Beauty Goof #3: Eye Concealer Confessions

Women want to choose the right concealer and this is one of the top concerns brought to my attention. How do you know which color is right? This is usually a bit more tricky than choosing the right foundation so the assistance of a pro is highly recommended. Concealer often needs to cover discoloration around the eyes which tends to be blue, red or brown. You have to apply a bit of color theory to get this right. Many women want brightening under the eyes and therefore head straight toward their first mistake - choosing a concealer color that is too light for their skin. A whitish concealer will not cover anything. It will however, add a white streak on top of whatever color your dark circles happen to be. You could end up with a "red white and blue" hue that while perhaps patriotic, is likely not your intent.
What you will likely need for a truly effective cover-up is two products: a color corrector (usually in the form of a cream stick or tube) and a concealer that matches your all-over skin tone.
If your dark circles are more reddish in tone, you will want a corrector that is green to neutralize the discoloration. If you have bluish veins to conceal use a yellow corrector, and if you have brownish dark circles a salmon or peach color works wonders. After you have determined the color of your dark circles and have gently padded the corrector on top of the discoloration, you can now apply the correct concealer. This should always match you skin in depth and in tone just like your foundation. Smashbox, Makeup Forever and DuWop cosmetics provide excellent color neutralizers and concealer options. Stop in Sephora to check them out and solve your concealing queries once and for all!

The Beauty in Caring

While searching photos of Sephora locations in New York City I came across this photo of a Sephora associate volunteering her makeup artist skills for a Methodist charity.

Maybe its the wine I'm drinking right now, or its my PMS (or both) but immediately upon viewing this, tears started flowing down my cheeks! To me it speaks volumes. The woman may not have felt pretty in years (or maybe she has always felt pretty?) yet here she is, at least 80 years old getting a makeover. I wonder what her motivation was to go and have the makeover done. Does this photo make you think about our culture of beauty and how futile the pursuit of physical beauty is? What does this photo make you think about?

Victoria Secret's Seasonal Makeup

Beauty Boo-Boo #2: Brow Neglect

"The eyes are the windows to our souls. The brows are the window treatments." Ah, nope, not exactly Wisdom of the Ancients, but poignant nonetheless. Brows truly are a central communication facial feature. Just think of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind. Boy did Miss Leigh convey a heck of a lot through that half-cocked eyebrow. Brows are the one feature women either tend to over emphasize or ignore completely. I suspect the former is due to women trying too hard to get them right and the latter is due to women too afraid to get them wrong.

Brow grooming is indeed a tricky enterprise. You could rely on someone at a salon to wax them (I recommend this at your own risk of peril) but only: 1.) when you have selected a truly talented pro and 2.) after you have allowed your brows to grow in for 3 weeks. This may be fine for your first attempt at ever shaping your brows but for general up-keep? Who wants nice brows for 3 days and furry ones while waiting for the next waxing appointment? Tweezing may be a a more practical and economical choice as this can be done daily ensuring your brows are consistently groomed. If you are a brow-grooming virgin and will be shaping from "scratch," either consult a professional to guide you or consider purchasing brow stencils. You can get these through a company called Anastasia, a Beverly Hills based company that only sells brow cosmetics. Her stencils come in 4 different shapes and will help you tweeze where you should and block where you shouldn't (available at Sephora).

I am now an official M.A.C. Pro Member. Yessir.

So it's finally here - my M.A.C. Pro card! Woo-hoo! I am so thrilled to get down there and buy some much needed tools before Saturday when I have a bridal party to gussy up. I think I may pick up some eyeshadow colors and concealers as well but that will depend on what fabulous colors I actually view in shop!