Concealer 101: Tips & Tricks Part 2!

Spots

There are hundreds of products aimed at healing spots, but none makes them disappear instantly. That’s where make-up comes in, but be careful- a badly covered spot is more noticeable than one left bare.

1. No Squeezing!!! Squeezing blackheads will enlarge the pores, while spots become inflamed and take longer to heal. For blackheads use clay or hot masks to draw out impurities, and for others invest in a good cleanser and antibacterial wands.
2. Use a firm creamy concealer – anything that dries to a powdery finish will look flaky and make the spot obvious. If you have a raised pimple, use a yellow-toned concealer that’s slightly darker then your skin.
3. Dab the concealer on with your finger or a brush. Once the spot is covered, don’t touch, or you’ll wipe the concealer off the top. Blend the edges around the pimple into the skin.
4. Gently apply foundation, covering the blended edges of the concealer. Leave to absorb and then set with ultra-fine powder – a slightly darker powder than you normally wear can work well to set the concealer.
5. To retouch, make sure you have clean hands, then dab concealer on the pimple and blend the edges. Reset with powder, then leave alone.

Dark Circles

The tell tale signs of late nights or over indulging, dark under eye circles take away our sparkle. Here’s what to do for those stubborn dark circles:

1. Wrap a little grated raw potato in a muslin cloth, or slice a kiwi. Lie down, and apply to the eye area for 15 to 20 minutes. Then pat dry..
2. Apply a light eye cream containing Vitamin K (used by cosmetic surgeons because it prevents bruising), Peptides, or Kinetin.
3. Depending on your skin tone, try a concealer with a pink, peach, or yellow undertone to neutralize the blue and green in the under eye circles. Light-reflecting ingredients will help to down play dark circles.
4. Avoid plum, purple, and red eyeshadows, or you’ll look as if you’ve got black eyes.

Eye Bags

Puffy eye are an indicator of fluid retention and a build-up of toxins in the under eye tissue caused by slow lymphatic drainage. Here’s what to do if you have eye bags..

1. In the long term, cut down on caffeine, alcohol, and salt, eat more fresh fruit and veggies, and drink lots of water. ( I mean lots of water!)
2. Use an eye cream formulated to promote fluid drainage. A cold tea bag, slice of cucumber, or crushed ice wrapped in a muslin cloth can also help to reduce puffiness.
3. After over indulging, sleep with an extra pillow – the additional height will help to promote lymphatic drainage and prevent fluid from accumulating.
4. Avoid rich eye creams, which could cause congestion, or any that contain ingredients that might irritate your eyes..