Wednesday, August 24, 2011

How to Conceal: Undereye Circles

Unless you are one of those lucky souls who don't have very noticeable shadows around their eyes, you probably need a little concealment in that area.

THE MYTH?
Using a very light concealer to try to "brighten" dark circles. 

Because Black + White = Grey.
That light, bright under-eye effect you see on people like Kim Kardashian and J Lo comes mostly from dusting on a thick layer of paler powder under the entire eye area to catch eyeshadow fall-out. At the end, the excess is swept away, leaving that light, bright effect over the under eye and cheekbone area. (Even so, I recommend only going 1-2 tones lighter with the powder.)

THE TRUTH?
If your dark circles are moderate to serious due to allergies, heredity, etc., you will need to correct the color tone with a concealer that has OPPOSITE color tones to that part of your skin. It might sound counter-intuitive if you're unfamiliar with color-theory, but it really works better than plastering on layer after layer of pale concealer and ending up with a reverse-raccoon eye, below.


Selena Gomez with reverse-raccoon eyes

THE RULE OF THUMB?
Salmon. 
Salmon is the magic shade that neutralizes plummy, purple shadows under the eyes. It also works on some hyperpigmentation and other dark discolorations near the mouth and eyes. I've used it on older acne marks and it evens out everything as well.  Only thing to note is NOT to use it on fresh red marks, as salmon is a bit red and will not help as much.


Photo credits: hoydenabouttown.com


Eve Pearl, Benefit, Bobbi Brown, Skin Food, MAC, Amazing Cosmetics, and a whole host of other brands are now producing these slightly orange-tinted creamy formulations suited to the under eye area. Most generic brands don't produce a very wide range of tones. If you have very deep skin tone, MAC and Eve Pearl are the brands I know of that produce suitable shades for you.







Eve Pearl Salmon Concealer Trio
Attempting to erase every last bit of imperfection often tends to backfire, in my experience. If you circles are severe, apply the salmon correct first, THEN layer on your regular skin-tone concealer. Color-correction minimizes the need to cake on too much product.

Skin Food Salmon Darkcircle Concealer Cream


Read "How to Conceal: Tools and Overview" here!


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