Concealer. Sometimes we can’t live with it, but we definitely can’t live without it.

There seem to be a zillion formulas of concealer on the market, and for each formula, there are several shades. Choosing the right concealer for your complexion and the flaws you’re looking to hide can be quite a challenge.

In my quest for finding the perfect concealer, I stumbled across Mary Kay’s Color Concealer and I’ve been hooked ever since. Its formula is creamy, but not gloppy. The coverage it provides is thorough, but not paint-like. There are several colors, but not so many that you’re left with your head spinning as to which one is your best choice. And the best part? If you are buying through an Independent Beauty Consultant, you can try before you buy, ensuring that you get the best color for you. And if for some reason the concealer you choose ends up not being right, you are able to return or exchange the product. Fabulous!

I know there are a ton of concealers out there that are fantastic and if you have a fave, please share with us and let us know. But for a mere $10 and delivery right to your door, I have found that the Mary Kay Color Concealer is a great product at a great price. Definitely a personal fave!

Image: MaryKay.com

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Congratulations! You’ve found the perfect lipstick shade. That’s Major Accomplishment #1. Now, to tackle Major Accomplishment #2 – keeping that glorious lipstick off of your teeth!

Not to worry, it’s actually quite easy to do. Here, a few tips to keep your new shade on your pout and not on your chompers:

• Use a lipstick primer before you slather on your color. This quick tip helps keep lipstick in place and eliminates bleeding and the color migration.
• Dust lipstick with a loose powder to set the color. Just grab a facial tissue and separate it into 1-ply. Place the tissue over your lips, then dust on the powder. Voila! A set look without the powder showing through.
• And finally, after applying lipstick (particularly when you’re on the go and don’t have time to utilize the first two tips), place your index finger between your lips and slide it out. Any extraneous color will go there instead of on your teeth.

These have been tried and true tips I’ve used for years. Do you have any to add? We’re all ears (eyes)…

Image: Drugstore.com

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Let’s face it, ladies. Even in the winter our fabulous selves can end up shiny, leaving a mess of the makeup we so diligently applied that very morning.

So what’s a girl to do? Grab some of these Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets, that’s what!

For only $4.76 on Drugstore.com, you can get yourself some of these awesome little sheets to stuff everywhere from your handbag to your car’s glove compartment, to your desk at work to wherever. Any time you glance in the mirror and see a little oil slick forming, grab a sheet and dab it over the shiny areas to restore your beautiful finish.

I use these daily and promise you your makeup will remain in tact, but the grease will be gone. They’re handy and easy and completely economical. Easily one of my favorite face-saving products of all time.

Have you tried these (or another brand)? Let us know what you think in the comments below…

Image: Drugstore.com

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In full disclosure I have met the owner of Smart Cover, Flori Roberts (the blonde in the picture), at a dinner I attended back in September. Let me tell you this woman is a firecracker. I LOVED her. So when she told me about her product line, I was honored that she wanted to hear my opinion on it.

When receiving products I’ve learned not to judge a book by its cover. I’ve reviewed products in glorious packaging only for the product to completely fall short of its claims and I’ve reviewed products in poor packaging that are incredibly amazing. Have you experienced this too? Smart Cover’s packaging is a mix of good and bad. The concealer tubes and concealer sticks are good quality, but the bronzer packaging is not as good a quality. However, like I said, packaging is not everything and when it comes down to it—it’s the quality of the product that counts.

The Concealing Creme is a heavy duty concealer and works really great. Go easy applying it because less is more. If you put too much, it does look cakey. If you don’t need an “industrial” type concealer, there is the Smart Cover Stick, which has the look of a lipstick and applies with a thinner and lighter texture. Another Godsend was the Anti-Feathering Stick for lips. It felt great on and kept my lipstick from…feathering of course!

Smart Cover products can be purchased individually or in a kit and they are pretty affordable. You can see them all at www.smartcover.com. If you’ve tried them I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Photo Credit: SmartCover.com

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1. Under eye circles
2. Splotchy red skin
3. Age and sun spots.

NOC, which stands for “Neutralize, Obliterate and Conceal” does just that in creating a flawless look to your skin and hiding all of those imperfections that no one needs to know about.

I’m already used to wearing yellow concealer for around my nose, my eye lids and any blemishes and cover up for under my eyes, but what sealed the deal for me was the salmon colored concealer actually working to hide my sun spots on my forehead.

I part my hair off to the side with side swept bangs and the sun has been relentless in leaving behind tons of sun spots on that exposed area of my forehead. I’ve never used anything that could conceal them until I tried NOC-Out. The color blended in with my skin tone leaving no trace of those wretched spots behind.

I heard about NOC-Out through Beautyfix. (Have you checked them out yet?) You can get this product through membership there (which is worth it!) or it is available through Redpoint.com for $38.

*Photo Credit: Redpoint

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Before receiving it, I was encouraged by the fact that the oily skin version contains kaolin clay, well known for its oil absorbing abilities. I’m a huge fan of clay masks for facials, so I knew the powder version for applying under my makeup would work just as well. If you’ve ever used a clay mask, then you know how when you rinse your face, all traces or oil and shine have vanished.

The best part is only having to use it where you tend to shine the most, and being a 10 gram jar for only $18.50 means this will last you a very long time. www.purelycosmetics.com

*Photo Credit: Purely Cosmetics

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I picked up this little gem in 02mid, which really appears to go on more translucent to blend in with my skintone. (I also must’ve gotten it on sale because I definitely did not pay $21 for it.) The power is very very fine and even makes your skin feel powdery soft. You lightly dust it over your “shine spots” which generally for me, is my entire face. It kept my skin looking matte for about 4-5 hours–so perfect when you are going to those Holiday parties or an impromptu photo opp arises.

The powder itself is talc, so beware if you have allergies to that. Otherwise, I have fallen in love with it and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a matte makeup finish.

Find it at Target online and instores for $21.

*Photo Credit: Jemma Kidd

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Lord & Berry’s Ultimate Touch Eraser Pencil (only $9!) is an essential to any makeup bag. This clear glycerin-like pencil magically erases any mistakes and easily glides across your skin. I found that for shadows, both cream and powder, that it simply vanishes. However for things like a dark eyeliner, it will work a little differently. Instead of covering it up so that it disappears, it “melts” it and you’ll simply have to take a Q-tip and gently swipe it across it. It disappears just leaving the rest of your makeup perfectly intact.

I think I can safely add this to my can’t live without category.

*Photo Credit: Amazon

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Concealers can be used to cover blemishes, dark circles, puffs, redness, breakout, bags etc., but what to use and where?

* Most people think that one color will address all but that is not the case. Puffs and breakout and raised and need to be addressed with a shade darker than skin tone. This will make the problem recede.

* Lighter colors advance so, one or two shades lighter than skin tone will help with darker circles and areas of redness.

* As your skintone changes during the course of the year, you will need to consider a couple different concealer shades. Take a look at our Concealer trios or you can “customize” one yourself!

* Always use a brush with a concealer (especially under the eyes to get right up under the lashes!) Warm it up on the back of your hand to get it closer to body temperature (which will help in ease of application). With our concealer, you can pack it on or blend it down and use like foundation. You can completely control the amount of coverage you get! There is actually no need for foundation as with our formula you can really kill two birds with one stone!

* Under the eyes, “paint” in the direction from tear duct out. Remember, less is more and only put it where you need it. Too much concealer can look like reverse raccoon eyes! Feather our edges for a seamless look and set with a bit of translucent powder by using a clean eye shadow brush and pressing it into the areas where concealer is applied, then brush excess away. It won’t move!

* When picking out a concealer, always look for something with a bit of yellow in it which will cut redness (or purple) and brighten.

* Try using concealer as shadow base or lipstick base. Remember a perfectly primed canvas will give the truest sense of color.

* Be wary of color correctors like “mint” which will take away red! They can look very ashy and gray when used over areas of redness. Instead use a yellow based concealer for a more natural look.

* You might want to try clarifiers too as they are great concealers for the inner rims of the eyes and make a spot concealer in a pinch!

Be sure to check out 3C’s fabulous products and their blog for more makeup tips!

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Enter Shadow Shields. Literally days after coming home from Fashion Week they told me about their brand spanking new product. It is a thin textured pad that curves under your eye and sticks to your skin (without leaving glue behind) so that you can go about your usual eye shadow routine without attempting a balancing act. Shadow Shields comes in a box of 50 and while it took a little trial and error for me to find the spot under my eye that wasn’t sensitive to having the shield sticking to it, once I got it, it worked fabulously. Where were these when I was applying MAC’s Rush Metals?!

Check out the video above from Shadow Shields and see how they work yourself–pretty neat!

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