Click the pic below to enlarge the details for an awesome Cover Fx event coming up in Toronto next Thursday, April 22nd! You can get your hands on a free (that's F-R-E-E) full-size tube of CoverFx ConcealFx!!
What: Cover Fx FlashMob
When: Thursday, April 22nd, 2010 @ 12:00PM-12:30PM
Where: Yonge-Dundas Square (Yonge St. side - I'm sure you won't miss them!)
Details: All you have to do is...show a little skin. Show the Cover Fx troops that will be on-site (in camouflage print...what else?!?) your usual cover-up spots (i.e. undereye circles, redness, sunspots) and they'll make sure you leave armed with a full-size tube of the amazing Conceal Fx.
Conceal Fx is artistrhi approved - you'll find it in both my personal and client kits. Click to check out my review of it.

Will I see you at FlashMob? :)

If you're an avid reader of this blog, you'll know that finding a concealer that truly works is the equivalent of finding the make-up holy grail for me! Even the concealers with the best reviews out there are challenged by my dark circles (yes, that whole New Year's resolution to get more sleep...so not happening just yet!).

I've had to adjust my concealer routine, as things that worked in my early 20s now appear too cakey once applied. What really initially appealed to me about CoverFx's ConcealerFx were the pink and peach based range of tones. Way back in make-up school, my teacher first introduced me to the wonders of orange concealer, in order to colour correct serious undereye circles (i.e. mine!). The faint orange colour worked beautifully to brighten my circles, but the challenge back then was finding that colour in a product on the commercial make-up market. Now thankfully, I can rely on concealers from Laura Mercier, YSL, Make-up Forever and of course CoverFx...all of which you'll find in my personal + client kits! (See told ya, holy grail...)

CoverFx ConcealFx in Medium...just peachy!

What I love about the concealer is how it provides opaque coverage without being cakey or looking dry on the undereye area. The built-in primer helps it stay atop those fine lines (of experience) around the eyes...and to me, that's an instant seller! Overall, the concealer has a lightweight feel and leaves a smooth finish. You need only a tiny dot per undereye area, so be careful to not squeeze too much out of the tube! ConcealFx simply does what it's supposed to do. The quest for a perfect concealer can now be put on pause...again.

Yup, Love in a Tube. Kit essential! Need I say more? :)

top image from coverfx.com

Q: I really appreciate your review on Vichy's Dermablend Concealer, and I'm excited I stumbled upon your blog! It looks very fun and informative. I do have a question on this concealer. I would love to purchase it, but I'm unsure which shade to get. I'm Asian, but not with pale light skin, yet not exactly considered dark. Just very typical Chinese. Would you recommend the light, or the nude? For concealers, is it safer to go lighter or darker, or are either bad? Thanks!
-nudeface

A: Thanks for the wonderful comments and question. Unfortunately, it's difficult for me to recommend which concealer colour you should use without seeing you in person! But with concealer, going lighter is absolutely fine, provided that it is only a couple of shades from your own skin tone. The reason people primarily choose a lighter toned concealer is to brighten dark undereye areas. With this method, you still have to be sure to blend your skin tone matching foundation atop so that the colour on the face is seamless. If you are trying to conceal blemishes, I would choose a concealer colour that matches your skin tone exactly. Using a lighter toned concealer on this area of the skin would only serve to highlight the uneven surface. Be sure to blend well around the edges for a flawless finish.

I'm of Asian background myself and I mix #20 Nude and #30 Medium to get the right shade for covering up the prominent circles under my eyes. I use the #30 Medium on its own to cover up blemishes. Yes, it's a bit more pricey buying two concealers versus one, but investing in quality foundations and concealers is definitely worth the splurge! Think of it this way: you'll have twice as much product to work with and it will last you that much longer!

Oh the ways I rationalize my love for make-up! Hope this helps!

Related posts:
PRODUCT REVIEW | Vichy Concealer
PRODUCT REVIEW | Concealer is a Girl's Best Friend

I know we’re all our own worst critics, but I have serious undereye circles that long for make-up attention. Needless to say, I’ve spent the equivalent to what most people would spend on make-up in total on buying and trying out different concealers. You name it, I’ve probably tried it – at the department store and drugstore level! After much experimentation, here are the concealers that have become staples in my kit (…and yes, I use more than just one!)

Vichy Dermablend ConcealerThe smooth cream concealer offers opaque coverage - you only need a tiny drop to cover up the entire undereye area. As the formula is a bit thicker, women with fine lines should not overdo the amount of application. Cakey undereye make-up can actually defeat the purpose of our concealer application, serving to actually highlight our problem area. The cream formula does double duty, working well to cover up blemishes all day long.

Laura Mercier Secret Concealer #3Renowned make-up Laura Mercier is known worldwide for her “flawless face” approach to make-up. Mercier knows that great make-up starts with a great base...and once the skin is in check, the rest of the face is icing on the cake! Laura Mercier’s Secret Concealer has become part of my daily routine. The putty-like texture of the concealer glides on smoothly to help brighten up my undereye area, giving great coverage without looking cakey. I adore the "slip" of this concealer – you have some time to work with it before it sets in. I find application works best with my most accessible tool – my fingers! The warmth of the fingers helps to you mold the concealer as you desire and blend it seamlessly into the skin. The aptly named concealer helps me keep my secret indeed!

Stila Perfecting ConcealerStila concealers are slightly more liquid in texture, but can still give the heavier coverage that is characteristic of a cream concealer. Stila’s liquid concealer is perfect for under the eyes and concealing prominent dark circles. This concealer also has just the right amount of “slip”, melting into the skin easily but still providing extensive coverage. Stila's Perfecting Concealer comes in a broad range of concealer to suit a variety of skin tones.

YSL Touche EclatThe cult classic and industry favourite, YSL Touche Eclat, is celebrated by beauty editors, models, make-up artists and make-up enthusiasts alike! The sleek gold encased packaging of the concealer pump pen is a prelude of the luxury product within. Just press the bottom pump to release the concealer product on the brush end. The synthetic fibre brush is super-soft on the skin, and perfect for applying to the delicate eye area. The concealer formula itself is lightweight and blends well on undereyes of all ages. Touche Eclat doubles as a highlighter pen: dab it on the tops of the brows, the bridge of the nose, and atop the cheekbones to further soften the focus away from those undereye circles.

I’ve been using Studio Scuplt Foundation for over a month now since its release and the verdict? I’m loving it! The cream foundation glides on smooth and blends well without much effort. Coverage is easily buildable and produces a finish that’s medium to heavy with the more layers you apply. You literally only need a pea-sized drop from the tube to give the face moderate coverage, which is a nice quick fix when putting on my “out-in-public” face on in the morning! When layered on, I prefer the look Studio Scuplt provides over the other staple heavier coverage MAC foundations in my kit (Full Coverage and Studio Fix). With Studio Sculpt, the buildable coverage doesn’t give the face the undesirable flat, matte look – just flawless skin! For those light days when you prefer a sheer and dewy look to your foundation, the formula can easily be thinned out by mixing in a tiny bit of moisturizer.

As for Studio Sculpt Concealer, I found the formula to be too tacky for my liking. The product lasted well on blemishes, but was difficult to work with when applying to the undereye area (my main area of concern when evaluating to see if a concealer "works" for me). Studio Sculpt likely just wasn’t the best concealer for me, as the skin under my eyes has changed from my teens and early 20s (with age, sun exposure, lack of sleep, etc., etc.). The sticky paste formula would blend best on someone with a smooth undereye surface, but I definitely need more “slip” from my concealer. Nonetheless, Studio Sculpt is a great concealer product hiding imperfections well - I just need a little more work!

ARTIST TIP: If your undereyes are similar to mine and are more crepey (ugh, that sounds terrible. Let’s say “have more character”), stick to a concealer formula that has more “slip” (i.e. liquid-based) to help prevent the product from creasing into fine lines around the eye. Yes, character indeed.

Related posts:
BEAUTY 101 | All About Foundation
BEAUTY 101 | The Basics of Concealer

The heavy-hitters at MAC have done it again releasing a new line of face make-up products developed to meet the demands of both make-up artists and everyday customers. In this latest Studio Sculpt collection (available February 7th, 2009 at MAC stores and counters), a new range of cream foundations and concealers have been designed to give the skin a satiny finish with medium buildable coverage. According to Nick Gavrelis, VP of Global Development for MAC, Studio Sculpt "had to have the wear, flexibility and flawlessness that our makeup artists demanded, as well as the comfort, moisturization, smoothing and perfecting qualities that real women have been asking for."

I love how MAC offers the widest range of skin tone selection - they definitely can't be beat in that department. I'm especially looking forward to trying Studio Sculpt concealer, as I'm always on the hunt for the next latest and greatest product to hide my undereye circles (my current fave is Stila Perfecting Concealer)! Since Studio Sculpt is also cream-based, I'm curious to see if they'll work well as contouring products (hopefully the "sculpt" lives up to its name!)

Check back as I'll be sure to post a follow-up on my experience with Studio Sculpt within the coming weeks!

Ever looked at coloured concealer (or foundation) and thought what crazy new make-up gimmick are they trying to get me to buy into now?

The idea behind colour concealer and foundation derives from the colour wheel. Colours that sit opposite of each other on the colour wheel are used to contrast one another. For instance, green and red are opposites on the colour wheel so green concealer is used to neutralize and conceal blemishes, rosacea and other areas of redness in the skin. Dig it?

Here's a brief overview of what coloured concealers and foundations can offer you:

• GREEN
  - tone down redness
  - perfect for blemishes, skin that is prone to redness (i.e. rosacea)

• PEACH
  - brighten dark spots (I love to use it under the eyes), lighten areas of the skin damaged by the sun
  - use for medium yellow to olive skintones

• MAUVE
  - brighten and balance sallow medium yellow skintones
  
  
• YELLOW
  - brighten dark spots/undereye circles
  - use for light warm to medium yellow skintones
  

• WHITE (cool)
  - use it to brighten dark spots or to lighten foundation colours
  
  
• CREAM (WHITE - warm)
  - use it to brighten dark spots or to lighten warm, yellow-based foundation.
  

What kind of formula do I look for?
For blemishes and smaller areas, choose a creamy paste-like, stickier formula. For larger areas, use a lighter liquid texture, as creams will be too obvious when covering these larger areas.

Recommended products:
Lise Watier's concealer portfolio (pictured above) comes in both a palette for light and dark skin tones. The palette contains all the colour correctors needed right at your finger tips, which is particularly ideal for make-up artists who don't always have time to fumble around searching their kits for different products!

For under the eyes, I like to layer MAC's Select Cover in Peach to brighten the under eye area. I always make sure I have at least two of these in my kit, as I tend to go through them pretty quickly.

When all else fails...
If all else fails, it is better to just skip the colour concealer and foundation altogether and instead use your skin-tone coloured one. After all, you don't want to look like the Incredible Hulk when all is said and done with the colour correctors!

You don't have to dish out an arm and a leg for some of the best beauty tools out there: Q-tips that you can pick up from your local dollar store can have mutiple uses for your daily make-up application. These Q-tips are actually ideal for make-up application, as they have minimal cotton (which means the fuzzy bits cotton won't end up on your face--where they shouldn't be!). The lack of cotton also allows for more product transfer as it reduces the amount of product that is absorbed by the Q-tip. Plus, you can get a box of 400 for a $1.14!

The q-tips are perfect for:

• applying concealer
• straightening and refining lines after you've drawn on your eyeliner (see picture at right)
  
• perfecting line shapes after you've drawn on your brows
• cleaning up any runaway mascara on the face (Just be careful and wait until the mascara has dried! Use a tiny bit of make-up remover and swipe the q-tip away from the face on the problem area)
• blending lipliner
• keeping make-up sanitary (avoid double-dipping!)
  
• travelling (if you don't want to lug around brushes)

No sense in spending $5 on a box of 100 'cosmetic' q-tips at your local drugstore...try these dollar store Q-tips out, and for $1 (+ tax) a shot, you can't go wrong!