Under-eye Concealer Tips!

Hey everyone! Just wanted to pass along a few tips for undereye conecaler application- based on my Try This, Not That concealer video (check that out for specific product recommendations). I feel like the undereye area is a particularly difficult spot to make the concealer look natural- so these tips might be helpful for you...

• Do you apply foundation first, then concealer? I do, in hopes that the foundation will take care of some of my problem areas so I won't have to use as much concealer. Also, the concealer will keep from getting smeared around. However- sometimes when you glance at your undereye area and feel like it's cakey- it's not always the concaeler's fault. Does your foundation look thick, dry, unnatural elsewhere on your face? Chances are it's not going to look great in the undereye area either. So just keep that in mind before you blame the concealer. I'm not saying don't put foundation there- but just be aware of what kinds look fresh and natural for your skin type.

• Don't apply too much undereye concealer. Begin with a very small amount, and build it up only if you think it's necessary. I find that the amount I use varies almost daily, and starting small keeps you from overdoing it. Don't go on auto-pilot-- doing it the exact same way every single day, because your needs will vary.

• Warm it up! A lot of creamy, full coverage undereye concealers are much thicker than the average foundation. I recommend getting some of that creamy concealer on your finger, and rubbing it together with another finger. This will immediately make the texture just the slightest bit thinner- and it'll mesh with your skin in a more natural way.

• As you apply concealer to the under-eye, there are some extremely dry kinds that I prefer to just press into the skin, so the heat of my fingers can continue to work its magic. However not every concealer requires it... and there's a new generation of brushes that I think is fantastic for buffing out your concealer- they're the Sigma Sigmax Precision brushes. A side benefit to these brushes- as you blend, you also pick up a certain amount of excess product with the brush.

After experimenting with all of these brushes, I especially love the rounded one (P82, second from the left), and the new flat angled one (P88, far right). Check them out here on Sigma's website. 

• Mattify. Some concealers leave a very moisture-rich texture which can make bags or anything that's not smooth under the eye seem much more obvious. Let's face it, we're not always wanting to just conceal blue-toned darkness of under-eye circles, but also the shadows that bags can create on the face. A light dusting of powder over the concealer can work wonders for making that whole area look smooth, even, and bright. You can use anything from a face powder to Bare Minerals Bisque (careful- it's full coverage). If you have an extra fluffy eye blending brush- these fit nicely in the undereye area and don't pack on the powder as much as a flat concealer brush.

• Blot! This was a tip that I mentioned at the end of my concealer video, but before you finish your makeup, double check those little lines under your eye area. You don't always notice this immediately after concealer application- but after a few minutes- you may see product settling in those lines. It's something pretty much all concealers will do. But if you blot over those lines with a q-tip, you can remove that excess product. It'll help your lower liner stay in-tact also, since that creamy concealer isn't interacting with eyeliner, mascara, etc.

Hope these tips were helpful for you! These are the kinds of things I feel like I'm often tweeting with people back & forth about, so I thought I might as well devote a blog post to it! :)

♥

Daily Nuggets...

• I finished season 2 of Pretty Little Liars last night. Kind of freaking out about how I'm going to be able to start watching season 3! Help! 
• Filling up my planner with packing lists for the Germany trip. Today on the Beauty Broadcast Facebook page we've been discussing German makeup trends. Very interesting! :)  
• I dusted today. It's an oddly satisfying experience. 
• Friday I had a lovely phone conversation with a man (news viewer) who insists that I say Illinois wrong. Honey, I've lived here all my life! I can think of a handful of other words I need to be critiqued on before that one.
• Any Beauty Broadcasters in the path of Hurricane Isaac? Hope you are safe!!
• More Beauty Vlogcast videos (including Ask Tyler, What's in my Bag, & more)- after the Germany trip! I will also try to post quick blog updates while on the trip, if possible!
• Anyone else watch beauty videos while working out? Today during a less-than-strenuous workout I also managed to browse MallyBeauty.com, where I began watching her endless video how-to's on her products. Super helpful & entertaining!
• Well I think that's enough nuggets for one day. See ya next time!!