Smashbox Photo Op Under Eye Brightener

My relationship with Smashbox Photo Op Under Eye Brightener started on the wrong foot, as the first sample squirted out uncontrollably, sending my silk dress straight to the cleaners. Several sample tubes later, I'm still not impressed. A very shimmery peach does nothing for me or for  my dark under-eye circles, except drawing even more attention where I want none.

You can clearly see the shimmery finish in the swatch and also that it's not a good match for olive skin. For some reason, Photo Op Under Eye Brightener doesn't come in any other shades, so what you see is what you get.

Bottom Line: Get YSL Touche Eclat or Guerlain Precious Light.

Smashbox Photo Op Under Eye Brightener ($18) is available from Sephora and smashbox.com.

Photos by me.

Edward Bess Platinum Concealer (Soft Beige)

I'm very much a liquid/cream concealer fan. My skin can get very dry very fast, so I'm wary of textures that might cake, flake or look scaly, especially if I'm already trying to hide something. But I trust Edward Bess with my face and was happy to discover his Platinum Concealer that only comes in a solid stick formula is actually creamy, easy to blend and very dry skin-friendly.

I apply Platinum Concealer with various brushes- from a precision point concealer brush to flat ones for wider areas and even a foundation brush when using it under my eyes. The Edward Bess formula gives excellent coverage while melting seamlessly into any foundation or tinted moisturizer and allowing for easy blending. It never makes my skin look dry and doesn't flake.

Soft Beige is one of four available colors. It was easy to pick it as the right shade for me- it has just enough yellow and no muddy or ruddy tones. I used quite a bit of product for the photos, but in normal use you only need a tiny amount-it gives an excellent coverage with a very natural look, so that's another huge advantage of this Edward Bess concealer.

Note to self: Venture out of your comfort zone more often.

Edward Bess Platinum Concealer ($38) is available at Bergdorf Goodman, select Neiman Marcus location (as well as online) and edwardbess.com

All photos are mine. Models: Buffy, Giselle and Josephine.

Laura Mercier Undercover Pot

Today we'll be taking a much needed break from all the shiny and new colorful items to talk about a hardworking perennial staple: Laure Mercier Undercover Pot. This 3-in-1 multitasker is travel-friendly both is size and sturdiness and offers two concealers (one for dark under-eye circles and one for other facial imperfections) and a loose setting powder in a double decker format.

In the left pan at the top there's Laura Mercier's Secret Camouflage. The oil-free and rather dry formula is mostly intended to cover blemishes and other unsightly issues. I use it to hide discolorations and the annoying redness that occurs around the nose, but since it's a bit to dry for comfort I mix Secret Camouflage with other substances according to need: cream, lotion, liquid foundation or tinted moisturizer. It gives a very good coverage without caking or looking too obvious. Using a concealer brush and blending carefully is essential, but that's a given.

Secret Concealer, the emollient substance in the right pan, is designated to hide under-eye darkness. It's more pigmented than one would expect and much darker than your Touche Eclat-style brighteners. As a result I use it in a somewhat different way- not so much to highlight the area but to blend and even out the part where the dark circle merge with the rest of the face. It makes any discolored areas disappear and gives an even look.

It's important to blend and work both concealers into your foundation or tinted moisturizer to make your face really polished and flawless (and not resemble a calico kitten). A technique I learned from the wonderful makeup artists of Le Metier de Beaute is to mix different ratios of foundation and concealer before applying to various parts of your face. This way you have maximum control over color, texture and coverage. Obviously, this  works with any brand.

The bottom of the pot contains Laura Mercier's Translucent Loose Setting Powder. The one that comes in the #2 shade has just the right hint of yellow to it, so it doesn't turn an olive complexion into an ash-covered mask. It melts right into the skin, giving it a natural finish and keeping everything in place. The pot is really small, so full size powder brushes aren't ideal here. What I use instead is the mini Kabuki brush that comes with those Bare Escentual trial kits.

Bottom Line: A staple in my travel bag.

Laura Mercier Undercover Pot ($34) is available from most decent department stores as well as from Sephora.

Photos are mine.

Lancome Concealers: Effacernes and Maquicomplet

Have I mentioned that concealer is my friend? I especially like liquid ones, though I've come across a few new thicker formulas (stick and creams) that are quite excellent. Still, I find it easier to get optimal results and control when using a liquid concealer.

These two minis from Lancome came from various GWP events, so I didn't get to pick the shade. Still, both are quite versatile and I've been using them successfully. Maquicomplet gives full coverage and has a natural satin-like finish. It smooths over imperfections and doesn't cake or make the problem area look dried up. It covers all but the darkest freckles and blends easily into any foundation or tinted moisturizer I have underneath. The sponge applicator is not ideal- I'd rather use brushes or fingertips and the idea of double dipping, especially if one has blemishes is the germaphobe's worst nightmare.

Correcteur is a bit too yellow for my liking, but I find it actually neutralizes redness very well. My choice for this Lancome concealer would be Light Buff. I tested it in store and it seems like a better match, though with department store lighting you can never be completely sure.

Effacernes is a waterproof under-eye concealer. It's very light and almost melts into the skin, which is a lot more effective than trying to coat and paint that area. Effacernes is different than my favorite under-eye products in its matte finish- I usually go for the highlighter pens (Lancome has one of those which I haven't tried yet) and prefer their results, but there's something to be said for a waterproof natural coverage, especially in the hot and super humid weather we've been experiencing lately. This tube came in Clair II, which is visibly too drak and ashy for me. If I were to get it it would have to be in either Light Buff or Light Bisque.

Lancome Concealers  Effacernes and Maquicomplet ($28.50 each) are available from every department store under the sun.

Photos by me.

Smashbox High Definition Concealer (Light and Medium)

I bought Smashbox High Definition Concealer because I liked the idea of a high-def liquid concealer and all the promises of a good for your skin formula and soft focus pearls (whatever those are). The theory was very appealing, but after a week of testing I was ready to write a grumpy review because of texture issue. For some reason I kept working with it, trying the concealer with different foundations, brushes and on various parts of my face until I had it all figured out:

1. The biggest issue is inconsistency. I have two tubes and the the liquid in Light keeps sweating and separating. Medium is thicker though not really dry. It might be a fluke or a faulty batch, but I bought the concealers directly from smashbox.com. I'd expect them to have the highest turnover and freshest products.

2. That said, the concealer is very easy to apply and blend. The liquid is feather light and doesn't cake or pool where you don't need it and doesn't settle into fine lines.

3. It's the first concealer I've come across that clearly works better with some foundations and not with others. My initial frustration was because lighter products like Chanel Vitalumier and the tinted moisturizer from Le Metier de Beaute don't blend well with this concealer, unless you apply them over it and work it with your brushes. My preference is to start with foundation to get and even basic coverage and then use as little concealer as possible.In any case, Smashbox foundation works best with this concealer.

4. The best brush to use with the High Definition concealer is Smashbox no. 4. It's quite thick, soft and spreads the concealer over areas that need it. Thinner brushes and especially pointed ones don't grab the liquid well enough.

5. Which leads us to this concealer's strength and weakness. It's best for covering dark circles and patches of discoloration. It's not the right product for blemishes or tiny imperfections that call for precise work and brushes.

6. I got the concealer in two shades (there are five available), Light and Medium. Both have the yellow/beige undertone I need. I blend them according to the area I'm covering: lighter under the eyes, darker on the cheeks or chin.

There you have it. Bottom line: Not perfect but a pretty good product after all.

Smashbox High Definition Concealer ($18 each) is available from Nordstrom, Sephora, Ulta and smashbox.com.

Photos by me.

YSL Touche Eclat and Chanel Stylo Eclat Lumiere

YSL Touche Eclat has been around forever. I still remember many years ago when my mom bought this miracle pen for the first time. The concept of a concealer-highlighter was quite revolutionary and for a while YSL was more or less alone in this arena. I can't be sure, but the formula has probably changed and improved over the years. They have added several shades, which helps a lot, though my last visit to the Yves Saint Laurent counter at Saks found three SAs peering over my face trying to determine my undertone. It went something like this:
SA 1: "well, you're not pink. Do you have blue undertone?"
SA2: "No, she's not blue. You're not blue, Dear"
SA3: "Maybe yellow? I don't know"
SA1: "Green! What goes with green?"

Thus I was officially diagnosed as a Martian.

The chosen Touche Eclat shade, by the way, was No. 2. I use it as a highlighter and blend it with a soft concealer brush under my eyes and often apply a tiny amount above my upper lip to enhance the Cupid's bow. But Touche Eclat is not really a concealer, and at times I want something just as light, with the same texture, but also a little coverage. I've tried several products at various makeup counters and ended up with Chanel's Eclat Lumiere. It's actually labeled a highlighter as well, but testing and side-by-side comparing has shown that it gives me just a bit more coverage where I need it, like around the nose. I use Medium, No.35, which is a good match and slightly darker than my Touche Eclat. I couldn't take a decent photo that shows the shades and the difference, so the picture above is all you get, together with the recommendation to try both and see what works for you. And use a real brush when blending. Both pens have an applicator with plastic bristles that aren't good enough for the delicate blending task.

YSL Touche Eclat and Chanel Stylo Eclat Lumiere (both sell for $40) are available from most decent department stores and the companies' websites. I usually buy them at Saks or Bergdorf.

Photo by me.

29 Cosmetics Concealor-Corrector Palette

There's something about concealer palettes that looks very professional and gives the impression one really knows what she's doing. It might have something to do with blending several colors together or with the confidence of applying a green paste to your face and actually making everything look nice and smooth. That's what made the Concealor-Corrector palette from 29 Cosmetics so appealing (the elegant packaging didn't hurt, either).

The palette offers three natural concealer shades and a green one that evens out redness. The concealers allow for blending and creating the exact color needed for every part of the face that requires coverage. It takes some work, but it's not rocket science- one color has a yellow base, one is more pink, so it's easy to figure out how much of each would look best. It's great to have all the options in one palette, so you don't need to spread several pots and pans over your vanity. The darkest concealer is too dark for me in this pale phase of my life, so I don't really use it. But the green shade is great. It really helps with redness around the nose and anywhere else.

The texture and consistency of the concealers is quite thick, so I don't use it under my eyes, where I prefer light, illuminating liquid concealers. I regard this 29 Cosmetics product as a spackle for unsightly imperfections anywhere else on the face, where it does a great job. I skip the applicators that come with the compact and use good concealer brushes that make it easier to blend.

Bottom line: Great. More brands should offer such palletes.

29 Cosmetics Concealor-Corrector Palette ($36) is available from Neiman Marcus and 29cosmetics.com. I bought it online.

Photos by me.

Creaseless- Laura Geller Concealer Pen

After last week's TheBalm fiasco, we all deserve a concealer that actually delivers. Laura Geller liquid concealer in a pen with a plastic brush does the work wonderfully. Over the last month it has become my favorite little miracle. I'm using the one in Medium, but also did some testing on the Light, which was a bit too sheer for me. I actually considered buying both and blending them together, but eventually decided that Medium works perfectly by itself in terms of coverage, and the shade is exactly what I need.

I put it on either on top of my regular foundation and blend them together, or, on a good skin day, I use it on bare face. One click of the pen usually dispenses more product than I actually need, so this is my only gripe here. I'd prefer if it came in a tube with a brush or even a sponge applicator. I use the brush to dot the concealer where I need it, and then spread and blend either with my finger or with a tiny concealer brush.

The creaseless wonder melts into the skin, covers everything it's supposed to and stays put for long hours (topped with some kind of powder product). I can't talk about hiding wrinkles, but it covers sun spots, blemishes (without caking on them!), redness on the sides of the nose and that pesky shade under the eyes. I only use it in that area on the darkest part, not the entire under eye (see M. Lisa below, though she could probably use a little more product, since her eyes are kind of bulgy) and it does the trick.


Am I the only one who prefers liquid concealers to the more caulky stuff?

Laura Geller Crease-Less Concealer is available from Sephora, which is where I tested it several times and bought mine for $22.50.

If I could turn back time I wouldn't buy this- TimeBalm Concealer by TheBalm

It's very rare nowadays that I get caught up in a Sephora hype over a brand, buy it and then desperately try to make it work, until finally giving up and just tossing it out. Seriously, this is a humbling experience, because I should know better, right? I have good beauty instincts that normally save me from the god-awful. Just not this time.

I bought a TheBalm concealer in Medium, based on the promises it would do away with my dark circles, cover imperfections, sleek the unsmooth and clean the litterbox. I never got to test the last one, because the concealer caked, refused to blend into either a foundation or my skin and the worst part was when it came to that under-eye issue. It set into the skin texture in an ashy color that showed what a future without botox would look like.

I tried everything: a brush, my finger and makeup sponges, including the one that came in the tin. It didn't imrove any. This concealer was the most disappointing beauty product I've tried in a very long time.

An Uneven Road to Perfection: BECCA Complexion Products

You know all those regurgitated magazine articles about the most common makeup mistakes and no-nos: The obvious foundation on the jawline, the dark lip liner with pink lipstick, the unblended eyeshadow... It's all true, but no longer as common as it once used to be. People do learn, eventually. What's far more common is the half-done makeup: You see a woman who obviously took the time to carefully do her eye makeup, maybe even curled her lashes, chose the right lip color and dabbed on some gloss, but the problem is that she did all that on an uneven surface or skipped a step in the complexion perfection routine. And it shows.

(Another complexion pet peeve is the over-buffing of mineral makeup that results in an unnatural shiny mask. One day when we look back at makeup blunders of this decade, this is going to be at the top of every list, together with excessive smoky eyes that reach the apple of one's cheek, but that's a discussion for another day.)

Once upon a time, before primers appeared on the market, it used to be hard to keep a natural, even face without having to redo the whole thing mid-day. Thankfully, we now have eye primers that do not let eyeshadow crease or fade, and face primers that help us keep up appearances from day to night. They come in two formulas: Clear silicon, like the excellent Smashbox Photo Finish, that glides over the skin and smoothing it, and thin creamy ones that melt into the skin, refining its texture (like the Sephora brand, Shiseido Smoothing Veil and many others).

BECCA Silky Hydrating Primer belongs to the latter group. It's supposed to be a moisturizer as well as a primer, but I wouldn't recommend giving up your usual product. It worked well on top of my regular cream and did a good job at keeping the skin supple and my makeup in place for long hours. The texture is very thin, and since it comes in a regular tube, it dispenses more than needed and is quite wastefull.

The primer worked better with my regular Chanel foundation than with BECCA's own Luminous Skin Color, but that's not really surprising since the LSC is more of a tinted moisturizer than a full-blown foundation. As such, it's lighter in coverage and quite sheer. It feels pleasant on the skin and gives it a nice, healthy finish. I really liked the way it looked: Fresh but without that silly dewey look many light products give. I liked less the way the pump bottle works: It's so squirty, I'm constantly having to wipe the lotion of various surfaces in my bathroom.
Since the coverage is so light, this product requires a touch of concealer on problem areas underneath.

BECCA's compact concealer is a two-in-one deal. You get two intensity levels of coverage: medium and extra. Both are quite thick, which makes blending tricky, especially in the eye area. Also, all the concealer brushes I own are quite useless with this texture. It only works with fingers, which isn't the most hygienic thing ever. The coverage is better than many other concealer I've tried, but the blending issue is a big one in a product that needs to not be seen. The biggest flaw is in the packaging: You need to keep the little plastic insert that tells you which side is which, because you really don't want the pasty extra coverage under your eyes. Believe me: I tried. Quite annoying.

The finishing touch for every well-made face is powder. The one BECCA is offering is loose, very fine milled and gives a truly fabulous, natural look (lovely finish that blends perfectly with the skin and never looks powdered), but only if one manages to work the correct amount, because the packaging, again, doesn't make it easy. What I do, is get some powder on the puff, and then swipe a brush over it. It's a bit of a hassle, even if the results are good.

"And it was all yellow"

As a latecomer to the "stuff you put on your eyes before makeup" scene, I haven't tried Lemon-Aid from Benefit Cosmetics until recently. This isn't exactly a primer, nor is it a concealer, which is why expectations should not include eliminating dark circles or making makeup last longer. What this product does is take care of red and purple discoloration of the eyelids. It isn't supposed to be used on the under-eye area and doesn't provide coverage or any de-puffing action.

Lemon-Aid is a light yellow cream that has a somewhat waxy textures. It needs to melt a little before patting it on the skin. I know that for some people the texture makes it a bit difficult to use, but I had no problem with application. The tiniest amount is enough to do the promised trick and get rid of the redness. I wouldn't go as far as to say that you don't need eye makeup when wearing it, at least not in my case, because of my naturally dark eyelids, but it provides a good starting point for makeup application, especially for light colors that I sometimes have a problem making them show.

In this sense, it does work the way you'd expect from a primer: Easier application, you need less because shadows spread more evenly and looks better. However, unlike the wonderful Urban Decay eye primer that is a cream-to-powder formula, this waxy product is all cream, which means that sooner or later (two hours in my case) you start seeing creasing, and the makeup doesn't last as long as it should. I tested it with several Dior eye shadows as well as with the Bourjois I reviewed a few days ago. All are very high quality, so the blame isn't on them. Lemon-Aid is just not a primer, and can't be expected to perform like one.

It can be used in combination with a real primer. The question is: Why? I'm as high maintenance as the next beauty blogger, but I don't like loading up my face with layers of products. This is actually why I resisted the primer revolution for as long as I did. I'd rather not use two primers where one is sufficient. Then again, I don't have that big of a problem to cover.
I'd still use Lemon-Aid when I don't need my makeup to hold for a full day and I'm trying to keep things light, but it isn't a must-have as far as I'm concerned.

Covering Some Ground

I had skin on my mind when I entered Sephora earlier this week. My original intention was to have a look at the Nars skin care line, and especially at their brightening serum that got rave reviews from several bloggers. Koneko wrote that it would work as a primer, as well as being an under foundation glow thingy, only with very little shimmer and some serious skin benefits. Sounds perfect, only problem that neither the store on 5th Ave/19th st. nor the one on Union Square had the skin care products. Also, they didn't have the new makeup collection for spring. I wanted to check the Corinthe lipstick and see what was all the fuss about the Habanera eye shadow duo. But it was not to be. Curiously enough, all these products are available on the Sephora web site, just not in the stores I visited.

But I was not leaving without some goodies. I wanted a serum and was thinking about brightening. I have a couple (as in two, actually) of freckles/spots that I could do without (note to self: get very serious about using a sun block), so I picked up Caudalie's Vinoperfect Radiance Serum. I figured that it was worth a chance before I try the really big guns like ReVive that require taking a mortgage. It'll be about a month before I can write a review (4-6 weeks until you're supposed to see results), but so far it feels nice under my moisturizing cream (still rocking Secret de Vie with excellent results).

The other thing I wanted was a new concealer. I'm nearly out of the discontinued Chanel one, and after nearly nine months it's time for replacement. The selection of concealers in every Sephora store (or at any department store, or even Target) is bordering on the overwhelming. There are so many brands and they all make concealer in every texture and consistency under the sun. Trying them on is way less fun than playing with lip gloss. The results aren't that striking and you're forced to pay careful attention to an area of your face you usually do your best to ignore: the under eye (cue horror movie music).

I knew that I prefer something on the creamy side, which ruled out a product or two. Then I decided to zero in on Lorac, just because I dearly love Carol Shaw's products. Everything I purchased so far has been a success, both in texture and color. The tiny pots of creamy Coverup concealer caught my eye and I tried it on. My initial guess that I needed the C3 proved to be wrong. My color was actually C2, light.

The cream went on easily (I used my finger), looked smooth and did magic for my undereye circles. It is as close to erasing them as I could hope for. The color blended nicely with my skin, didn't crease or sink into it, thus avoiding the bad effect that too thick concealer create on my face. It also evened out my skin where needed and brightened that suspicious side-of-the-nose area. It's actually a very light product. It glosses over the dark areas, but it doesn't cover those two dark freckles I have on my cheeks. So, if you need more than a moderate coverage this might not be the concealer for you. But, for a light-handed smoothing and brightening job it's perfect and I couldn't be happier.

Coverup has an excellent staying power (I do use primer most days, but it lasts even without it) and keeps in place through the day or a night out on the town. No fading/creasing/flaking. The first Sephora I went to was temporarily actually out of C2 (as is the website), but the one on Union Square still had several, and Beauty.com has it in stock.

My Adventure at the Chanel Counter

‘Tis the season for new makeup, new looks and the general renewal. Combine that with my sister’s upcoming wedding and you see why I was heading to the Chanel counter at Saks. Well, my formal excuse was that I was running out of my beloved Vitalumier foundation (in beige. I’ve never had a foundation that matched my skin tone so well). Also, I’ve come to realize that the dark under eye circles have won permanent residency on my face and are about to apply for citizenship, so with a special occasion looming ahead there might be a need for a good concealer.

The Chanel lady insisted that I try a stick concealer. I’m not a fan of those, because they are just too heavy for my under eye area. But I relented. It was awful. Even the warmest beige turned ash grey on my skin (that’s what green undertones would do to you) and it was cakey and pasty, setting into the skin in a way that aged me 20 years, and not in a graceful way. The thin barely-there crow feet became instant wrinkles.

A quick clean up and my friendly (but tired and not very interested) Chanel lady has produced the liquid stuff. Medium beige, and this time it was the right color, right texture, just a dab erased the green and I was happy enough to start playing with the new eye shadow palette- Goldrush.



I’m usually a bit skeptic about shadows so light- too often they don’t have enough pigment in them to actually show. But these were great. I can use the gold and bronze for evening and the shimmery pink and beige for day. It’s the kind of pretty that makes you happy.


While the helpful lady was at the back I checked the Glossimer and nail polish. The nail colors were not for me- one too coraly and the other one too shimmery. I did get the Glossimer in Summer Plum. It only adds a hint of color to my naturally dark lips, but again with the pretty.

Then came the disappointment- they were out of the concealer. Unfazed, I paid for my other products and went across the mall to Bloomie’s, where I’ve learned that Chanel have actually discontinued their liquid concealer. You can still find it at a few stores and online retailers, but the formal Chanel retailers (like gloss.com and others only offer it in one color- roselight, which I suspect that is very wrong for me. I ended up getting my medium beige from beutifulperfume.com. It’s the first time I’ve bought something from them, so I opted to pay with PayPal. We’ll see how it goes.

That was my Chanel adventure. It reminded me why I don’t like cosmetic counters, but sometimes they are necessary evil, since my local Sephora (and the other one I frequent more, near my husband’s Union Square office) don’t carry Chanel, so I can’t experiment on my own.

And on a side note, the big online stores need to improve the way colors and textures are displayed. What you find at Chanel’s is so 1999. Lancôme’s web site is way better in this regard.