highly pigmented concealers that I mentioned. It blended in really easily with just pats of my fingertip, and yes, it did seem to do a little bit of that blurring as well.

I think that this is a great mid-range pigmentation concealer that is better suited for those with anything for more pigmented concealers to highlight. So, if you have anything in the undereye area for concealer to settle into (**cough, cough** like a few little lines?) then this is a much better option for you than the more pigmented concealers that I've been using.

The only bad thing about this concealer is that it only comes in three shades, fair, light and medium. Hopefully L'Oreal will come out with more shades when this concealer starts selling out!


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2

Using Concealer: Tricks No One Tells You

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I have written quite a few posts with different concealer tips, but they cover different topics and are both here on 15 Minute Beauty and over on Babble. Lately I've gotten a lot of emails with questions about concealers, how I use them and my favorites. I thought I'd put together a quick post with some of my favorite tips in one spot!


1. You need different shades/consistencies on different parts of your face
When talking about concealers, I default to talking about my undereye area. But the truth is, concealer needs to be applied to more area than just under your eyes. Blemishes, redness around your nose and in the middle of your chin... all of these are great areas to apply concealer.

Under your eye your concealer usually should be about 1 shade lighter than your skintone to compensate for shadows and darkness. If you go much lighter than that, you'll be creating obvious white areas under your eyes that are just as bad as the circles you're covering up! Concealers on the rest of your face should be the same color of your face. Do you want light colored spots instead of pimples? No, it isn't really an upgrade.


2. You may need to color correct before using concealer
If you're trying to cover up a strong discoloration, you may need to use a color corrector before your concealer. A light layer of corrector under your concealer can save you 3 layers of concealer and will give you more natural results. It can be tricky to find the right color of corrector, but here's my guide to how to use color corrector and concealer.

Products to Try:
Face Stockholm Corrective Concealer
Maybelline Corrector Concealer
NYX Concealer In A Jar
Tarte Colored Clay CC Undereye Corrector


3. Always prep your skin! Apply over eye cream or primer
If your skin is dry at all, concealer is really great at grabbing on to those areas and looking even worse. As well, the more pigmented your concealer, the more likely it is that it will settle into any fine lines or wrinkles. Applying a good moisturizer first, which plumps up the outer layers of the skin, gives you a smoother surface to apply your concealer to.

Products to Try:
Olay Total Effects CC Eye Brightening CC Cream
Clinique All About Eyes
Kiehl's 'Midnight Recovery' Eye Concentrate



4. You need to apply to a bigger area than you think
If you really want to cover up undereye issues, you'll get more natural results if you apply in the triangular pattern seen above (don't forget that inner eye area). I concentrate the concealer closer to my eye (concealer should go up to the lash line) and inner corner, but it does extend down to my nose and creates a triangle. Blend outwards, you don't want an obvious line.


5. Dot the concealer over the whole area you want to cover! It is hard to spread.
I usually apply a little concealer to the back of my hand (body heat with melt it a little making it easier to work with), and then using a fingertip will tap concealer onto the area of application. The thicker your concealer it, the hard it will be to spread around. Save yourself some time and just tap around a slightly bigger area, you won't have to spend as much time trying to blend the concealer.


6. When applying, you need to pat/dot, not smear
Instead of smearing or spreading it around, you should tap the product around the area to blend or distribute it. The smearing just removes product, tapping will put the concealer where you want it.


7. Mixing can be your friend
I've mentioned it sometimes on 15 Minute Beauty, but I really explained product mixing in more depth over on Babble. Basically, even though I've already prepped my face with a primer or moisturizer, I very rarely use straight concealer on my undereye area. I mix in products. If I feel a bit dry and want to thin out my concealer, I'll add in a little primer. I almost always add in a little highlighter to bounce light away from the area (the Smashbox Photo Op Undereye Brightener is my fave).


8. Bending tools are also your friend
I rarely get the exact look I want just by blending with a fingertip. While I sometimes will blend a little with a brush (the IT Cosmetics foundation and concealer brushes are nice), the real secret is the BeautyBlender sponge. You can experiment with using the sponge slightly damp or dry. I prefer the look of a dry BeautyBlender. I just bounce the BeautyBlender over the entire area once the concealer is where I want it to be. After blending you can't even tell I have any concealer in the area!


9. You need to set it
Not everyone likes the look of powder on their skin, but I swear to you that over the last 5 years or so powder has come a long way! Many powders are so finely milled that you can't even see them on your skin, there are powders with illuminating additions (super helpful under the eyes) and even slightly yellow powders so they'll help cover up circles better. Without the powder, your concealer won't stick around all day. Really, who wants to suddenly look tired at 2 pm? Not me!

My faves are Bobbi Brown Sheer Finish Loose Powder (in Yellow), Cover FX Illuminating Powder and e.l.f. Studio High Definition Undereye Setting Powder.


10. You can use it for things other than concealing
Take a peek up there at the picture at the top. Notice that I put some concealer on top and underneath my eyebrows? Those areas aren't dark, they aren't in need of concealer. But, putting a little concealer underneath the brow and on top just cleans them up and almost gives me a brow lift. I swear. I use a concealer pencil for this, just 1 line on either side of the brow, blend quickly with fingertip and done! Less than 30 seconds.

I also use concealer for contouring. Rather than the bronzer that most people use, which usually looks more orange on my skin (except for Too Faced Milk Chocolate, but I think concealer is faster). I use concealer pencils that are too light for my skin for highlighting areas and too dark to contour. Just blend with a finger or a foundation brush!

My faves for contouring and around my brows are all pencils. I like the NYX Wonder Pencils, CoverGirl, L'Oreal and Urban Decay pencil concealers.

Finally, I love to use concealers to increase the coverage of my BB Cream. I mix a little in and I can skip a ton of steps.


11. It might not be the best option for you
I usually talk about highly pigmented concealers on 15 Minute Beauty because that's what I use and need. I have a friendly little blood vessel under one eye (it has been there as long as I remember, even in elementary school), and if I don't cover it up then I get told all day long that I have an eyelash under my eye. It drives me batty. I also like that I can mix the highly pigmented concealers with other products, such as with BB Cream to get a little more coverage on my entire face.

My favorite highly pigmented concealers are Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer, Laura Mercier High Coverage Concealer and IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye.

But, highly pigmented concealers aren't a great option if you're a little older or have dry skin. They're great at settling into fine lines, wrinkles and dry skin. If you have any of those, less is more. I'd look into a lighter weight concealer, preferably one with a little highlighting capability.

For lighter coverage concealers, I like Make Up For Ever Lift Concealer, and Maybelline Fit Me. To add in a little highlighter, you really want YSL's Touche Eclat, but I do think that Maybelline's Dream Lumi is a decent (and much cheaper) substitute.


Product Sent for Review Affiliate Links I Bought It Myself
Some of the products mentioned in this post were sent for review, but most I bought for myself (or repurchased after they were sent).

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Laura Mercier High Coverage Concealer Review

Product Sent for Review



I'm a big fan of highly pigmented concealers. I think they're very versatile, you can cover up stubborn areas (I have a visible blood vessel under 1 eye that is my nemesis), or mix it with other products to cover not so stubborn areas. I'll even mix in a little to my BB Cream to up the coverage a tad on days that I feel not so great.

Laura Mercier's High Coverage Concealer comes in 12 different shades, and what I really like is that they take into account your undertone as well. 1 isn't darker than 0.5, instead it has a different undertone. There are neutral, yellow and pink undertoned options. Because of this, I highly suggest that you head to your local Laura Mercier counter to check out the options in person. I have 2, a light concealer with neutral undertones. It works great for me most days, but I'll probably also pick up 1 sometime soon, which is a similar depth but with a bit more of a rosy undertone, for days that my rosacea is a tad pinker.



This is definitely highly pigmented concealer, but what is great about it is that it is not at all cakey and I can't seem to make it cake. It seems to be impossible. Because it is so highly pigmented, this concealer does feel a little bit thicker than others, so I usually apply a small amount to the back of my hand to warm it up a little, then pat it over the area I want to cover with a fingertip. It won't spread really far, so you'll want to be sure to dot it around the entire area before blending. I blend it with a BeautyBlender sponge, and that's it. It blends in pretty much perfectly, covers everything and looks like I just have great skin. And it stays like that all day long!

While super high coverage concealers work (and look) good on my skin, they aren't for everyone. I don't have many fine lines/wrinkles under my eyes despite being 36, and I always apply over an eye cream to help smooth things out.

Laura Mercier
Product Sent for Review

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Mally Beauty Cancellation Concealer System Review: The Secret To Looking Awake?

Product Sent for Review


I had a pretty rough week last week (did you notice I didn't post at all for 2 days? That doesn't happen very often!) I was working every day, my phone was ringing off the hook all night long with calls from the hospital, and I had to go in a few times to take care of patients (luckily everyone seems to be doing better now). And I haven't even mentioned the horrible virus my 3 year old shared with me (so sweet of her!), so I've gotten very little sleep over the last couple of days. Which means I needed a heavy duty concealer!



Luckily, Birchbox had sent me the Mally Beauty Cancellation Concealer System to write about. This set comes in a pretty pink case, so everything stays together. Inside you'll find a double ended brush (one for the concealer, 1 for powder) and 2 compacts. The compacts are pretty heavy duty metal, they close with a pretty satisfying click and feel like they'd stand up to pretty much anything.

In one of the compacts you'll find a cake concealer, the other has a very finely milled powder for setting the concealer. The idea is that you apply the concealer with one of the brush, blend as needed, and use a fine dusting of the powder to keep it around all day.

So, how does it work? The concealer is pretty pigmented and it is definitely more creamy than most cake concealers. I found that patting it on with the brush and then blending with a few pounces of my BeautyBlender sponge worked the best for me. There is a faint apricot color in the concealer, so it is great for undereye concealers, but it isn't obviously apricot. The pigmentation level was just enough to cover up dark circles, but the concealer did a good job of staying nice and smooth, no setting into unknown fine lines over here.

The powder looks just plain white in the compact, but it does seem to be very translucent and finely milled when you use it, so you won't be able to see it on your skin at all. I typically set my makeup with powder, though I wait until I've applied everything. When using this duo I made a point of setting my concealer right away with the included powder. I wasn't sure if it made a difference, so I did a couple of days with the setting powder on one side, my normal powder after everything on the other eye. The eye with Mally's setting powder had more lasting power, making me look more awake for about 2 hours longer.

This was a great concealer duo, I'll definitely be using it more in the future. I was a bit surprised how much the separate setting powder made a difference. Have you tried using a separate setting powder like this? I wish I'd tried it sooner!




You can open this image in another window to read it, but note it has a retinoid and therefore isn't pregnancy safe.



Mally Beauty Cancellation Concealer System
Product Sent for Review

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Top 10 Tuesday: Favorite Concealers

Product Sent for Review I Bought It Affiliate Links



I have done a ton of concealer reviews, and I meant to do a big series update this summer... but it didn't really happen. I got distracted by real life.

Instead, I've been perpetually repurchasing the same of the same products over and over. Here are my current faves to erase undereye circles and look more awake! And yes... I only came up with 7.

1. Amazing Cosmetics Concealer (buy it here): This concealer comes in a very wide array of shades and blends the best of the highly pigmented concealers.

2. IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye Concealer (buy it here) is one of my favorite products from IT Cosmetics. This is a very pigmented concealer, and it lasts pretty much all day.

3. Smashbox Photo Op Under Eye Brightener (buy it here): I haven't done a review on this product yet, but I bought it a bit randomly after an impromptu makeup session at the Nordstrom's on Michigan Ave in Chicago, and I. Love. It. I had never really understood the love everyone has for YSL's Touche Eclat (and I still don't), but after using this product I do understand wanting something a bit more luminizing under the eye area!

I apply a little bit of the Amazing Concealer or Bye Bye Undereye to the back of my hand, and then use this luminizer (I love that it comes with an easy to use brush) and mix the 2 together, then pat onto my undereye area. The luminizer really does help, but I need a lot more coverage, so the mix works really well.

4. Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil (buy it here): This is a super, super pigmented pencil. It's perfect for when you have a blemish and want to just hit that one spot. I do have a visible blood vessel under 1 eye (it's been there since I was about 7, you've never seen it because I use a ton of concealer before pics!) and on days that it seems to be even more visible, I'll use a little of this right on the vessel. I have found that it can be hard to blend over large areas, so apply where you need it and pat it right there.

5. NYX Wonder Pencil (buy it here): This could easily be used as a skinnier version of the UD 24/7 Concealer, but instead I use it near my brows! I quickly draw above and below my brows and blend with a finger, and I swear look so much more polished.

6. L'Oreal Magic Lumi (buy it here): The L'Oreal version of that Smashbox Luminizer, love this one too.

7. L'Oreal True Match Concealer (buy it here): This pencil is the slightly less pigmented and easier to blend version of the UD pencil. I think this is the better option for the entire undereye area, and I keep meaning to buy one a few shades darker than my skin to use for contouring, but haven't done that yet.


What are your go-to concealers? I'm always looking for a good one!









Product Sent for Review I Bought It Affiliate Links

10

Too Faced No Makeup Makeup: Many Face Products in 1 Compact

Product Sent for Review

If you head over to Pinterest and look around for about 2 minutes you'll see that there are a million and one pins about highlighting and contouring your face a'la Kim K. Seriously, it's like 1984 all over again. (And yes, even I am guilty of doing the face contouring post.)

I'm a little over the face contouring (except for the nose contouring, it does help!), I'm kind of excited for summer and the more traditional use of bronzer to give a sunkissed look with a little shimmer highlight here and there. Too Faced recently sent me their No Makeup Makeup palette. This handy palette has everything you need to create a pretty look (outside of the eye makeup and lippie).

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Stila Stay All Day Foundation Review

I admit that I'm a bit of a sucker for new foundations. This one sounded right up my alley, "Stay All Day"? Yes! And from Stila? Please!

This foundation is pretty great. Yes, $44 does sound like a lot for a foundation when you can get many great ones for less. But! This one also comes with a matching concealer in the cap (love that) and it also includes a foundation brush. I think that's a pretty good deal.

The foundation is a bit thick for a liquid foundation, it really is more like the consistency of Cool Whip than a foundation. It comes out of the bottle with a big spatula, and it feels very silky. It spreads easily with your fingers, and I admit that I don't really use the brush that Stila so generously included with the foundation (I'm a finger/sponge girl for foundation). With a few swipes of my beauty blender (near my nose mostly) the makeup does look pretty flawless. Well, you can tell I have on foundation (the coverage is too much for it to be invisible), but it really looks good.

The concealer is a cake concealer and is pretty full coverage as well. I did think it was a bit too dry for some areas (I had problems with it on blemishes), but it worked really great under my eyes and around my nose.

I feel like we've been spoiled lately with so many amazing foundation launches. No more excuse for patchy coverage or incorrectly matched shades!

Stila

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5 Year of Favorite Products: Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer

Since my first Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer review, I admit that it has become a staple in my morning routine. Even when testing other concealers, this tube has not left the vanity counter, and there are some mornings that I must force myself to use the product I'm meant to be testing instead of Full Cover.

The coverage is heavy, and just enough to help me cover up my under eye circles. But, it is easy to blend, giving flawless coverage. Plus, it lasts all day.

Make Up For Ever

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Miracle Skin Conceal and Treat

The Miracle Skin line is meant to include your moisturizer, treatment skin care and (some) of your makeup all together in one easy to use product. I haven't tried their moisturizer/foundation/more coverage than a typical tinted moisturizer yet, but I did get to try out the concealer.

In addition to the normal concealer ingredients this product does contain Vitamin K, which will help long term with those under eye circles. As well, White Rose and Chamomille flower are anti-oxidants.

One major thing to note about this concealer: I tried Light-Medium and it was somewhat orange tinted, which makes it great for concealing dark undereye circles as a corrector. But, not so great as the concealer on it's own. I didn't really like the tint.


Really, this concealer should be a 3.5 on the coverage sale.

Consistency: This is a thick and creamy concealer, but has a bit of a mousse-like consistency
Blendability: Easily blended
Buildable coverage: Somewhat
Feeling on skin: Not really lightweight, but I wouldn't call it heavy either
Wear: 10-12 hours
Problems with wear: Caking with a thick single layer or more than one. Use a light hand
Shades Available: Light, Light-Medium and Medium. I tried Light-Medium and it was a bit too dark for me. I'm typically a light girl, so this wasn't too surprising.








Miracle Skin Transformer Conceal and Treat

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