Concealer Wars, Continued. . .

Chances are that if you asked a makeup artist what their favorite item of makeup is, they will not say "concealer" because it's not very glamourous. However, I'm going to say "Concealer!" because it's the one item I use that makes a noticeable difference immediately. Bye-bye blemishes, so-long redness, sayonara dark circles!

Concealer is the work horse of my makeup kit. After a little skin prep, it's the one item I spend most time mulling over. My eye is constantly looking at any imperfection and thinking "how can I minimize, or get rid of that?" My answer is nearly always with my concealer. Now, there are certainly other tricks and other factors that come into play. . . the condition of the skin (hence, 'skin prep'). For example, dehydrated or oily skin, needs to be neutralized, or brought back to a stasis so that the concealer can properly do it's job and sit evenly on the skin.

For drier skin types, I like the LORAC Double Feature concealer pictured above. It is a creamy stick on one end, that can be applied directly under eyes or on top of blemishes. A roller-ball is encased on this end, presumably to roll over and spread out the concealer. And although the concept of that roller-ball is interesting, I prefer my fluffy MAC #217 brush to blend it out. The other end of this unit houses a highlighter that has a doe-foot applicator, so you can dot it on over the highest edges of cheekbones, brow bones, or wherever you'd like a little shimmer. I would consider this a lightweight concealer, great for spring and summer.

For skin that's oilier, Make Up Forever's Full Cover Concealer, works wonders. It's main attraction for many is that it's waterproof, which especially for brides, is a huge plus. The coverage is spectacular, evening out most dark circles and covering redness. I use my #217 brush to apply this thick, creamy formulation. It's quite blendable, and noticeably more stay-put.

So, my love of concealer continues, which means, I'll always be trying new ones and telling you about the newest in my arsenal of coverage. Both of these products can be found at your nearest Sephora or online at

www.loraccosmetics.com and www.makeupforever.com