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.

Bobbi Brown Tinted Eye Brightener - Review & Swatches

For Spring 2010 Bobbi Brown came out with these nifty little things called Tinted Eye Brighteners. The mantra for Bobbi Brown's Spring 2010 is - Look Your Best Under Five Minutes. The collection includes eye brow pencils, lip glosses and this under eye brightener.

If I had five minutes to do my makeup my routine would be :

Moisturizer
Eye Cream
Brows
Concealer
Lipstick
Bronzer

But then sometimes if I'm having a bad under eye circles day - then I run overtime with the concealer. Like ten minutes over time.

Never a good thing.

But wait , it gets worse when ten minutes later I still look like a girl who had solid dark circles, is trying her best to cover it up and failing miserably.

One word - Dadgummit .

Today is one of those days. My eyes look dull and the circles are a 7 on 10. Ten being the darkest they've ever been.

Ola caterpillar brows ! Not their best angle.

And this is my eye today with the Bobbi Brown Tinted Eye Brightener in Dark Peach applied all over my eyes and under my eyes. The inner corner are my biggest trouble spots. If I could I'd throw them in the naughty corner until they apologize and go back to being good.

Cant do. Super Nanny is of no help here.

But Bobbi is. Check that out !


I am ecstatic about the effect this brightener has. I look like I was born with zero dark circles. I look like people can envy me for my lack of dark circles. Oh its been a long time since anybody envied me for my zero dark circle eyes...

All it took was 30 seconds to apply. For a medium skin tone ( MAC NC 37 - 40) like me Dark Peach was an excellent shade match for a very natural finish. The formula is creamy but not thick. Its feels like I'm just applying a regular eye cream - easy and light !

The tinted eye brightener comes in eight shades. It costs a huge $38.00 for .05 fl. oz./ 1.5 ml of product. Bobbi Brown's Creamy concealer costs $22.00 for .06 oz./1.7g of product - almost same amount of product but much cheaper. So if you plan on checking this miracle worker out, make sure you find a MUA at the Bobbi Brown counters and get yourself matched in day light. If you're paying $38 you better get the right shade !


In Other News...

I'm obsessed with this JT + Timbaland song. Its super cute in a lyrics written by a five year old obsessed with Tacobell stuck in a thirty year old's body kinda way ...

What are you grooving your Wednesday to ?


Love,
Indian Girl

This article contains a sample product sent for consideration by PR. For more details on the disclosure policy please refer to it at the bottom of the page.

Sally Hansen Natural Beauty 5 Minute Face Kit : Review

Its the Holidays !

Well, technically not yet but we're almost there ! I know we're almost there because it smells like cinnamon and other holiday spices around my apartment building. I get out and I'm like...

Oh No You Didn't. Oh No. They bust out their Holiday home fragrances, man !

I don't have the holiday fragrances yet. So, I am busting out the value kits. Today its Sally Hansen Natural Beauty 's turn with their 5 Minute Face Kit. I have loved this brand since it came into being a couple of years back. Almost everything has worked well for me and the price is almost always right.


This 5 Minute Face Kit has gotten me more excited than the bulls at the Rodeo !

I said bulls not cowboys. Nothing is more exciting than cowboys. *Drools* TX cowboys !

The Kit has 5 items. A minute per item. And they come in three shades - Light, Medium and Dark. Each kit has products that should help enhance features of skin tone in that range.

Luminizing Face Primer
Concealer
Blush
Eyeshadow Trio
Lip gloss

The primer is brilliant stuff ! It is a bit shimmery but all shimmer is forgiven during winter. So I say, Go for it. Thelma. Go for it !

Concealer , I'll write a lot about it soon.

The eyeshadow I have talked about them here. Almost a year back ! But they are still making them good !
The lip gloss in Sparkling Champagne is perfect for light - medium skin tones. A beautiful flesh toned shade with a hint of shimmer. Some of my other favorite shades are here with swatches .The blush ( Cherub) is a peachy pink "I-am-an-angel. Don't believe me ? Look at my cheeks " kinda color. That is the exact description that would be on he box had I made it.

But wait. So you think they put a items in a kit call it 5 minute kit and I'll get excited over it ?

No. Absolutely not. Check out the receipt below to know the most exciting part about the kit and the deal I've set up for y'all !


Its worth $45 but the CVS guy knows you read AIMB and he'll give it to you for $12.99. Just for you ! No Jokes. All true story.

Okay I had nothing to do with the deal. But if you give it a try, it'll still $12.99. AIMB reader or not !

Love,
Indian Girl

Smashbox Concealer Brush #4 : Review - The Only One That Works !

Over the years I have tried several concealer brushes but always came back to this

my ring finger.

It is soft, bendable, reaches every corner, helps me blend the concealer into my skin just as much as I want.

That being said I am still an Indian who eats spicy food with her hand - the one thing I always take into consideration before I put my finger anywhere on my face. The spicy ring finger is something I am predisposed to and as a result I have had to continue my search for a better concealer brush.

I expect the concealer brush to be everything my ring finger is - soft, bendable, reach every corner, help me blend the concealer into my skin just as much as I want.


In my search I found several types of concealer brushes. Some were beyond my comprehension. Ones that were rigid, made of weird fiber like material and did not blend or bend were all throw out. After seeing a few too many similar looking brushes that did not work I eventually found one that fits all my requirements from a concealer brush - the Smashbox Concealer brush #4.

Apart from the lovely black / red design, the brush is made of soft synthetic hair that gives excellent control for blending and layering the concealer. It bends into every contour of the eye without a need to apply too much pressure on the delicate skin.

What can I say - I am loving the non spicy version of my ring finger ! I only hope its as durable too ! If its not, you'll see a PS stating just that.

If $26 seems like a whole lot to spend on a single brush, check out the Wish For The Perfect Tools Brush Kit - $49 ( original value $ 134) The kit contains five brushes -
travel angled blush brush
travel blending brush
travel crease brush
travel shadow liner brush
travel angled precision liner brush

According to Smashbox's website the blending brush works double duty as a concealer brush !

What is your favorite way to apply concealer ? Is there a brush that does the trick for you ?

Love,
Indian Girl

Conceal FX Concealer By Cover FX - The Mother Of All Concealers : Review & Swatches

I know you guys loved the EOTD that I put up with the Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner Post. Though the liner worked out well, the real unsung hero was my concealer - The Cover FX Camouflage Concealer.

To show how awesome these are let me show you a pic of me without the concealer


There you go ! The things I do for the blog...
Notice the evil inner corner of my eye. Its darker than the Dating in the dark room.

I need to pay extra attention there and somehow most concealers just crack and look dry in the inner corner. Y'all know I am dead serious when it comes to concealers. Throughout a year and a half of blogging how many concealers have I recommended to you - one. Just one. Does not mean I didn't test any . I tested plenty but none were good. None worthy of my time and space on this blog. That's how serious I am about concealers.

After so long I came across another one that was great enough to be recommended to y'all.


The Cover FX Camouflage Concealer is the newest product from Cover FX. This is what Cover FX has to say about their new range of concealers - " Conceal FX Camouflage Concealer, an instant, flaw-erasing concealer cream with a lightweight velvet finish. Conceal FX is not just perfect for your skin but also great for HD film/video, seamlessly covering anything you want to hide, providing opaque, long-lasting, water-resistant coverage and can be used to instantly erase under eye circles, redness, dark spots, sun damage, blemishes, tattoos, birthmarks, fatigue or skin trauma. "

Here is a list of the shades available and the corresponding foundation shades in the range.

Conceal FX Shade	Ideal for Foundation Shade Range
X-Light	0-20
Light	20-40
Light-Medium	40-60
Medium	60-90
Deep	B0 - 25
X-Deep	B25-65

Having had a very good experience with their foundations I was so looking forward to trying out their concealers. I got in Light and it worked very well with my skin tone. The shade is very warm and has a touch of peach to it which is extremely important to cover up the bluish purple tinge that dark circles have. Another reason why peach correctors are recommended for severe dark circles.

The concealer comes in a tube with a teeny tiny hole. You need extremely little amount of the concealer and you get just that much at a time. Absolutely no wastage. The tube seems a lot more sanitary to me than pans coz I am not dipping my finger into the whole product at a time.

The Camouflage concealer has a creamy texture but isn't very creamy. Very creamy concealers tend to crease easily, disappear faster and do not provide extreme coverage. At the same time if its not creamy, the concealer remains as blobs because it becomes very difficult to apply and spread. With this concealer there is good balance in the texture so as to make it creamy enough to spread easily but opaque enough to cover up everything with very little product.

I tried the shades Light & Light to Medium. Light is bit more peachy than Light To Medium which has a little more yellow and looks lighter than the shade Light. I found that Light suited me the best and looked great in pictures so I decided to stick with it.

Word of advice : Always use a hydrating, oil free eye cream under concealers.

Price - $25 (0.5 fl oz / 15 ml)
Purchase - Sephora, Nordstrom
Purpose - Water resistant concealer for under eye circle, tattoos, birth marks
Position Love,
Indian Girl

"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.