Using concealers

Concealers can be used to correct, camouflage and lighten imperfections, blemishes, and under eye circles. Using too light of a concealer will give you raccoon eyes. Applying it to the whole under eye area when you have a puff and a circle will just defeat the purpose. When you begin shopping for a concealer youâll find they come in stick, wand, pot, tube, compact and pencil form. Concealer comes in a variety of skin tone shades and several correction shades such as yellow to correct blue, green to correct redish areas, blemishes and scars and violet for sallow skin tones. Others have light reflecting, or brightening qualities.

What's out there:

Several of those that brighten and illuminate would be Prescriptives Magic Correcter and Concealer Sticks, Revlon, CoverGirl "Illuminator" stick concealer ($4.95) and Alexandria DeMarkoff "Disguise for eyes "an eyeshadow base that lights up the eye area $25. Prescriptives line of products called "Magic" optically transforms the skin manipulates light and shadow and obscures imperfections to create the illusion of flawless skin. This is a definite gotta see, with several formulations including a liquid loose powder that is mostly water and goes on feeling wet. It evens out the skin tone on days when you donât want to wear foundation. They can't keep Magic in the stores, so you may have to look for it. I like a treatment cream they have called "Vibrant" that is a moisturizer packed with vitamins and light reflecting qualities that makes my skin feel more· ah·. Vibrant! "Spotlight" by Estee Lauder, ($30) is another product that is also a treatment and evens out the skin tone.

Check out Laura Mercier "secret concealer" $18, or "secret camouflage" $26. Secret camouflage has 2 shades in each compact, one to match your skinâs undertone and one to match skin tone. Physician's Formula has created a full line of corrective cosmetics including "Makeup Artist Palette", $9.95 a waterproof sectional palette with three color correcters and one natural finish foundation shade. Also in their line are neutralizer creams for larger skin discolorations, "Beauty Spiral", a swirl of corrective color with vitamin A, C & E a variety of cream and powder sticks. Vincent Longo presents "duo concealer", in a rollup stick. It's got one side in yellow to correct blue tones and one in flesh for both light and medium complexions. Very silky to the touch! Trucco concealer in neutral is another nice find with good coverage. Dermablend has several shades and consistencies of concealers for not only under eye circles but for legs, and body ranging in the $14-$23 range.

How to apply:

First use a good quality eye cream patting it onto the circle area. You can also mix the concealer with a little eye cream if it is too thick. I like to apply the concealer exactly where I want using a thin brush. If you use your finger you are risking lightening the puff area. Be sure to get right into the circle area only lifting and lowering your head to see how light reflects onto the area. Be sure to also cover the inside of the nose bridge and the outside corner of your eye where we all tend to be dark or red. Use the undertone or corrective color first and follow with either a foundation or concealer that matches your skin tone. If you have very puffy eyes, you can paint a darker concealer on the puff to minimise the area. ALWAYS set your concealer with sheer, translucent powder. And take care of the undereye area with good skin care and nutrition. Itâs a delicate area. Don't rub your eyes, and pat from the outside corner in in round soft taping motions.

TIPS

• To cover blemishes using a brush, stroke a little concealer and no-color powder onto the brush and then apply to the blemish. It will stay better.
• To cover tattoos or bruises use an orange under toned concealer that has good pigmentation then apply a stick or cream foundation with good coverage and match,

 BaB